HCC: designing technologies to facilitate independent abuse reporting for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

The National Science Foundation Division of Computing and Communication Foundations awarded the University of Rhode Island $470,000 on October 1, 2026, under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program to develop novel mobile computing systems that enable independent abuse reporting for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

The project will deliver three phases of research and development. Phase one encompasses interviews and surveys with people with I/DD, their caregivers, and adult protective services agency staff to map the current ecosystem around abuse reporting. Phase two focuses on designing an augmented and alternative communication (AAC)-based reporting system protected by a novel authentication mechanism tailored to the capabilities of people with I/DD. Phase three involves developing a prototype and conducting a four-month pilot study to evaluate usability, accessibility, and user experience. The work will advance methods for understanding the needs of people with I/DD and designing accessible interfaces for authentication and communication, with findings applicable to technologies addressing intimate partner violence, neglect, exploitation, and other abusive situations.

The award period runs October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2029, with performance at Kingston, Rhode Island. The University of Rhode Island, a 1862 land-grant public research university, is the recipient through its Research Office division. This is a Project Grant assistance type under CFDA 47.070.

Abstract

Over 7 million people in the U.S. Have intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), such as down syndrome, williams syndrome, autism, and others. These disabilities impact their ability to learn, reason, solve problems, and learn social or life skills. These factors, in turn, mean abusers may manipulate or prevent people with I/DD from reporting abuse. Further, current systems for reporting abuse to state adult protective services agencies are difficult for people with I/DD to navigate. This project's goal is to empower people with I/DD to report abuse through developing novel mobile computing systems that align with their capabilities and support their independence, privacy, and agency. Through this, the work will advance methods for working with I/DD people and understanding their needs, along with advancing knowledge of designing usable interfaces for authentication and communication. The findings will also inform the design of technologies to improve people's safety in a variety of abusive situations (e.g., intimate partner violence, neglect, exploitation, and others). The technical aims of the project are divided into three phases. The first phase focuses on understanding the current ecosystem around abuse reporting, through interviews and surveys that include people with I/DD, their caregivers, and people who work at adult protective services agencies. The second phase will involve designing an augmented and alternative communication (AAC)-based system for accessible abuse reporting for people with I/DD, protected by a novel authentication mechanism specifically designed for the capabilities of people with I/DD. The third phase will entail developing a prototype of this abuse reporting system and conducting a four-month-long pilot study to evaluate the prototype's usability, accessibility, and user experience. This research will also support the training of PHD students at the intersection of accessibility, design, and cyber-security at the university of rhode island. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.