1.
Brandt, Åse, et al.
(författare)
Older people's use of powered wheelchairs for activity and participation
2004
Ingår i: Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. - : Medical Journals Sweden AB. - 1651-2081 .- 1650-1977. ; 36:2, s. 70-77
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate outcomes of older people's use of powered wheelchairs and risk factors for negative outcomes. Design: The study was a cross-sectional interview-study including 111 powered wheelchair users over 65 years of age. Results: All participants used their powered wheelchair in the summer; nearly all users regarded it as important and found that it gave them independence. The wheelchair made activity and participation possible for the users. The most frequent activity in the summer was going for a ride, and in the winter it was shopping. However, some could not use the wheelchair for visits, and supplementary travel modes are called for. Users who could not walk at all or who could not transfer without assistance were more likely not to be able to carry out prioritized activities. Furthermore, other risk factors for negative outcomes and need for further research were identified. Conclusion: The use of powered wheelchairs is a relevant societal intervention in relation to older people with limited walking ability in order to make activity and participation possible. It is likely that a larger proportion of older people could benefit from this intervention, in particular if current practices are improved taking activity and participation outcomes into consideration.
2.
Brandt, Åse, et al.
(författare)
Satisfaction with rollators among community-living users: a follow-up study.
2003
Ingår i: Disability and Rehabilitation. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0963-8288 .- 1464-5165. ; 25:7, s. 343-353
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Purpose: Rollators are used in order to make mobility possible for people with restricted walking ability. The use of rollators is increasing, but little is known about outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate users' satisfaction with rollators. Method: A follow-up study was carried out in seven Danish municipalities. One month after they got their device, 89 users of rollators were interviewed by means of the QUEST 1.0. Three months after the first interview a second interview took place and data from the 64 users available for follow-up were analysed. Results: The users were satisfied with their rollators, and the frequency of use was high. However, many of the users were frail, and some of them were not fully satisfied in all respects. Women especially, users living alone and first time users were likely to be dissatisfied. The main problem identified was handling the rollator, and for several users the physical environment caused accessibility problems. Conclusions: Rollators are valuable for the users and a relevant societal intervention. However, a better match between person and technology, enhanced user training and follow-up can improve the outcome of the intervention. Furthermore, better rollator design is called for, and buses and the outdoor environment need to be made more accessible.
3.
4.
Iwarsson, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
Travel Chain Enabler: Development of a pilot instrument for assessment of urban public bus transportation accessibility.
2000
Ingår i: Technology and Disability. - 1878-643X. ; 12, s. 3-12
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Among the issues relating to the needs of citizens with reduced functional capacity, accessibility problems throughout society are gaining interest. The focus of this paper is on methodology for assessment of urban public bus transport accessibility. The aims are to describe the development of a pilot version of a new instrument, the Travel Chain Enabler, and to identify problems to target for further research. Based on the previously developed Housing Enabler instrument and a literature review, the development of a pilot instrument was initiated. In several steps, three different raters recorded accessibility on site while traveling by public bus transport in a Swedish city. The results showed the relevance of the assessment approach, but definition problems, difficulties as regards reliable measurements, and/or paucity of administration instructions were demonstrated in 32% inter-rater reliability analysis indicated moderate agreement. The detailed specification of the different kinds of problems and assessment difficulties is of the outermost importance for further research in the field. With current results as a new point of departure, major methodological challenges will be more constructively dealt with.
5.
Jensen, Gunilla, et al.
(författare)
Theoretical understanding and methodological challenges in accessibility assessments, focusing the environmental component: an example from travel chains in urban public bus transport.
2002
Ingår i: Disability and Rehabilitation. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0963-8288 .- 1464-5165. ; 24:5, s. 231-242
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
PURPOSE: In order to increase the theoretical understanding of the concept of accessibility, this paper reports the results from an exploration of methodological difficulties inherent in systematic accessibility assessments of single persons' travel chains in urban public bus transport. In addition, Special Transport Service (STS) travellers' perception of environmental demands in public transport are reported. METHODS: This study was designed to explore the environmental component in accessibility problems systematically. Twenty persons entitled to STS were recruited in order to travel by low-floor bus, Service Route Traffic (SRT) or STS. Two different methods were chosen. Critical incidents were collected during participant observation, and by means of a pilot instrument based on the Enabler Concept independent environmental assessments were performed. RESULTS: Not all environmental details registered during the participant observations were in agreement with the independent environmental assessment, and different reasons for the disagreements were reported. In addition, participants travelling by STS gave information about what hindered them from using conventional public transport. CONCLUSIONS: The theoretical understanding behind accessibility assessments has benefited from the methodological challenges mapped out in this study. In order to interpret accessibility, the individual perspective as well as the population perspective are necessary, which means that complementary methods are needed.
6.
Marcheschi, Elizabeth, 1980, et al.
(författare)
A Theoretical Model for Urban Walking Among People With Disabilities
2020
Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-1078. ; 11:156, s. 1-12
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
This paper is an attempt to advance research on walking at a neighborhood level of analysis for people with disabilities by proposing a theoretical model that combines the knowledge of two disciplines: traffic planning and environmental psychology. The aim is to provide guidance for a discussion and a plan for future interdisciplinary investigations by proposing a model that accounts for the dynamic interaction between environmental characteristics, human processes, and walking experience among individuals with a disability. For this purpose, traffic planners, and environmental psychologists came together to discuss theories, concepts, and thematic relevance in a series of focus group meetings. These meetings led to the selection of the Human Environment Interaction (HEI) model, originally developed from the field of environmental psychology and operationalized to describe how walking experiences result from the interplay between individual abilities, emotional processes, and the physical and social characteristics of the environment (Küller, 1991). The proposed model aims to sustain interdisciplinary discussion and research planning around the topic of neighborhood walking for people with disabilities. By operationalizing each dimension in the model, a good fit between groups with disabilities and individual differences associated with walking experiences is assumed, which, in turn, will have the potential to provide a more conscious analysis of wellbeing-related outcomes, such as usability of the environment, frequency of mobility, and quality of life. However, to improve understanding of urban walking at a neighborhood level for people with disabilities, empirical studies must be carried out to test the proposed model.
7.
Ståhl, Agneta, et al.
(författare)
Detection of warning surfaces in pedestrian environments: The importance for blind people of kerbs, depth, and structure of tactile surfaces
2010
Ingår i: DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0963-8288 .- 1464-5165. ; 32:6, s. 469-482
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Purpose.The overall purpose was to study whether and how persons with blindness detect warning surfaces with a long white cane in a real pedestrian environment after following a natural guidance surface to the warning surfaces. Of particular interest was the importance of kerb, depth, and structure of the warning surfaces. Method.A concurrently mixed methods approach, with a combination of observation using a structured form together with ‘think aloud’ and a structured interview, was used. It was done with well-defined samples and study sites in an inter-disciplinary research context. Results.The results show that the most important design characteristic for detection of the warning surfaces with a white cane is the structure of the surface, while the depth of the surface and availability of a kerb do not have any impact on the detection. A precondition was that there is a distinct natural guidance surface leading up to the warning surface. Conclusions.The probability among pedestrians with blindness to detect a tactile surface is not higher if the design solution has a kerb. This study also confirms the complexity of being a blind pedestrian in the traffic environment. The results can be used for evidence-based physical planning. The study also has implications for development of more efficient vision rehabilitation.
8.
Wendel, Kerstin, et al.
(författare)
Long-term cognitive functional limitations post stroke: objective assessment compared with self-evaluations and spouse reports.
2008
Ingår i: International Journal of Rehabilitation Research. - 1473-5660. ; 31:3, s. 231-239
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
This study was part of a Swedish interdisciplinary research project targeting accessibility problems in public transport for people with cognitive functional limitations (CFLs). The objective was to describe and compare different assessment perspectives of long-term CFLs among community citizens having had CFLs in the acute stroke phase but with moderate physical limitations. Eighty-four participants in ordinary housing 18-36 months post stroke, initially sampled from a national quality stroke register, received data collection home-visits. The Cognistat screening instrument was used for an objective assessment, and a study-specific questionnaire for self-evaluations of CFLs. A revised form of the latter questionnaire was used for reports from spouses of a subset of 30 participants. The agreement between self-evaluated CFLs and spouse reports was analysed by percentage agreement and Cohen's kappa, whereas differences in ratings were tested by McNemar's test, as were differences between objective and self-evaluated/spouse-reported occurrence of CFLs. Regardless of the different perspectives applied, CFLs were frequent. In absence of significant difference in ratings, the percentage agreement between self-evaluations and spouse reports was good or very good, whereas kappa values were less encouraging. Overall, participants and spouses expressed more CFLs, as compared with the screening. Most consistency was demonstrated for the area of calculation. When researchers and clinicians solely rely on cognitive screenings in their investigations, there is a considerable risk for underestimations of CFLs.
9.
Wretstrand, Anders, et al.
(författare)
Wheelchair users and public transit : Eliciting ascriptions of comfort and safety
2008
Ingår i: Technology and Disability. - 1878-643X. ; 20:1, s. 37-48
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Transport policies often contain explicit goals for the travel quality of disabled passenger groups. Addressing the user perspective, focus group discussions with wheelchair-seated passengers (using bus transit and Special Transportation Services) were therefore held, in order to qualitatively explore perceived comfort and safety - two important quality factors. The comfort and safety constructs were shown to refer to technical (vehicle technology and systems design) as well as social aspects (trust, predictability, communication), and the construct meanings were intertwined. The emerging dualism of the constructs is important to consider, particularly since the social aspects were stressed as being travel quality prerequisites. Methodologically, the focus group method proved useful, and the use of in-vivo impressions could serve as valuable input into quantitative research or evaluations.
