Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology最新文献

Graph literacy is essential to STEM education, yet visually impaired (VI) students face persistent barriers not only in interpreting graphs but also in creating them. Existing tactile tools often offer limited layouts, inconsistent feedback, or require sighted assistance. This restricts opportunities for independent graph authoring. In Thailand, imported embossers and printers are costly and scarce, while low-tech alternatives lack portability and tactile precision. This study developed a low-cost, roller-based graph-paper embosser through a three-iteration User-Centered Design (UCD) process. The tool embosses XY coordinate planes onto A4 paper, allowing VI students to plot points and construct graphs independently. Design iterations were informed by surveys of existing tactile graphing tools and refined through feedback from VI students and their teachers. The final prototype featured a microfiber-lined embossing surface, a compact grooved roller, and a plus-sign XY guide for alignment. Usability testing with 40 VI students combined task metrics, satisfaction ratings, and qualitative feedback. Participants reported improved tactile clarity, quadrant orientation, and confidence in graph plotting. In performance tasks, 57.5% of students accurately completed 9-12 graphs, demonstrating the tool's instructional effectiveness. By emphasising tactile-only interaction, iterative refinement, and teacher collaboration, this study offers a scalable model for inclusive STEM learning. It contributes to the development of accessible educational tools that empower VI students to author graphs independently, reduce reliance on sighted assistance, and promote equitable participation in mathematics education.

Purpose: Identify which community-based and clinical support resources individuals with physical disabilities perceive as most beneficial for improving access to adaptive gaming and to examine factors associated with receiving professional assistance during setup or configuration of adaptive gaming equipment.

Methods: A survey was distributed to adults with physical disabilities who currently participate in adaptive gaming and collected demographic data, gaming practices, and experiences with community and clinical resources. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was utilised to examine factors associated with receiving professional assistance during setup or configuration of adaptive gaming equipment. Thematic analysis was performed on responses to an open-ended question regarding suggestions to improve adaptive gaming access.

Results: A total of 256 participants completed the survey. Participants commonly discovered their gaming setups on their own (53.9%). Logistic regression showed that participants with higher income (OR = 1.96, p = .03) were more likely to receive professional support identifying their adaptive gaming setup, while those gaming ≥4 years were less likely (OR = .32, p < .01). Resources identified as most useful to improve access to adaptive gaming included YouTube instructional videos (57.0%), funding resources (42.2%), and an adaptive gaming informational website (41.0%). Thematic analysis revealed four needs: centralised online resources, financial assistance, professional support, and access to equipment trials or rentals.

Conclusions: Improving access to adaptive gaming requires expanding digital information, offering financial support, providing more professional services, and developing equipment rental or trial programs. These findings inform future interventions and service models to reduce barriers for gamers with physical disabilities.

Purpose: Usability considerations for wheelchair users remain underexplored. This study evaluated usability requirements of a smartphone App (MvBii) for monitoring physical activity and sedentary behaviour in manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Materials and methods: A mixed-methods design was adopted. Manual wheelchair users with SCI completed System Usability Scale, e-loyalty and user experience questionnaires, think-aloud sessions and scenario-based workshops. Six design and research evaluators undertook think-aloud sessions. Qualitative data was analysed thematically and mapped against heuristics.

Results: Ten participants with SCI (C5-L1; three females) with a mean age of 51 ± 9 years took part. The App received positive ratings on e-loyalty (mean scores, 5.6 ± 1.51 to 6.10 ± 0.99 across items) and user experience (4.3 ± 1.03 to 5.93 ± 0.78) from participants with SCI. A novel heuristics principle was developed to explore "accessibility and inclusion" usability issues. Thematic analysis captured patterned meanings across tasks and heuristics including "Navigating with autonomy" (e.g., challenges with interface clarity and understanding terminology), "Language and representation" (e.g., simplifying using inclusive language and icons), and "Seeing progress not noise" (e.g., physical activity notifications that encouraged self-competition without external pressure).

Conclusions: This study demonstrates the value of a mixed-methods approach to usability and heuristic evaluation for identifying effective, accessible and inclusive tailoring of physical activity Apps universally and for wheelchair users specifically. These findings can inform refinements to the MvBii app and provide broader insights for designing inclusive and effective mobile health Apps across diverse populations.

Purpose: Welfare technology (WT) intends to promote engagement in everyday activities and the well-being of older adults at risk of developing or already having impairments. However, its effectiveness depends on how older adults experience and interact with WT. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between various forms of WT user experience (perceived usability, perceived control, perceived value, perceived vulnerability) and engagement in everyday activities among older adults.

Materials and methods: Data were collected through a nationwide survey questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling.

Results: WT user experience accounts for a 54% variance in engagement in everyday activities, with the significance of these relationships varying across different forms of WT user experience. Our results indicate that perceived value and perceived control within the WT experience are significant predictors of engagement in everyday activities among older adults, with perceived value showing a substantial positive effect and perceived control demonstrating a significant negative association. Perceived usability and perceived vulnerability appear to have no significant effect.

Conclusion: Our findings challenge the common assumption in WT that greater perceived control leads to better integration into the everyday lives of older adults. Instead, our results indicate that higher levels of perceived control may not always facilitate engagement in everyday activities and may even hinder it. Furthermore, perceived value in WT experience is the most influential driver of engagement in everyday activities among older adults, emphasising the importance of positive attitudes and alignment of WT with independence and safety.

Purpose: This study compared the effects of live human speech feedback (HSF) with synthesised speech feedback (SSF) for word learning in people with aphasia (PWA).

Materials and methods: Four PWA participated in a speech feedback treatment designed to enhance word production and other language functions. The intervention spanned 24 sessions over 8 weeks. Overall language behaviours were evaluated pre- and post-interventions using the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R), the Story Retelling Procedure (SRP), and participant-reported satisfaction.

Results: Three participants exhibited improvements in word naming and overall language performance under both types of speech feedback. The fourth participant did not improve in word naming enough to reach the threshold to switch to the second condition. Some aspects of WAB-R improved in all participants. SRP improved in all participants, meeting the criteria for "detectable" improvement in two participants. All participants expressed satisfaction with the intervention and gave high ratings for perceived effectiveness and usability.

Conclusion: These findings provide preliminary support for the use of HSF and SSF to enhance language performance for PWA and support the use of tailored AAC to individual needs.

Purpose: Virtual reality (VR) treadmill walking has been recognised for its potential to enhance enjoyment and motivation, although safety concerns limit its use in older adults. Mixed reality (MR), by integrating virtual elements with the real environment, may reduce these risks while maintaining motivational benefits. This pilot and feasibility trial examined the practicality of implementing MR treadmill walking in healthy older adults to determine readiness for a definitive randomised controlled trial.

Materials and methods: Forty-two community-dwelling older adults (mean age, 73.7 years; 30 men) were randomised to treadmill walking with MR (MR+) or without MR (MR-). Each participant performed a 10-min self-paced treadmill walking task. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment, retention, adherence, safety (Simulator Sickness Questionnaire [SSQ]), enjoyment (Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale [PACES]), and exercise intensity (percentage of heart rate reserve [%HRR]).

Results: All 42 participants consented and completed the treadmill session and follow-up assessments (recruitment, retention, and adherence, 100%). No adverse events or falls occurred. SSQ scores indicated negligible simulator sickness, confirming good tolerability, and PACES scores were significantly higher in MR+ than in MR- (110.7 ± 15.4 versus 96.7 ± 15.7; mean difference=13.95, 95% confidence interval 4.25 to 23.64; p = 0.006). %HRR values reflected moderate exercise intensity in both groups. All prespecified feasibility thresholds were achieved.

Conclusions: MR treadmill walking was found to be safe, tolerable, and enjoyable for older adults, meeting key feasibility criteria and providing a solid basis for progression to a definitive randomised controlled trial to establish clinical efficacy and broader applicability in geriatric rehabilitation.

Purpose: The present study aims to systematically analyse the extant academic literature on the use of technology in learning difficulties, with a view to revealing conceptual structures, thematic clusters, and the developmental trajectory of the field. The objective of this study is to offer a comprehensive overview that will support future research, policy-making, and inclusive educational practices.

Method: A systematic thematic analysis was conducted on peer-reviewed journal articles published between 1992 and June 2025. The study adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and employed data from Web of Science and Scopus. Bibliometric tools (Bibliometrix) were utilised to extract and visualise data, identify thematic trends, and map collaboration networks.

Results: The findings indicate a growing academic interest in technology-assisted interventions for students with learning difficulties, particularly in the period following 2010. The key themes that emerged included assistive technologies, digital tools, and personalised learning systems. A strong correlation was demonstrated between central concepts such as "learning disabilities", "assistive technology", and "instruction". The analysis also highlighted the dominance of institutions from the Global North and the relative underrepresentation of culturally diverse and adult learner-focused studies.

Conclusion: The utilisation of technological tools has been demonstrated to have a substantial impact on the academic, cognitive and socio-emotional development of individuals with learning difficulties. However, an analysis of the extant literature reveals geographical imbalances, theoretical fragmentation, and a lack of inclusivity. The present study offers strategic insights for the development of culturally sensitive, interdisciplinary, and globally collaborative research agendas.

Purpose: While assistive products can significantly enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities, many users discontinue their use. Although several reasons for this discontinuation have been documented in developed countries, the extent and underlying causes in low-resource countries remain poorly understood, where the consequences may be more severe. This study assessed the prevalence and factors contributing to the abandonment of mobility assistive products in Ethiopia.

Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Bahir Dar and Dessie Physical Rehabilitation Centres in the Amhara region between December 20, 2023, and March 20, 2024. Systematic random sampling was used, and data was analysed using descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression to identify predictor factors.

Results: Of 424 invited participants, 371 responded (87.5% response rate). Four types of mobility assistive products (crutches, lower limb prostheses, lower limb orthoses and manual wheelchair) were included, and the abandonment rate was 36.4% (95% CI: 31.5-41.5). Significant predictors included being male (AOR: 2.86, 95% CI: 1.39-5.87), wheelchair use (AOR: 2.40, 95% CI: 1.16-4.96), lack of client participation in device selection (AOR: 9.35, 95% CI: 4.47-19.53), and device unfitness for the environment (AOR: 8.44, 95% CI: 4.54-14.67).

Conclusions: The high abandonment rate in Amhara region, Ethiopia emphasises the importance of tailoring mobility assistive products to individual users rather than providing generic options.

Purpose: Manual wheelchairs promote a level of independence and autonomy. However, due to the short wheelbase and small front casters, wheelchairs perform poorly when used on grass, sand, and uneven/rough surfaces like trails and damaged paved surfaces. At a minimum, these surfaces provide a rough ride, at worst they may cause tips, falls and injuries. Current front wheel attachment products exist that use a relatively large single front wheel to lift the casters off the ground, providing a longer wheelbase. Generally, these products work very well to improve outdoor wheeling. However, these solutions have some drawbacks, including: a cumbersome attachment process and an increased wheelchair footprint. The novel SWIVL^™ provides similar outdoor wheeling experiences, but addresses these drawbacks with a retractable stowage capability that easily transitions a manual wheelchair between outdoor and indoor wheeling configurations.

MethodsA three-phase development process was followed within a commercialisation incubator program which provided the opportunity for intensive engagement with various stakeholders.ResultsThe first two phases focused on the creation of proof-of-concept prototypes. Phase three was performed under standardised design controls. This iterative process was enhanced by weekly meetings with the incubator staff and stakeholders, and included a formal focus group.ConclusionsGuidance and data collected throughout this process was thoughtful, insightful and facilitated the design of the SWIVL^™ device towards a market ready product.