ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This article seeks to describe online tools for surveying and improving quality of life for people with disabilities living in assisted living centers and special education service organizations. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Ensuring a decent quality of life for disabled people is an important welfare state goal. Using well-accepted quality of life conceptions, online diagnostic and planning tools were developed during an Institute for Education, University of Zurich, research project. FINDINGS: The diagnostic tools measure, evaluate and analyze disabled people's quality of life. The planning tools identify factors that can affect their quality of life and suggest improvements. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Instrument validity and reliability are not tested according to the standard statistical procedures. This will be done at a more advanced stage of the project. Instead, the tool is developed, refined and adjusted in cooperation with practitioners who are constantly judging it according to best practice standards. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The tools support staff in assisted living centers and special education service organizations. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: These tools offer comprehensive resources for surveying, quantifying, evaluating, describing and simulating quality of life elements.
