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NEED ASSESSMENT STUDY FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS IN GUJARAT, INDIA
Harshul Brahmbhatt *
Gujarat Technological University
Abstract:   (55 Views)
Abstract. This article is a need assessment study conducted on the wheelchair users with limited locomotion ability in the legs in the Ahmedabad urban region in India. Our results describe their unmet needs in both the indoor as well as outdoor settings.
Objective: Despite India being a large country with huge diversity in local climate and terrain and big socio- economic disparity, need assessment studies for assistive technology across various socio-economic or with region specificity are extremely scarce. The main goal of this need assessment study is to understand the needs and requirements of mobility assistive technology users that are not met by their current devices.
Methods: Data of 69 participants having physical disabilities were collected through interviews and 6 of the participants were video tapped to observe their daily routine. The qualitative analysis of the collected data was carried out.
Results: The analysis highlights problems of participants such as working in the kitchen, inability to perform everyday indoor tasks, inaccessibility of toilets and public transport etc.
Conclusion: A mixture of qualitative and quantitative data analysis showed that the major features that the Indian wheelchairs users wanted was ability to adjust height of the chair, ability to reach to objects without too much maneuvering of the wheelchair, ease of transfer from wheelchair to toilet seat and back and also meet outdoor needs. This led us to conclude that a wheelchair which can be used in both indoor and outdoor settings was one of most imminent needs for such wheelchair users.
Keywords: Need Assessment, Wheelchair users, person with disability, Assistive device
     
Article type: Original Research Articles | Subject: methodology in rehabilitation
Received: 2023/04/2 | Accepted: 2023/07/25
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