Mobility Challenges Among Older Adult Mobility Device Users

Atoyebi, Oladele Ademola; Labbé, Delphine; Prescott, Mike; Mahmood, Atiya; Routhier, François; Miller, William C.; Mortenson, W. Ben

doi:10.1007/s13670-019-00295-5

Cited by 19 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Younger and higher functioning individuals took significantly less time for ingress–egress suggesting greater adaptability to cope with the demands of transit vehicle ingress–egress, compared to their older and lower functioning counterparts. This finding corroborates qualitative studies that report poor mobility skills and lack of mobility confidence among older wheeled mobility users which severely limits their social participation [ 6 ]. The influence of age can potentially be explained by age-related functional declines in the physical, cognitive and perceptual domains [ 12 , 13 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…In the US, the three decades since passage of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has witnessed an entire generation of people with disabilities participate in society raising the collective need and expectations for accessible public transit [ 4 , 5 ]. Despite progress, individuals with disabilities continue to experience barriers in public transportation impeding their access to community resources (e.g., healthcare, employment) and ability to socialize, risking social isolation particularly among adults aging with disabilities [ 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Demographic trends in disability and aging in the US and globally also contribute to the need for accessible public transportation [ 10 , 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wheeled Mobility Use on Accessible Fixed-Route Transit: A Field Study in Environmental Docility

Lim

D’Souza

2021

IJERPH

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Multiple field studies provide qualitative accounts of usability barriers experienced by users of wheeled mobility devices on public transit. This study aimed to examine these usability barriers from the theoretical perspective of Environmental Docility by quantifying the relationship between functional capabilities of wheeled mobility device users and ingress–egress performance on accessible fixed-route transit vehicles in an urban setting. Twenty-eight wheeled mobility users each completed three trips on a predetermined route through the local public transit system. Ingress and egress times, user-reported usability ratings and open-ended comments were analyzed. Regression analyses indicated significant interactions between age and minimum parallel-park length on ingress and egress times. Specifically, lower functional capability reflected in older age and less maneuvering ability predicted decreased performance (longer ingress–egress times), indicating less adaptability to environmental demands and agreement with the Environmental Docility Hypothesis. Usability ratings and comments revealed difficulty with negotiating access ramps and turning maneuvers in the vehicle interior and in proximity to other passengers. Despite compliance with accessibility standards, current design of transit vehicles present substantial usability barriers for wheeled mobility users. Environmental Docility provides a theoretical basis to identifying modifiable factors related to person and environment for improving usability of public transit for people aging and/or with mobility impairments.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wheeled Mobility Use on Accessible Fixed-Route Transit: A Field Study in Environmental Docility

Lim

D’Souza

2021

IJERPH

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“…Shortages of essential resources, including skilled labor, qualified experts, and dedicated research centers, further exacerbate limitations in this sector. Innovation often requires significant financial investment, making it difficult for Indian companies to conduct in-depth research and prototype development [ 47 ].…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rehabilitation Engineering: A Narrative Review on Recent Advances in Mobility Aids in India

Raj,

Prasad,

Muntode Gharde

et al. 2024

Cureus

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Mobility has been characterized as the capacity to move across an environment safely, pleasantly, elegantly, and autonomously. India's current population is 1.4 billion, out of which 2.3%, i.e., 32 million people, are suffering from some kind of disability. With the rise in the geriatric population, the incidence of non-communicable and communicable diseases also rises and presents the risk of disorders that may progress to disability. People often neglect their disability and learn to live with it, even when most of them can use rehabilitation programs in conjunction with various mobility aids. Affordable access to adequate healthcare and assistive devices is limited, contributing to the challenges faced by disabled adults. Despite the potential for many disabled individuals to engage in productive work, their employment rates remain significantly lower. Mobility aids can provide significant benefits to individuals affected by a range of medical conditions, including arthritis, cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities, diabetic ulcers and wounds, fractures or broken bones, injuries, and walking impairments resulting from brain injury or stroke. Each person is different and may require help in a certain way for their disability, so choosing the most appropriate aid is crucial for the individual's well-being. Commonly used mobility aids are canes, walking sticks, walkers, and wheelchairs, with prostheses being used less commonly. With the advent of techniques such as state-of-the-art 3D printing and challenging surgeries, various Indian tech companies, along with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), have brought about many significant changes in the world of prosthesis by making it better, affordable, and accessible.

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“…EL participants produced no exertions greater than 60%MVE, in contrast to the LL group, suggesting a more balanced distribution of muscular activity between the four muscles. MWC training is available for users, however, such training may be inaccessible or infrequently offered (Atoyebi et al, 2019). Future analyses will examine where along the movements higher exertions occur to understand how they might be mitigated.…”

Section: Mve Posture and Muscular Exertionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manual Wheelchair Movement Performance Differences Between Older Adults with Earlier- and Later-in-Life Incidence

Tabattanon

Martin

2022

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual

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Independent mobility is crucial for healthy aging. Although there are anticipated differences between older adults with earlier-in-life (EL) versus later-in-life (LL) incidence of mobility disability, the degree to which incidence periods impact performance within environments is unknown. While current evaluation methods rely heavily on subjective ratings, historically excluded populations are prone to underrepresent their own challenges. This paper describes an experiment comparing the assumed, perceived, and effective performance of manual wheelchair movement tasks to examine differences between EL and LL groups. Preliminary results found higher muscular exertion in the LL group compared to the EL group for similar movements, particularly in the anterior and posterior deltoid muscles. There was a greater mismatch between the assumed and perceived mental and physical demand for the LL group. For both groups, results suggest poorer mental models for moderate-difficulty tasks compared to high-difficulty tasks, suggesting a need for increased perceptual feedback within moderate-difficulty environments.

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Mobility Challenges Among Older Adult Mobility Device Users

Cited by 19 publications

References 73 publications

Wheeled Mobility Use on Accessible Fixed-Route Transit: A Field Study in Environmental Docility

Wheeled Mobility Use on Accessible Fixed-Route Transit: A Field Study in Environmental Docility

Rehabilitation Engineering: A Narrative Review on Recent Advances in Mobility Aids in India

Manual Wheelchair Movement Performance Differences Between Older Adults with Earlier- and Later-in-Life Incidence

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