Serious games to promote independent living for intellectually disabled people: Starting with shopping

The project described in this article consists of the design and implementation of a serious games application to promote independent living for adolescents/adults with intellectual disability (ID). We present this first stage of a broader project which aims to teach this group how to shop. Given the wide acceptance of new technologies among people with ID, iPads were used as a support tool. The application is based on a set of games with different features and aims and includes advice for shopping. The design includes real situations which focus on making the application useful and attractive, thus motivating users. The results obtained after the tests carried out with real users were positive and encouraging.