Employment can be an important pathway to independence, dignity and belonging. Having a job allows people to earn their own income, develop new skills and become active members of their communities. Work can also improve mental and physical wellbeing by providing a sense of purpose and social connection. However, for many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), access to employment opportunities remains limited.

Despite the benefits of work, only about 15% of individuals with IDD are employed in competitive and integrated workplaces. This means that many people with disabilities are excluded from opportunities that could improve their quality of life. Competitive, integrated employment refers to jobs where individuals with disabilities work alongside people without disabilities and receive fair wages. Although efforts have been made to increase inclusion, many barriers still prevent individuals with IDD from entering or remaining in the workforce.

Several programmes aim to support individuals with disabilities in finding and keeping jobs. Supported employment programmes provide job coaching, where trained professionals guide workers through tasks and help them adjust to the workplace. Another approach, known as customised employment, adapts job roles to match better the strengths and needs of both the employee and the employer. These programmes have helped many individuals gain employment, but challenges continue to affect long-term success.

One of the main difficulties is the inconsistency of support services. Job coaches may leave their positions frequently, which can interrupt training and make it harder for employees to maintain progress. Individuals with IDD may also experience social and environmental challenges at work, such as understanding workplace expectations, communicating with colleagues and completing complicated tasks. These challenges can make it harder for individuals to remain employed over time.

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University explored whether augmented reality (AR) technology could help address some of these barriers. They developed an AR-based application designed to function as a digital job coach. The system provides real-time instructions and guidance while a person is completing a task, helping users follow each step without relying entirely on direct support from another person.

To test this idea, researchers conducted a study in which participants with IDD worked as library assistants and practised shelving books. This task was selected because it requires several skills at once, including reading labels, listening to instructions and using logical thinking to organise books correctly. These types of skills can be challenging when learning a new job, making the task a useful way to evaluate whether AR technology could improve training and performance.

At the beginning of the study, participants attempted the task without the AR system. During this baseline phase, their performance was quite low. On average, participants completed only about 14% of the required steps correctly. Once the AR-based job coach was introduced, however, performance improved dramatically. Participants began following the real-time instructions provided by the system, which helped them complete the tasks more accurately and independently.

With the AR support in place, average task accuracy increased to 93%, and some participants reached 100% accuracy. All participants eventually achieved the study’s mastery criteria by completing at least 90% of the task steps correctly and independently across multiple sessions. The findings, published in Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, suggest that augmented reality could become a powerful and cost-effective tool for job training. By providing real-time guidance, AR technology may help individuals with IDD learn tasks faster, work more independently and gain better access to meaningful employment opportunities.

More information: Ayse Torres et al, Augmented Reality Enhanced Supported Employment for Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. DOI: 10.1177/10883576251407604

Journal information: Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities Provided by Florida Atlantic University