Wheelchair and seating assistive technology provision: a gateway to freedom

Aim: The meaning of wheelchair and seating assistive technology and the impact inappropriate provision has on people’s lives from a service user’s perspective within an Irish context is highlighted. There is a dearth in evidence examining the process of wheelchair and seating provision and the interconnectedness between satisfaction, performance and participation from an equality and human rights perspective. The purpose if the study is to investigate wheelchair service users’ perspectives of wheelchair and seating provision in Ireland.Method: This is a mixed-methods study with an exploratory sequential design that includes two phases. During phase one, wheelchair service users were invited to take part in qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews, which were thematically analysed and formed part of a larger ethnographic study involving multiple stakeholders in sustainable wheelchair and seating provision strategy development. In phase two, an online Survey Monkey questionnaire was distributed to obtain a wider overview of wheelchair service provision from a wheelchair service users perspective. Data obtained from the closed questions and content analysis for open comments was analysed descriptively for this phase.Results: Eight wheelchair service users agreed to participate in the interviews and 273 responded to the online survey. Thematic analysis and questionnaire frequency and content analysis revealed the vital meaning of wheelchair and seating assistive technology provision. However, bottlenecks within the system affect daily living, with qualitative data highlighting the obstruction to experiences of independent living from initial appointment to wheelchair breakdowns during daily life.Conclusion: Appropriate wheelchair and seating assistive technology provision is a basic human right, supported by the essential and embodied nature of the wheelchair as demonstrated through the wheelchair service users’ perspective throughout this study. These findings highlight the impact of ad-hoc services on individual freedoms and how the overall pace of the system affects a person’s ability to organise their time as an equal member of the community across the lifespan. A national review of wheelchair and seating assistive technology provision services is called for, giving consideration to access to services, assessment and delivery, follow up and management, education and training

Wheelchair service provision education for healthcare professional students, healthcare personnel and educators across low- to high-resourced settings: a scoping review

Purpose This review aimed to collate and summarize available research literature about wheelchair service provision education available to healthcare professional students, healthcare personnel and educators across low- to high-resourced settings. Methods The Joanna Briggs Institute methodological steps for scoping reviews were followed. Included studies were mainly sourced from Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Academic Search Complete and ProQuest. Independent title, abstract and full-text screening with defined inclusion and exclusion criteria was performed. All screening and extraction were performed independently by two authors. A thematic approach was used to synthesize results. Data extracted from included studies were charted according to a template that we created. The study quality was also appraised. Results A total of 25 articles were included (11, 36% from high-income settings) with 12 (48%) observational studies and 13 (52%) experimental studies. The literature addressed three main topics: (1) assessing wheelchair service provision knowledge, (2) implementing training interventions using in-person, online and/or hybrid learning approaches and (3) describing current wheelchair service provision education globally. The most frequently reported training programs used were the Wheelchair Skills Program and the World Health Organization Wheelchair Service Training Package – Basic Level. Conclusion Limited information has been published about the integration of wheelchair content into the curricula of professional rehabilitation programs. Efforts to build international partnerships, improve the quality and currency of training programs and build resources that can assist educators in the integration of wheelchair-related content into professional rehabilitation programs should be prioritized. Implications for Rehabilitation This is the first review that examined and synthesized the current state of wheelchair service provision education for rehabilitation students and personnel across low- to high-income countries. Findings from this review indicate that there is limited information about the integration of wheelchair-related content into professional rehabilitation programs. Efforts to build international partnerships, standardize wheelchair service provision content and evaluation and integrate training into professional rehabilitation programs worldwide should be prioritized

Assistive technology and people: a position paper from the first global research,innovation and education on assistive technology (GREAT) summit

Assistive technology (AT) is a powerful enabler of participation. The World Health Organization’s Global Collaboration on Assistive Technology (GATE) programme is actively working towards access to assistive technology for all. Developed through collaborative work as a part of the Global Research, Innovation and Education on Assistive Technology (GREAT) Summit, this position paper provides a “state of the science” view of AT users, conceptualized as “People” within the set of GATE strategic “P”s. People are at the core of policy, products, personnel and provision. AT is an interface between the person and the life they would like to lead. People’s preferences, perspectives and goals are fundamental to defining and determining the success of AT. Maximizing the impact of AT in enabling participation requires an individualized and holistic understanding of the value and meaning of AT for the individual, taking a universal model perspective, focusing on the person, in context, and then considering the condition and/or the technology. This paper aims to situate and emphasize people at the centre of AT systems: we highlight personal meanings and perspectives on AT use and consider the role of advocacy, empowerment and co-design in developing and driving AT processes