Textile art promoting well-being in long-term illness: Some general and specific influences

The paper reviews previous research into the meanings of textile art-making for people living with long-term illness. Qualitative accounts of the creative process suggest that textile art-making is a multi-dimensional experience. Some practitioners regard textile artwork as a means of coping with discomfort and other symptoms. For a minority, it enables expressions of anxiety and feelings about loss. Nevertheless, participants place more emphasis on the role of textile art-making in rebuilding a satisfactory identity, and restoring autonomy and quality to life. It fills occupational voids following early retirement, and enables social contacts. Textile artwork also stimulates learning and personal development. It remains possible that any creative occupation delivers such benefits. The paper analyses qualitative accounts from seven participants to identify whether textile art-making has any distinctive experiential qualities. As a creative occupation, it seems to be quite distinctive in being readily accessible even to those who do not consider themselves as artistic. Modern textile art embraces diverse techniques and forms, and practitioners’ choice and autonomy are enhanced by having several different projects in process at once. It accepts the use of assistive technology, thereby enabling people with a variety of physical impairments to produce ‘mainstream’ art. It draws upon rich social traditions, facilitating social contact. Many forms of textile art-making are highly time-consuming, fostering a future orientation, and the creative process is often socially visible within the home, with positive consequences for self-image. This study is exploratory. Further enquiry into the distinctive influences of different creative occupations upon well-being is recommended

The Determinants of the Development of Russian Assistive Technologies Market: Analysis of Experts’ Interviews

Not all people with disabilities are provided with assistive technologies and devices (ATD) they need. The Russian researchers appeal to the development of assistive technologies, however, focus only on one specific social objective of ATD provision or on engineering, economic and production aspects of the problem. This study identifies the key determinants of the development of the assistive technologies market in Russia and trends over the next 10–15 years. We conducted a qualitative study using a grounded theory based on open and axial coding procedure. We collected data using semi-structured interviews with 12 experts recruited through snowball sampling with multiple entry points. The results show that the focus on the development of individual rehabilitation programs, individual fitting of devices, the increasing demand for measures of medical and social support for people with disabilities create conditions for the growth of demand for ATD. Changes in the paying capacity of the population, the rules of budget financing, as well as the population\u27s attitude towards the inclusion of people with disabilities in everyday activities, the labor market, education will also cause changes in demand for ATD

Vision Therapy Promotional Packet: Through the Eyes of Traumatic Brain Injury/Acquired Brain Injury: An informational Resource on the Role of OT

Very few in the health care professions, including head trauma rehabilitation centers, are adequately aware of visual problems resulting from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)/ Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and the visual-perception consequences. These visual deficits may lead to impaired functioning in the person\u27s daily activities and roles because vision affects all other functions (braininjuries.org, ~ 1). A few examples of activities of daily living (ADL\u27s) and instrumental activities of daily living (lADL\u27s) that may be impacted by visual deficits include but are not limited to: driving, eating, dressing, leisure participation (movies, reading, sports), and employment. Unfortunately, this creates a gap in rehabilitative services, resulting in incomplete treatment and frustration for the patient, family and treatment team (braininjuries.org, ~ 1). Occupational Therapy\u27s basic premise is to increase the independence of an individual in their daily activities and roles. An occupational therapist\u27s (OT\u27s) training in the assessment, design and provision of effective interventions can be instrumental in the rehabilitation process of vision deficits and their impact on daily living. OT\u27s are trained in the evaluation and treatment design specific to individuals diagnosed with TBII ABI including; cognitive, visual perceptual, physical, and psychological in relation to activities of daily living. Occupational Therapy can be an important member of the multidisciplinary team who is serving this population. Unfortunately, often both occupational therapists and members of a multi-disciplinary team are not always clear on the role and protocol of OT\u27 s in the provision of treatment intervention specific to TBII ABI and visual deficits. A concentrated literature review was conducted to identify current standard best practices and protocols and the potential role of OT identified. TBII ABI visual perceptual deficits were identified and compared to OT training to ensure OT\u27s are qualified to meet the unique needs of this population. The other roles of multi-disciplinary team members were explored to see the possible areas OT could address or where an OT\u27s specialized training could strengthen the rehabilitative treatment intervention. The findings from this review demonstrate that occupational therapists have the proficiency and competence to evaluate and depict the functional disability or ability of the acquired or traumatic brain injured client as a whole. The outcome of the project is a promotional packet, The Role of Occupational Therapy in Vision Therapy, which includes an: 1. Educational brochure, Through the Eyes of Traumatic Brain Injury / Acquired Brain Injury: The Role of Occupational Therapy in Vision Therapy as well as, 2. A more in depth educational packet entitled, Through the Eyes of Traumatic Brain Injury/Acquired Brain Injury: An Informational Resource on the Role of OT This promotional packet is intended as a means for occupational therapists to use in educating others further on the use of the role of occupational therapy in the provision of vision therapy with the acquired and traumatic brain injured populace

Paths and Technologies in the Life Project of People with Disabilities: International Perspectives and Educational Potential

The purpose of this paper was to analyse the core of the quality of life, intended as a complex construct with specific and transversal features. The approach to this issue, by linking it to the great emergency of disability in adulthood, pushes the analysis into deep conceptual pedagogical reflections, which lead the authors\u2019 initial reflections to focus on the theoretical framework related to the quality of life model and subsequently on the identification of some areas of intervention as a tangible application of the quality of life model. New perspectives and innovative potentials for the quality of life of adults with disability are investigated to reach new awareness, which can also be applied in different life contexts. The paper mentions meaningful trajectories, also from the international scene, aiming to guarantee significantly oriented life trajectories

What really matters in pediatric chronic pain rehabilitation? Results of a multi-stakeholder nominal group technique study

Abstract : Purpose: To prioritize outcome domains sensitive to the needs of the various stakeholders involved in rehabilitation programs designed for youth with pain-related disability using the International Classification of Function Child and Youth version. Materials and Methods: A 5-step nominal group technique was conducted with 13 stakeholders, including 2 youth with pain-related disability, 2 parents, 5 clinicians, 2 teachers, and 2 healthcare managers. Once identified by content thematic analysis and International Classification of Function linking, 15 outcome domains were ranked. Priority rank scores were then weighted. Results: Six outcome domains were prioritized: 1) activities of daily living, 2) participation in meaningful activities, 3) social roles and relationships, 4) mood and affect, 5) school engagement, and 6) self-efficacy. Discrepancies in ranking existed; parents and youth attributed importance to pain, sleep, and program satisfaction whereas clinicians and mangers underscored pain–related fear and family functioning. When compared, prioritized domain associated with three PedIMMPACT recommendations, and aligned with the activity and participation components of the International Classification of Function for Child and Youth. Conclusion: These findings emphasize the importance of integrating various perspectives, including those of youth with pain-related disability and other important stakeholders and adopting a broader conceptualization of disability and function when selecting key rehabilitation evaluation outcome for this population

Glossary of Recreation Therapy and Occupational Therapy

This glossary of recreation therapy and occupational therapy terms is meant to serve as a study guide for students and a reference book for practitioners. It may also be a valuable aid to those preparing for comprehensive examinations, such as national certification exams or graduate school comprehensive exams

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a Conceptual Model for the Evaluation of Environmental Factors

AbstractThe concept of Design for All emphasizes the impact of the surrounding environment in the individual's functionality. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health brought the concepts of functionality and disability into a comprehensive whole of multiple dimensions of human functioning, such as biological, psychological, social and environmental. In order to contribute to a greater overall functionality of the individual, the use of software and complex systems can be decisive to assist the people with special needs in all areas of life.The paradigm introduced with ICF is inclusive and universal, so it favors not only the old people, but all others, whether they have a limitation or not. The characteristics of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) are appropriate to fulfill elderly needs. However, the current state of development is still mostly oriented to a technological perspective, where the individual's functionality has not been fully addressed. Under the Living Usability Lab project we have defined a methodology and created some evaluation tools for assessment of AAL services according to a Living Lab perspective, based on the ICF. In this paper we intend to describe the base fundamentals of this proposal, as well as present some results concerning a practical implementation of this methodology

Understanding Leisure Travel Motivations of Frequent Travelers with Mobility Impairments

With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, the U.S. tourism marketers begin to pay attention to one of the most important but often overlooked segments of the market—people with disabilities (Ray & Ryder, 2003). In the past two decades, a number of studies highlighted the potential of people with disabilities as a tourism market segment (Darcy, 2002; Huh & Singh, 2007). However, consumer and travel research on people with disabilities in general is scarce. The purpose of this study was to understand what motivated people with mobility impairments travel frequently. Travel motivation is fundamental in tourism studies and is essential to tourism development (Wahab, 1975). The push and pull framework has been most commonly used in the study of travel motivation (Uysal, & Hagan, 1993; Fodness, 1994). Another important framework in the study of pleasure travel motivation is proposed by Crompton (1979). He identified nine socio-psychological and cultural motivations. A qualitative study method was utilized for the exploratory study of understanding leisure travel motivations of active travelers with acquired mobility impairments. Two focus groups were conducted during the annual congress of the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality in 2009. A total of nine push factors and three pull factors were identified for frequent travelers with mobility impairments. The push factors were: (a) escape from a perceived mundane environment; (b) exploration and evaluation of self; (c) relaxation; (d) enhancement of relationships with family and friends; (e) facilitation of social interaction; (f) independence: regain of control over destiny, travel as a basic need, and be normal; (g) the desire of being in natural environment; (h) adventure; and (i) “do it today”. The first five factors (Factors a-e) vi were the shared motivations between average travelers (Crompton, 1979) and frequent travelers with mobility impairments. Prestige and Regression, motivations of average leisure travelers categorized by Crompton (1979), were not identified in this study. Results also showed that travelers with acquired mobility impairments shared the same motivating factors as what was identified by Crompton (1979) as pull factors for the average travelers: novelty and education. However, accessibility at the destination was also an important pull factor for people with mobility impairments. Although travelers with acquired mobility impairments have similar travel motivations as the average traveler, there are also motivations that are unique to them. Results of the study suggest that travelers with mobility impairments should be considered as a unique travel population and their needs and behavior should be further studied.Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science degree in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation Indiana University January, 2010 ii Accepted by the Graduate Faculty, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science degree in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation