Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology最新文献

{"title":"Retrofit or misfit? Exploring the impact of bathroom microenvironments on older adults with functional limitations in retrofitted senior living facilities.","authors":"Shi Yin Chee","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2489787","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2489787","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>How well can older adults adapt to retrofitted spaces that were never designed to meet their evolving needs? Retrofitted senior living facilities often magnify safety risks that purpose-built environments are specifically designed to mitigate, forcing older adults with functional limitations to contend with bathroom spaces ill-suited to their needs. Among these, bathroom microenvironments stand out as critical zones of vulnerability, warranting immediate investigation.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study explored the lived experiences of older adults with functional limitations in retrofitted senior living facilities, specifically focusing on how bathroom microenvironments unique to these settings impact their safety, autonomy, and fall risks.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 older adults in four urban senior living facilities. Moustakas' transcendental phenomenology and the Modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method were employed to analyze the data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four primary themes emerged: navigating bathroom barriers, psychological strain in daily navigation, safety through adaptation, and economic and cultural barriers to bathroom safety. The findings expose a stark reality: retrofitted senior living facilities frequently fail to meet the safety and accessibility needs of older adults, forcing them to adapt to spaces that compromise both their dignity and independence.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These systemic shortcomings in bathroom microenvironments highlight a critical focus for retrofitting efforts: functionality, safety, and the evolving needs of older adults to create environments that promote autonomy and reduce fall risks. Anything less is not just a missed opportunity-it is a failure to respect the fundamental rights and well-being of an aging population.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"2185-2195"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143796770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effects of the SmartDrive on fostering participatory opportunities for manual wheelchair users: a qualitative exploration.","authors":"Jane E Hopkins, Ella T Selby, Rajat K Shandal, Noah Martin, Martin Ferguson-Pell, Emily Armstrong","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2488387","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2488387","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The objective of this study was to understand the impact of the SmartDrive (SD) on the lived experiences of manual wheelchair users (MWUs) in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. To accomplish this, we conducted individual semi-structured interviews following each study phase on 19 participants (20-70 y) who identified as either full-time or part-time manual wheelchair users, followed by thematic analysis using a hybrid deductive-inductive approach. We identified 3 major themes characterizing participant's experiences with the SmartDrive. (1) Facilitating experiences: Participants were able to access experiences through increased independence which strengthened personal relationships as well as transformed societal perceptions with the use of the SmartDrive. (2) Dimensions of Health: Participants were able to holistically improve their health and wellbeing in physical, emotional, and social realms through opportunities created by the SmartDrive. (3) Actual Value: Participants identified the primary economic barrier concerning the price of the SmartDrive in addition to expenses accumulated through living with a disability. In conclusion, SmartDrive has potential to improve the lived experiences of manual wheelchair users by enabling independent access to participation in order to improve overall health and connections within society, but is restricted by the economic barriers concerning the cost.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial registration: </strong>This study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov and NCTRC (Registration Number NCT04973059).</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"2500-2509"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143804482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Smart speakers are an acceptable and feasible speech practice tool for children with speech difficulties.","authors":"Lauren Makin, Elizabeth Smith, Craig Hedge, Petroc Sumner, Georgie Powell","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2491636","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2491636","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>A record number of children are experiencing speech difficulties. This study explored whether mainstream smart speakers can support speech practice, and assesses a proposed five-factor model for how these improvements occur, based on: spaced learning, immediate feedback, autonomous motivation, reduced social barriers, and increased social interactions.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We conducted a mixed-methods feasibility study with 11 families of children with speech difficulties. Data included pre- and post-trial speech recordings (rated by 24 naïve raters), activity logs, post-trial surveys for parents and children, and parent interviews. We assessed device use, changes in speech clarity, alignment with the proposed 5-factor model, and barriers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Children used smart speakers on average once daily for approximately 6 commands. Speech clarity ratings improved post-exposure and improvements correlated with device use. Parents noted children spoke more slowly and loudly to the device. Both parent and child reports reflected the 5-factor model, with children showing motivation, spaced engagement, and willingness to repeat commands.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Naturalistic use of smart speakers is an acceptable and feasible tool to support speech practice in children with speech difficulties. Parents viewed smart speakers as a useful complement to formal therapy, though frustration when not understood remains a factor for implementation.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"2510-2521"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144001795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Validity and reliability of a single-unit inertial measurement unit: a real-time adapted sports assessment tool for handcycling-based activities.","authors":"Joseph Peters, Conor Bloomer, Alan Tokarsky, Kellie Halloran, Adam Bleakney, Libak Abou","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2499186","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2499186","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Single-device wearable inertial measurement units (SWIMU) have been used to quantify able-bodied sports movement in real-time but have not been adequately validated for use in adapted sports. Access to the kinematic profile of adapted sport athletic movements may be important for understanding the effect of technique on performance, fatigue and injury risk. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of a SWIMU during upper-body sports movement in people with physical disabilities.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Seven people with disabilities completed three handcycling sessions while wearing a SWIMU on their right wrist. During session 1, motion capture markers were also placed on participants where they completed three (3) 15-s trials at a self-selected cadence. Kinematic data from Motion Capture System was compared to SWIMU data. During sessions 2 and 3, participants cycled at 10 mph for 20 revolutions. SWIMU data was compared across sessions 2 and 3 to determine its reliability.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Linear acceleration measured through a SWIMU and Motion Capture System was highly correlated in the x-axis (<i>r</i> = .80) and moderately highly correlated in the y-axis (<i>r</i> = .70) and z-axis (<i>r</i> = .68; <i>p</i><.001). SWIMU had excellent intraclass correlation (ICC) across all axes (ICC > .75; <i>p</i><.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A SWIMU is valid and reliable during ergometry-related movement in people with disabilities. SWIMU have the potential to provide real-time feedback to adapted sports participants and trainers on sports-specific technique during a single training session and across multiple sessions.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"2278-2289"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Techno-organisational network and reliable implementation of GPS technology for people with dementia and their caregivers in the community.","authors":"Emmanuel S Nwofe, David Bishop, Clementina Rooke, Kalyan Seelam, John Porter, Karen Windle, Michael Doyle","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2501079","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2501079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fourteen individual dyads (a person with dementia and nominated caregiver) out of 45 who received GPS trackers and were followed for six months as part of a GPS feasibility trial attended focus group interviews. The focus group was guided by semi-structured questions based on three primary outcomes: reduced burden of care (care factors), quality of life of the wearer (wearer factors), and practicalities of the device (device factors). Data was coded inductively using NVivo Pro version 12.6.1, and analysis was guided by qualitative content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The findings suggest that family caregivers experienced reduced stress and anxiety when using GPS technology since they could pinpoint the exact location of the person with dementia at any given time. The effectiveness or otherwise of socio-material actors (e.g., individuals with dementia, GPS device features, mobile networks, neighbours') informed caregivers' overall experience and determined how much longer the technology was used. These factors were crucial in the social inclusion of individuals with dementia in public spaces and in deciding whether GPS technology could delay early admission into 24-hour care.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings highlight important practical implications. Implementation of GPS technology in community family care settings relies on the effective delegation of roles among various human (carers, wearers, neighbours) and non-human (devices, mobile networks, GPS systems) actors.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"2298-2314"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143992215","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring trends in gerontechnology research: a bibliometric analysis.","authors":"Walton Wider, Chit Thet Lal Oo, Leilei Jiang, Muhammad Ashraf Fauzi, Jem Cloyd M Tanucan, Khine Zar Zar Thet","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2525535","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2525535","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Gerontechnology, which integrates gerontology and technology, aims to enhance the quality of life and healthcare outcomes for the growing global older adult population. This study seeks to map the intellectual landscape, foundational knowledge, and emerging trends in gerontechnology through bibliometric techniques.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A total of 1,728 scholarly articles published in the field of gerontechnology were extracted from the Web of Science database. Bibliometric methods, specifically co-citation and co-word analyses, were employed to examine the structural development of the field and identify major thematic clusters.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis revealed four distinct clusters that represent key research areas in gerontechnology. These include technology-assisted care systems, cognitive and mental health interventions, user-centered design for aging populations, and ethical or policy-related considerations. The findings provide a framework for understanding the field's core intellectual structure and its evolution over time.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study offers a comprehensive overview of gerontechnology's research landscape, emphasizing its potential to support older adults' well-being, especially in the context of mental health care. Given the interdisciplinary and rapidly evolving nature of the field, continued exploration is essential to further define its boundaries and maximize its impact on aging societies.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"2128-2145"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144643834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A review evaluating the design and standardisation of rollators and smart-walkers to improve future products.","authors":"Wei Jim Shen, Blair Kuys, Amanda Clare Benson","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2547040","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2547040","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Four-wheeled walkers are widely used mobility aids for older adults. With the emergence of commercial smart-walkers, flaws in the design of rollators may carry over to the design of these emerging smart-walkers, necessitating a review of their design and standardisation. This review aims to evaluate how health, design, regulatory, research, and user factors intersect in the development and implementation of rollators and smart-walkers. It seeks to identify gaps in current standards, literature, and commercial products, with the goal of informing more user context-sensitive design and implementation approaches. The findings highlight limitations in current standardisation, regulatory and risk management frameworks for emerging commercial smart-walkers for personal and home use, and significant scope for improving rollator design to better reflect diverse user contexts, including device functionality, usability, and education. Additionally, the findings show that rollators and smart-walkers must evolve to adopt an inclusive design approach that prioritises ergonomic considerations, usability, safety, and the user's contextual relevance. This review underscores the importance of collaboration among health professionals, regulators, researchers, designers, and users to enhance rollator efficacy, usability, and safety. Future efforts in rollator and smart-walker design should incorporate structured feedback mechanisms and standardised evaluation tools to assess how users interact with devices and documentation. By addressing these factors, this review offers insights to guide the future design and implementation of rollators and smart-walkers, ensuring they better meet the needs, preferences and contexts of diverse users in personal and home settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"2433-2458"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144974343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A potential thorn in equity's side: dependence on generative AI may spur a new crisis of intellectualism.","authors":"Jaime A Teixeira da Silva","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2505642","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2505642","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"2575-2576"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144024843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Empowering students with dysgraphia: the educational benefits of assistive technologies.","authors":"Norsafinar Rahim, Nur Azlina Mohamed Mokmin, Jiawei Wang","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2493737","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2493737","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study investigates the impact of assistive technology (AT) on the academic performance of students with dysgraphia, a learning disability that affects writing ability. The research focuses on developments over the past five years (2018-2023), with the aim of understanding how AT supports academic achievement and classroom engagement for these students.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A comprehensive literature review was conducted, analyzing studies published between 2018 and 2023. The review examined the types of assistive technologies employed for students with dysgraphia, research methodologies, and data collection techniques used in existing studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The findings reveal a growing interest in and adoption of AT to support students with dysgraphia. Tools such as speech-to-text software, word prediction programs, and graphic organizers are among the most commonly used. While positive outcomes in academic performance and engagement are reported, significant research gaps remain, particularly regarding long-term impact and implementation strategies.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Assistive technologies show considerable promise in improving educational outcomes for students with dysgraphia. However, to fully leverage their potential, further research and innovation are needed. This study provides valuable insights for educators, researchers, software developers, and policymakers seeking to advance inclusive education and support diverse learning needs.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"2025-2036"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144051076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characteristics and psychosocial impact of assistive technology use among adults with tetraplegia.","authors":"Angela Hanks Philippus, Michael Tschida, Jillian Arkoff, Benjamin Langworthy, Martin Kilbane, Kimberley R Monden","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2506138","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2025.2506138","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Assistive technology (AT) is essential for facilitating independence, vocational engagement, and participation among individuals with spinal cord injury/disorder (SCI/D). However, there is limited evidence regarding the characteristics of AT users and the impact of AT use on psychosocial outcomes after tetraplegia.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>Determine the demographic/injury characteristics of AT users and the association between AT use and psychosocial outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this prospective, observational study, we enrolled 300 adults with tetraplegia. Surveys collected demographic/injury information, AT utilization, and psychosocial outcomes: self-efficacy (MSES), quality of life (SWLS), perceived manageability (PMNaC), participation (PART-O), fine motor functional ability (SCI-FI/AT), psychosocial impact of AT use (PIADS), and number of AT devices used. Multivariable regressions estimated the relationship between AT use and psychosocial outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants were mostly men (68%), with incomplete injuries (54%), and AT users (62%). Average age was 48 years, with an average of 20 years post-SCI/D. AT users tended to be younger (<i>M</i> = 46.7 vs. <i>M</i> = 50.3 non-users), women (69% vs. 57% men), had higher education (71% ≥ master's degree vs. 41% ≤ high school diploma), vocationally engaged (72% vs. 54% vocationally unengaged), and had complete injuries (77% vs. 50% incomplete). AT use was significantly associated with lower SCI-FI/AT scores (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The number of AT devices used was significantly related to higher PIADS Adaptability scores (<i>p</i> = 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We identified demographic and injury-related characteristics of AT users with tetraplegia. AT use was associated with greater fine motor functional ability but no other psychosocial outcomes, while using multiple devices was associated with greater adaptability.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"2348-2357"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144081338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}