BACKGROUND: Deaf people using sign and/or spoken language and hearing-impaired people using spoken language face frequent difficulties in activities of daily living due to the communication barriers. Among the main strategies to compensate or mitigate these difficulties we find assistive devices: video relay services, cochlear implant, audio induction loop, FM system, hearing aids. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore factors contributing to assistive technology abandonment among deaf individuals who use sign language within the deaf community and those who use spoken language. METHODS: A non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational design was used for the study. A semi-structured interview guide in the form of an ad hoc questionnaire containing 10 questions based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. The study was carried out in Salamanca (Spain) in the association SADAP (Association of Postlocution Hearing Loss People) and CCSS (Salamanca Cultural Center for the Deaf). RESULTS: A total of 36 people participated in the study: 6 deaf people, 9 hearing loss people, 8 relatives and 13 professionals. CONCLUSIONS: The most common factors leading to assistive technology abandonment among deaf and hearing-impaired individuals include negative perceptions of the product, malfunction issues, high maintenance costs, insufficient training, and the stigma associated with its use. SIGNIFICANCE: There is a scarcity of studies within occupational therapy focusing on individuals with hearing loss, particularly those who communicate through sign language. This population often faces activity limitations and participation restrictions. While assistive products and technologies can enhance their daily functioning, negative factors that result in abandonment or discontinuation of use remain significant concerns.
{"title":"A qualitative research of factors that predict discontinuation or non-use of assistive devices in people with hearing loss and deaf people","authors":"Estíbaliz Jiménez-Arberas","doi":"10.3233/tad-230038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-230038","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: Deaf people using sign and/or spoken language and hearing-impaired people using spoken language face frequent difficulties in activities of daily living due to the communication barriers. Among the main strategies to compensate or mitigate these difficulties we find assistive devices: video relay services, cochlear implant, audio induction loop, FM system, hearing aids. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore factors contributing to assistive technology abandonment among deaf individuals who use sign language within the deaf community and those who use spoken language. METHODS: A non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational design was used for the study. A semi-structured interview guide in the form of an ad hoc questionnaire containing 10 questions based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. The study was carried out in Salamanca (Spain) in the association SADAP (Association of Postlocution Hearing Loss People) and CCSS (Salamanca Cultural Center for the Deaf). RESULTS: A total of 36 people participated in the study: 6 deaf people, 9 hearing loss people, 8 relatives and 13 professionals. CONCLUSIONS: The most common factors leading to assistive technology abandonment among deaf and hearing-impaired individuals include negative perceptions of the product, malfunction issues, high maintenance costs, insufficient training, and the stigma associated with its use. SIGNIFICANCE: There is a scarcity of studies within occupational therapy focusing on individuals with hearing loss, particularly those who communicate through sign language. This population often faces activity limitations and participation restrictions. While assistive products and technologies can enhance their daily functioning, negative factors that result in abandonment or discontinuation of use remain significant concerns.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141837543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chau Ma-Thi, Toan Truong-duc, Thi-Duyen Ngo, Ha Le-thanh
According to Dr. Margaret Chan [29], approximately 15% of the world’s population faces significant challenges in life due to severe disabilities. The majority of these individuals have mobility impairments, significantly impacting their mobility and self-care abilities. Two main groups affected by these disabilities are individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and those who have had a stroke. In a study referenced as [28], it was revealed that ALS accounts for 80% of cases involving severe mobility impairments. The incidence rates of ALS and stroke are reported to be 4/100,000 people and 600/100,000–1,000/100,000 people, respectively. In Vietnam, the ALS incidence rate is approximately 2–3 cases per 100,000 people, while over 200,000 individuals suffer from strokes each year. Roughly 25–30% of individuals with mobility impairments are at risk of experiencing communication difficulties, which can manifest as speech difficulties, slurred speech, or aphasia [20]. In addition to limited mobility and communication challenges, interacting with the living environment poses a significant obstacle for these individuals. Therefore, in addition to assistive communication systems, it is crucial to develop an effective and user-friendly control system for home IoT devices which enable people with severe mobility impairments to gain greater independence in their daily lives. This study presents the development and testing of an assistive IoT smart control system that allows individuals with severe mobility impairments to control familiar electronic devices using their eyes and brain. The test results demonstrate the realistic and feasible nature of the proposed system. Users rated the system above 2.78 out of 5.00 according to the HMI questionnaire. The score for attitudes, which reflects users’ trust in the system, was 3.76 out of 5.00. Therefore, the proposed approach holds promise in assisting individuals with severe mobility disabilities to effectively interact with the IoT devices in their surroundings.
{"title":"An assistive IOT smart control system for people with severe mobility disabilities","authors":"Chau Ma-Thi, Toan Truong-duc, Thi-Duyen Ngo, Ha Le-thanh","doi":"10.3233/tad-240001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-240001","url":null,"abstract":"According to Dr. Margaret Chan [29], approximately 15% of the world’s population faces significant challenges in life due to severe disabilities. The majority of these individuals have mobility impairments, significantly impacting their mobility and self-care abilities. Two main groups affected by these disabilities are individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and those who have had a stroke. In a study referenced as [28], it was revealed that ALS accounts for 80% of cases involving severe mobility impairments. The incidence rates of ALS and stroke are reported to be 4/100,000 people and 600/100,000–1,000/100,000 people, respectively. In Vietnam, the ALS incidence rate is approximately 2–3 cases per 100,000 people, while over 200,000 individuals suffer from strokes each year. Roughly 25–30% of individuals with mobility impairments are at risk of experiencing communication difficulties, which can manifest as speech difficulties, slurred speech, or aphasia [20]. In addition to limited mobility and communication challenges, interacting with the living environment poses a significant obstacle for these individuals. Therefore, in addition to assistive communication systems, it is crucial to develop an effective and user-friendly control system for home IoT devices which enable people with severe mobility impairments to gain greater independence in their daily lives. This study presents the development and testing of an assistive IoT smart control system that allows individuals with severe mobility impairments to control familiar electronic devices using their eyes and brain. The test results demonstrate the realistic and feasible nature of the proposed system. Users rated the system above 2.78 out of 5.00 according to the HMI questionnaire. The score for attitudes, which reflects users’ trust in the system, was 3.76 out of 5.00. Therefore, the proposed approach holds promise in assisting individuals with severe mobility disabilities to effectively interact with the IoT devices in their surroundings.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141837663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fred Holtkamp, Trudi Sonderkamp, Yvonne van Zaalen
BACKGROUND: The design and manufacturing of effective foot orthoses is a complex multidisciplinary problem involving biomedical and gait pattern aspects, technical material and geometric design elements as well as psychological and social contexts. This complexity contributes to the current trial-and-error and experience-based orthopedic footwear practice in which a major part of the expertise is implicit. This hampers knowledge transfer, reproducibility and innovation. OBJECTIVE/METHODS: A systematic review of literature has been performed to find evidence of explicit knowledge, quantitative guidelines and design motivations of pedorthists. RESULTS: 17 studies have been included. No consensus is found on which measurable parameters ensure proper foot and ankle functioning. Parameters suggested are: neutral foot positioning and control of rearfoot motion, maximum arch, but also tibial internal/external rotation as well as a three point force system. Also studies evaluating foot orthoses centering on the diagnosis or orthosis type find no clear guidelines for treatment or for measuring the effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: A gap in the translation from diagnosis to a specific, customized and quantified effective orthosis design is identified. Suggested solutions are both top-down, fitting of patient data in simulations, as well as bottom-up, quantifying current practices of pedorthists in order to develop new practical guidelines and evidence-based procedures.
{"title":"A systematic review of the explicit knowledge used and evidence base in the process of design and fabrication of orthopedic footwear","authors":"Fred Holtkamp, Trudi Sonderkamp, Yvonne van Zaalen","doi":"10.3233/tad-230036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-230036","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: The design and manufacturing of effective foot orthoses is a complex multidisciplinary problem involving biomedical and gait pattern aspects, technical material and geometric design elements as well as psychological and social contexts. This complexity contributes to the current trial-and-error and experience-based orthopedic footwear practice in which a major part of the expertise is implicit. This hampers knowledge transfer, reproducibility and innovation. OBJECTIVE/METHODS: A systematic review of literature has been performed to find evidence of explicit knowledge, quantitative guidelines and design motivations of pedorthists. RESULTS: 17 studies have been included. No consensus is found on which measurable parameters ensure proper foot and ankle functioning. Parameters suggested are: neutral foot positioning and control of rearfoot motion, maximum arch, but also tibial internal/external rotation as well as a three point force system. Also studies evaluating foot orthoses centering on the diagnosis or orthosis type find no clear guidelines for treatment or for measuring the effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: A gap in the translation from diagnosis to a specific, customized and quantified effective orthosis design is identified. Suggested solutions are both top-down, fitting of patient data in simulations, as well as bottom-up, quantifying current practices of pedorthists in order to develop new practical guidelines and evidence-based procedures.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141014530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Claude Vincent, A. Bass, Frédéric S Dumont, Mylène Aubertin-Leheudre, Antony D Karelis, S. Morin, Michelle McKerral, Cyril Duclos, Dany H Gagnon
BACKGROUND: Physical activity as one of the major lifestyle-related health determinants is partially addressed by the Montreal Walking Exoskeleton Satisfaction and Perspectives-Questionnaire (MWESP-Q). OBJECTIVE: To document satisfaction of people with chronic spinal cord injury after the completion of a 10 to 16 weeks of the wearable robotic exoskeleton-assisted walking program, with the MWESP-Q updated to a context of health promotion. METHODS: Following a walking program (10–16 weeks), wheelchair users with chronic SCI completed the MWESP-Q online. Modification of the original questionnaire was conducted with 4 experts to ensure its content validity with a human framework to promote physical activity for health. RESULTS: Ten wheelchair users completed the questionnaire (men = 6; 45.8 ± 13.4 years, SCI duration: 10.1 ± 5.8 years). Participants strongly agreed to be satisfied with the overall program; agreed to be satisfied towards exoskeleton, motivation to engage in physical activity, learnability and program attributes; rated “medium effort” for physical and cognitive exertion during training; reported light improvements for health benefit domain, but light to moderate improvements for general endurance (mean 5.5 /7, SD 1.4) and psychological well-being (mean 5.7 /7, SD 1.3). CONCLUSIONS: The updated MWESP-Q is now better equipped to measure physical and cognitive efforts in physical activity and changes in body and organic systems and in capabilities (health promotion). The updated MWESP-Q has 54 statements (14 additional statements and 1 deleted) organized around seven domains. The original measure was replaced by three 7-point Likert scales, one regarding agreement level (40 statements), level of effort (12 statements), and level of change (2 statements).
{"title":"Updating the Montreal walking exoskeleton satisfaction and perspectives questionnaire (MWESP-Q) following a 16-week walking program with the use of a wearable robotic exoskeleton","authors":"Claude Vincent, A. Bass, Frédéric S Dumont, Mylène Aubertin-Leheudre, Antony D Karelis, S. Morin, Michelle McKerral, Cyril Duclos, Dany H Gagnon","doi":"10.3233/tad-230031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-230031","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: Physical activity as one of the major lifestyle-related health determinants is partially addressed by the Montreal Walking Exoskeleton Satisfaction and Perspectives-Questionnaire (MWESP-Q). OBJECTIVE: To document satisfaction of people with chronic spinal cord injury after the completion of a 10 to 16 weeks of the wearable robotic exoskeleton-assisted walking program, with the MWESP-Q updated to a context of health promotion. METHODS: Following a walking program (10–16 weeks), wheelchair users with chronic SCI completed the MWESP-Q online. Modification of the original questionnaire was conducted with 4 experts to ensure its content validity with a human framework to promote physical activity for health. RESULTS: Ten wheelchair users completed the questionnaire (men = 6; 45.8 ± 13.4 years, SCI duration: 10.1 ± 5.8 years). Participants strongly agreed to be satisfied with the overall program; agreed to be satisfied towards exoskeleton, motivation to engage in physical activity, learnability and program attributes; rated “medium effort” for physical and cognitive exertion during training; reported light improvements for health benefit domain, but light to moderate improvements for general endurance (mean 5.5 /7, SD 1.4) and psychological well-being (mean 5.7 /7, SD 1.3). CONCLUSIONS: The updated MWESP-Q is now better equipped to measure physical and cognitive efforts in physical activity and changes in body and organic systems and in capabilities (health promotion). The updated MWESP-Q has 54 statements (14 additional statements and 1 deleted) organized around seven domains. The original measure was replaced by three 7-point Likert scales, one regarding agreement level (40 statements), level of effort (12 statements), and level of change (2 statements).","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141129843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rajath Shenoy, Cherkala Intiaz, S. Tiwari, G. Krishnan
BACKGROUND: Aphasia is an impaired ability to use language for communication after a brain damage. The primary means of intervention for aphasia – Speech-Language therapy (SLT) – usually involves didactic interaction between the Speech-Language therapist and the client, often without regard to the real-life environments in which the communication occurs. The provision of SLT in natural environments is beyond the scope of the conventional, clinic-based intervention setups. Using the technological advances, the Mixed Reality in Aphasia Rehabilitation (MiRAR) aims to make persons with aphasia (PwA) use their language in an ecologically valid and meaningful manner in natural communication contexts. AIM: This report aims to delineate the design and development of a Mixed Reality environment (MR: i.e., augmented + virtual realities (i.e., AR + VR)) to provide social communicative intervention for PwA. METHODS: We describe the concept and provide the details of the development and deployment of a communication-based mixed reality application for PwA in the Indian context. For this purpose, we generated 20 distinct communication scenarios and their scripts. These scenarios were implemented into the Mixed Reality environment with the help of a hired technical team. RESULTS: The 20 scenarios were successfully developed and deployed into the Mixed Reality environment for the purpose of communication intervention for PwA. The program consists of a web-based admin panel (for SLPs) and a Mixed Reality application (for the PwA). CONCLUSIONS: The MiRAR program is expected to foster the delivery of speech-language therapy in a meaningful, controlled and simulated environments by the SLPs, thus alleviating the practical restraints of conventional clinical setups. The clinical trial of this intervention program is planned in the next phase of this ongoing project.
{"title":"Design and development of a mixed reality application for aphasia rehabilitation: The ICMR-MiRAR project","authors":"Rajath Shenoy, Cherkala Intiaz, S. Tiwari, G. Krishnan","doi":"10.3233/tad-230008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-230008","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: Aphasia is an impaired ability to use language for communication after a brain damage. The primary means of intervention for aphasia – Speech-Language therapy (SLT) – usually involves didactic interaction between the Speech-Language therapist and the client, often without regard to the real-life environments in which the communication occurs. The provision of SLT in natural environments is beyond the scope of the conventional, clinic-based intervention setups. Using the technological advances, the Mixed Reality in Aphasia Rehabilitation (MiRAR) aims to make persons with aphasia (PwA) use their language in an ecologically valid and meaningful manner in natural communication contexts. AIM: This report aims to delineate the design and development of a Mixed Reality environment (MR: i.e., augmented + virtual realities (i.e., AR + VR)) to provide social communicative intervention for PwA. METHODS: We describe the concept and provide the details of the development and deployment of a communication-based mixed reality application for PwA in the Indian context. For this purpose, we generated 20 distinct communication scenarios and their scripts. These scenarios were implemented into the Mixed Reality environment with the help of a hired technical team. RESULTS: The 20 scenarios were successfully developed and deployed into the Mixed Reality environment for the purpose of communication intervention for PwA. The program consists of a web-based admin panel (for SLPs) and a Mixed Reality application (for the PwA). CONCLUSIONS: The MiRAR program is expected to foster the delivery of speech-language therapy in a meaningful, controlled and simulated environments by the SLPs, thus alleviating the practical restraints of conventional clinical setups. The clinical trial of this intervention program is planned in the next phase of this ongoing project.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140500739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BACKGROUND: Visually impaired people have been considered only as “receivers” of support; however, few studies have considered them as “givers” of support to sighted people. OBJECTIVE: To support the walking of sighted people using information available specifically to the visually impaired. METHODS: Utilizing white cane usage data of visually impaired people to create inaccessibility maps for sighted people. RESULTS: A user study conducted with elderly people and their stakeholders, who had high accessibility needs found that the maps were generally useful as long as they were within the user’s area of interest. CONCLUSIONS: Although the proposed method should be practically beneficial to users, the information detected by the system should be expanded from white cane use data, its accuracy, and more data collected from visually impaired people.
{"title":"Inaccessibility maps to support sighted people using visually impaired people’s white cane data","authors":"Rinta Hasegawa, Junko Ichino","doi":"10.3233/tad-230014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-230014","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: Visually impaired people have been considered only as “receivers” of support; however, few studies have considered them as “givers” of support to sighted people. OBJECTIVE: To support the walking of sighted people using information available specifically to the visually impaired. METHODS: Utilizing white cane usage data of visually impaired people to create inaccessibility maps for sighted people. RESULTS: A user study conducted with elderly people and their stakeholders, who had high accessibility needs found that the maps were generally useful as long as they were within the user’s area of interest. CONCLUSIONS: Although the proposed method should be practically beneficial to users, the information detected by the system should be expanded from white cane use data, its accuracy, and more data collected from visually impaired people.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2023-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139154432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Though speaking skills in the mother tongue develop naturally, developing reading skills requires training. Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that can affect the reading ability in any language. Although many literature is available to address these challenges, the need to teach sentence reading was neglected. This paper addresses problems faced while reading sentences. As computer-based multi-sensory teaching is considered as an effective way to teach children with dyslexia (CwD), the proposed system uses multisensory teaching methods to teach sentence reading in Hindi and Bangla languages. It shows sentences as word packages to teach word sequence and help with comprehension. The platform records the response time of the user to generate a performance report to monitor her performance. For evaluating the system, an expert survey was conducted with 26 special educators in two phases, pre-test and post-test. The questionnaires were prepared following previous literature under the expert’s supervision. The pre-test data helped in understanding the educators’ experience and opinions about assistive technology and the post-test data were used to evaluate the system. In the evaluation, all educators agreed that the system will be very useful for their students and it will give a generalised solution for all the challenges their students face.
{"title":"Multisensory computer-based system for teaching sentence reading in Hindi and Bangla to children with dyslexia","authors":"Dipshikha Podder, Manjira Sinha, Anupam Basu, Tirthankar Dasgupta","doi":"10.3233/tad-230005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-230005","url":null,"abstract":"Though speaking skills in the mother tongue develop naturally, developing reading skills requires training. Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that can affect the reading ability in any language. Although many literature is available to address these challenges, the need to teach sentence reading was neglected. This paper addresses problems faced while reading sentences. As computer-based multi-sensory teaching is considered as an effective way to teach children with dyslexia (CwD), the proposed system uses multisensory teaching methods to teach sentence reading in Hindi and Bangla languages. It shows sentences as word packages to teach word sequence and help with comprehension. The platform records the response time of the user to generate a performance report to monitor her performance. For evaluating the system, an expert survey was conducted with 26 special educators in two phases, pre-test and post-test. The questionnaires were prepared following previous literature under the expert’s supervision. The pre-test data helped in understanding the educators’ experience and opinions about assistive technology and the post-test data were used to evaluate the system. In the evaluation, all educators agreed that the system will be very useful for their students and it will give a generalised solution for all the challenges their students face.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2023-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139154422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paula Conceição Rocha de Oliveira, Luciana Ramos Baleotti, G. Christofoletti, F. O. Medola
BACKGROUND: Falls when using wheelchairs can have serious consequences for users. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate wheelchair types, daily movement and environmental factors associated with concerns about falls among wheelchair users. METHODS: Fifty-two wheelchair users (36 male and 16 female, mean age of 44.3 ± 10 years) were interviewed online and responded to questions about the characteristics of their wheelchair, their experiences and concerns about falling while using their wheelchair. RESULTS: It was found that the highest levels of concern about falling when using wheelchairs were associated with the use of rigid frame wheelchairs; and with activities such as moving on sidewalks and ramps. Half of the sample reported that they did not receive training on wheelchair usage and had concerns about performing wheelie maneuvers. Reported falls caused by wheelchair failure were associated with increased concerns about falls. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that wheelchair type, daily movements and environments all influence wheelchair users’ concerns about falls.
{"title":"A study of wheelchair, movement and environmental factors associated with concerns about falls among wheelchairs users","authors":"Paula Conceição Rocha de Oliveira, Luciana Ramos Baleotti, G. Christofoletti, F. O. Medola","doi":"10.3233/tad-230004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-230004","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: Falls when using wheelchairs can have serious consequences for users. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate wheelchair types, daily movement and environmental factors associated with concerns about falls among wheelchair users. METHODS: Fifty-two wheelchair users (36 male and 16 female, mean age of 44.3 ± 10 years) were interviewed online and responded to questions about the characteristics of their wheelchair, their experiences and concerns about falling while using their wheelchair. RESULTS: It was found that the highest levels of concern about falling when using wheelchairs were associated with the use of rigid frame wheelchairs; and with activities such as moving on sidewalks and ramps. Half of the sample reported that they did not receive training on wheelchair usage and had concerns about performing wheelie maneuvers. Reported falls caused by wheelchair failure were associated with increased concerns about falls. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that wheelchair type, daily movements and environments all influence wheelchair users’ concerns about falls.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2023-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139153897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AIM: To design and develop a low-cost device to measure foot parameters in children with disability. METHOD: Designing of the device was done using Solidworks software, after finalization of design, Phase 2 which involved the development of footmeter, materials used were, a rectangular wooden frame, an aluminum slider, goniometers, metal sheet with markings of 1 cm over an entire sheet in vertical as well as horizontal direction forming small grids. RESULT: An early version of “Footmeter” device was developed by assembling all the parts together. The Footmeter evaluates: foot length, width of forefoot, midfoot and hindfoot, height of Medial Longitudinal Arch(MLA) , abduction of 1st MetaTarso Phalangeal (MTP) and deviation for metatarsus adductus. CONCLUSION: The groundbreaking Footmeter device is meticulously designed for measuring foot parameters in children with disabilities. It offers an unparalleled blend of precision, efficiency, and simplicity. With its objective outcomes, minimal training requirements, decreased manual errors, and a streamlined assessment process, “Footmeter” device stands as the ultimate all-in-one tool for the meticulous measurement of foot parameters in children with disabilities.
{"title":"Design and development of a low-cost device to measure foot parameters in children with disability: A “footmeter”","authors":"Vinuta Deshpande, Gauri Ramesh Gangane","doi":"10.3233/tad-230019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-230019","url":null,"abstract":"AIM: To design and develop a low-cost device to measure foot parameters in children with disability. METHOD: Designing of the device was done using Solidworks software, after finalization of design, Phase 2 which involved the development of footmeter, materials used were, a rectangular wooden frame, an aluminum slider, goniometers, metal sheet with markings of 1 cm over an entire sheet in vertical as well as horizontal direction forming small grids. RESULT: An early version of “Footmeter” device was developed by assembling all the parts together. The Footmeter evaluates: foot length, width of forefoot, midfoot and hindfoot, height of Medial Longitudinal Arch(MLA) , abduction of 1st MetaTarso Phalangeal (MTP) and deviation for metatarsus adductus. CONCLUSION: The groundbreaking Footmeter device is meticulously designed for measuring foot parameters in children with disabilities. It offers an unparalleled blend of precision, efficiency, and simplicity. With its objective outcomes, minimal training requirements, decreased manual errors, and a streamlined assessment process, “Footmeter” device stands as the ultimate all-in-one tool for the meticulous measurement of foot parameters in children with disabilities.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139016216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BACKGROUND: Access to low-cost tactile displays that allow sliding contact between text and reading fingers remains a challenge for blind and visually impaired (BVI) users. This impedes the widespread learning of braille and tactile reading. Previous work demonstrated a high accuracy in the tactile reading of braille and raised print presented at varying refresh rates. OBJECTIVE: This work compares the most suitable spacing between embossed characters on a sliding contact tactile display for the accurate reading of words. METHODS: Two discs, differing in inter-character spacing (ICS), embossed with braille on one side and raised print on the reverse side are used here. MNREAD sentences are read for a period of 5 minutes by 17 participants, who are visually impaired, using both discs. RESULTS: The results show that an ICS of 8 mm is sufficient for reading braille with a low percentage error rate of 6.4. However, an ICS of 8 mm does not allow similar rates while reading raised print. CONCLUSION: The results presented here will be relevant towards the research that works towards the design of economical sliding contact tactile displays for BVI users.
{"title":"A comparative evaluation of sliding contact tactile systems displaying braille and raised print","authors":"Anupama Thomas, Anil Prabhakar","doi":"10.3233/tad-230015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-230015","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: Access to low-cost tactile displays that allow sliding contact between text and reading fingers remains a challenge for blind and visually impaired (BVI) users. This impedes the widespread learning of braille and tactile reading. Previous work demonstrated a high accuracy in the tactile reading of braille and raised print presented at varying refresh rates. OBJECTIVE: This work compares the most suitable spacing between embossed characters on a sliding contact tactile display for the accurate reading of words. METHODS: Two discs, differing in inter-character spacing (ICS), embossed with braille on one side and raised print on the reverse side are used here. MNREAD sentences are read for a period of 5 minutes by 17 participants, who are visually impaired, using both discs. RESULTS: The results show that an ICS of 8 mm is sufficient for reading braille with a low percentage error rate of 6.4. However, an ICS of 8 mm does not allow similar rates while reading raised print. CONCLUSION: The results presented here will be relevant towards the research that works towards the design of economical sliding contact tactile displays for BVI users.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2023-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49629105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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