Support worker

A person employed to provide direct assistance and support to people with disabilities in their daily lives. Support workers help with activities of daily living, skill development, community participation, health monitoring, and personal care. In disability community centres and residential settings, support workers facilitate learning activities, accompany people on outings, and often serve as intermediaries for technology use. Research shows that support workers play a dual role in technology adoption: they act as proxies advocating for the people they support, while also being co-users who must learn and operate the technology themselves. Their willingness, skills, and confidence significantly influence whether assistive technologies are successfully adopted or abandoned.