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Background: Festivals play an important role in improving death and grief literacy, enabling members of the public to engage with these often-sensitive topics. Good Grief Weston festival was co-designed and delivered with the community in Weston-super-Mare, a coastal town in South-West England with high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage but rich community assets. It was held in person over 8 days in May 2023. Objectives: To evaluate the reach and impact of Good Grief Weston festival and gather data to inform future festivals. Design: Mixed methods evaluation (survey and focus groups). Methods: Online and paper surveys assessing participants' characteristics and experiences were administrated during and after the festival. Survey participants who indicated their willingness to participate were invited to attend a focus group. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Data were collected by trained community co-researchers. Results: Approximately 3000 people attended the festival. Of 204 completed surveys, 64.5% were from women, age range ⩽15 to ⩾75 years; 88.2% identified as White; 14.9% deaf, disabled/with a chronic condition; 18.9% neurodivergent; 9.0% gay, bisexual or queer. Festival participants were entertained (70.9%), inspired (68.5%), felt part of a like-minded community (54.3%), talked to someone new (49.2%), learnt about grief/bereavement (34.3%), shared or expressed experiences (30.3%) and found out about local support (19.7%). 71.3% reported that they felt more confident talking about grief after attending. Median experience rating was 5 (IQR 0; possible range 1 = poor to 5 = excellent). In free-text comments, participants expressed appreciation for the festival and described benefits in attending. Two focus groups were conducted (n = 8 participants, all women), lasting c.1.5 h. Focus groups added rich descriptions of the festival's value, and data to inform the next festival. Conclusion: Findings suggest festivals of this nature can play a central role in a public health approach. Plain language summary: What was the impact of Good Grief Weston festival? Why was the study done? Previous studies have shown that many people feel unsupported by their community after the death of a loved one. We designed a festival to improve knowledge and support for bereaved people. We did this study to assess how the festival affected the people who attended. What did the researchers do? The team included researchers and people and organisations from the local community. Together, we designed and ran a festival on the topic of death, grief and bereavement in Weston-super-Mare, a coastal town with areas of high deprivation. The festival took place over an eight-day period in May 2023 and included creative, interactive and educational events. The team collected feedback on attendees' experiences of the festival. We did this using online and paper feedback forms, postcards, and focus groups to collect as many opinions as possible. What did the researchers find? We found that a wide range of people attended the festival. Most people who took part in the research rated the festival as 'excellent'. They told us they learnt about grief and bereavement and found out about local support services. Attendees met new people, shared their experiences, and felt that the festival built community spirit. They also made suggestions to improve any future festivals. What do the findings mean? The findings show that in-person festivals can effectively engage the public on the topic of death, grief and bereavement. They can also help develop connections between people and organisations in communities. These connections and learning opportunities may help communities to support their members through bereavement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding vulnerable consumers when conducting Transformative Service Research (TSR) is essential but these consumers and their contexts are often complex and difficult to research. Despite a movement towards TSR methodologies suitable for studying vulnerable participants and their contexts, a comprehensive framework that can guide service researchers is lacking. The purpose of this paper is to investigate appropriate methods, procedures, and protocols that permit researching a wide range of vulnerable groups and exposures to vulnerable situations in TSR. This is undertaken via a review of the literature and the authors' reflections of their experiences with researching vulnerability in various configurations (e.g., disasters, refugees, healthcare, disability, and older people). Through an iterative process of personal case reflections and group discussions blended with extant literature, patterns and insights regarding appropriate research protocols, techniques, processes, and sampling are identified. These insights contribute to the development of a comprehensive TSR framework in five research method areas including 1) consideration of the context, researcher, support persons and participants, 2) recruitment considerations relating to sampling, 3) recruitment considerations in terms of ethics and set-up, 4) data collection considerations relating to research protocol and set-up, and 5) data collection considerations. The framework can guide both academics and practitioners to enhance research outcomes for both participants and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As musicians have been shown to have a range of superior auditory skills to non-musicians (e.g., pitch discrimination ability), it has been hypothesized by many researchers that music training can have a beneficial effect on speech perception in populations with hearing impairment. This hypothesis relies on an assumption that the benefits seen in musicians are due to their training and not due to innate skills that may support successful musicianship. This systematic review examined the evidence from 13 longitudinal training studies that tested the hypothesis that music training has a causal effect on speech perception ability in hearing-impaired listeners. The papers were evaluated for quality of research design and appropriate analysis techniques. Only 4 of the 13 papers used a research design that allowed a causal relation between music training and outcome benefits to be validly tested, and none of those 4 papers with a better quality study design demonstrated a benefit of music training for speech perception. In spite of the lack of valid evidence in support of the hypothesis, 10 of the 13 papers made claims of benefits of music training, showing a propensity for confirmation bias in this area of research. It is recommended that future studies that aim to evaluate the association of speech perception ability and music training use a study design that differentiates the effects of training from those of innate perceptual and cognitive skills in the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a methodological reflection on a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project that used the photovoice method to unravel the educational experiences of disabled college students in China's higher education institutions. Although CBPR endeavors to nurture equitable community engagement in research processes, there are practical challenges to address the full participation of people with divergent disabilities and access needs. Drawing upon the critical disability studies literature, and particularly upon the activist scholarship of disability justice that revolves around interdependency, collective access, and cross-disability solidarity, we provide an open discussion on the complexities, tensions, and challenges of envisioning and creating access for participants with different disabilities in a visuality-centered CBPR. Our findings suggest that access creation in CBPR should go beyond the checklist style of accommodation and instead be approached as relational, dynamic, and iterative processes that require ongoing reflection, (re)learning, and negotiation among researchers and participants. We implemented nonvisual photography to adapt to the visuality-centered bias in the photovoice method. Nonvisual photography empowered participants with visual disabilities to evoke multiple sensorialities in their photo-taking, displaying, and interpretation. Moreover, the participants without visual disabilities also learned and practiced collective access and interdependency through co-transforming the CBPR into an accessible space for all. The heterogeneity among participants with divergent disabilities and access needs challenged CBPR's envisioning of a unified community with recognized commonalities. The inclusion of participants across disability groups created an opportunity for all participants to draw meaning from the ableist social and political circumstances that forged them as a community and to develop a sense of belonging and bonding in and through CBPR. In that light, disability justice and access should be reimagined and incorporated into CBPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health qualitative research has largely failed to achieve full inclusion of people with disabilities and Black people and Latinx/as. Although there is a small, but growing, community of academic researchers from each of these communities, there has been limited involvement of non-academic community members in research. While Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) has informed the inclusion of marginalized groups in research for decades, instances of full inclusion of disabled Black people and Latinx/as in public health research have been minimal. One way to ensure the inclusion of Black/Latinx community members with disabilities is to involve them as peer researchers. As part of a qualitative study examining pregnancy experiences of individuals with physical disabilities from Black/Latinx communities, academic researchers trained four peer researchers to conduct interviews and analyze the data. This paper describes our approach, which may serve as a model for training peer researchers in qualitative research methodology for future studies. All peer researchers were women who identified as Black or Latina parents with physical disabilities. This approach was chosen due to the study's focus on the intersections of disability, race, ethnicity, and pregnancy, and applied a disability justice lens. Although CBPR offers important principles for research existing literature suggests CBPR is not always inclusive and power sharing. Therefore, we developed a research training model which places a unique and timely focus on the intersections of CBPR, racial and disability justice, the importance of building the capacity of Black and Latina disabled peer researchers, and its importance to building community relationships and trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materialist theories of disability link disability and labor, hypothesizing that under neoliberalism, disability stigma contributes to labor market precarity. These claims have not been evaluated empirically and the mediating role of the state remains underspecified. Ethnographic fieldwork in a job training program for people with psychiatric disabilities reveals two contradictions in the welfare state treatment of disability. First, disability benefits are set at low levels, yet means-testing limits earnings, channeling people with disabilities into low-wage jobs. Second, contradictory imperatives attached to state funding incentivize placement in temporary jobs. These welfare state contradictions produce disabled workers as a precarious labor force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative researchers who need to interview people with cognitive disability, including intellectual, developmental, mental disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), can experience limitations in implementing an inclusive research approach using conventional methods like verbal communication. In this paper 'proxy intervention interview' is shown to be an inclusive research approach for incorporating the voices of artists who cannot articulate their thoughts or describe their own experiences concerning their career development. The author introduces a step-by-step process for implementing this method, including such aspects as research design, recruitment, and informed consent. Five key ethical considerations are suggested for designing an appropriate inclusive research approach to encourage the participation of people with cognitive disability, regardless of their level of capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative researchers who need to interview people with cognitive disability, including intellectual, developmental, mental disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), can experience limitations in implementing an inclusive research approach using conventional methods like verbal communication. In this paper 'proxy intervention interview' is shown to be an inclusive research approach for incorporating the voices of artists who cannot articulate their thoughts or describe their own experiences concerning their career development. The author introduces a step-by-step process for implementing this method, including such aspects as research design, recruitment, and informed consent. Five key ethical considerations are suggested for designing an appropriate inclusive research approach to encourage the participation of people with cognitive disability, regardless of their level of capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently a lack of prospective studies comparing multiple treatment options for single-sided deafness (SSD) in terms of long-term sound localization outcomes. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to compare the objective and subjective sound localization abilities of SSD patients treated with a cochlear implant (CI), a bone conduction device (BCD), a contralateral routing of signals (CROS) hearing aid, or no treatment after two years of follow-up. About 120 eligible patients were randomized to cochlear implantation or to a trial period with first a BCD on a headband, then a CROS (or vice versa). After the trial periods, participants opted for a surgically implanted BCD, a CROS, or no treatment. Sound localization accuracy (in three configurations, calculated as percentage correct and root-mean squared error in degrees) and subjective spatial hearing (subscale of the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of hearing (SSQ) questionnaire) were assessed at baseline and after 24 months of follow-up. At the start of follow-up, 28 participants were implanted with a CI, 25 with a BCD, 34 chose a CROS, and 26 opted for no treatment. Participants in the CI group showed better sound localization accuracy and subjective spatial hearing compared to participants in the BCD, CROS, and no-treatment groups at 24 months. Participants in the CI and CROS groups showed improved subjective spatial hearing at 24 months compared to baseline. To conclude, CI outperformed the BCD, CROS, and no-treatment groups in terms of sound localization accuracy and subjective spatial hearing in SSD patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION Netherlands Trial Register (https://onderzoekmetmensen.nl): NL4457, CINGLE trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rhetoric of 'nothing about us without us', motivates much disability inclusive research, but meaningful participation of the most marginalised is still rare. There is a tendency to recruit only people with disabilities who are perceived as 'easier to include'. We reflect critically on recent fieldwork in Bangladesh working with local and international NGOs on a disability inclusive employment project. We focus on inclusion of the most marginalised people with disabilities: those with complex communication, psychosocial, intellectual or multiple impairments, or those who face intersecting inequalities. During a two-stage process, we engaged with 4 small groups of people in 2 sites. The participants were involved in an adapted vocational training programme, and had either both visual and hearing impairments, or were economically disadvantaged young disabled women. We discuss how creative, inclusive, participatory methodologies were combined to explore participants' experiences of pathways to work through learning a trade. We consider the ethical, methodological rationales for our research epistemologies; including development of local research teams' and participants' awareness, confidence and capacities; and what worked and didn't to enable or constrain inclusion and knowledge generation. We synthesise insights and recommendations about engagement/recruitment, situated ethics, accommodating individual needs, challenging assumptions, building communication capacities and group agency, maintaining inclusive interaction, multi-modal communication, using visual, tactile, narrative and creative methodologies, sequencing and layering methods, generating emotional knowledge, and collective analysis. We discuss the dynamic situated, emotional, interactional, and relational enablers of inclusion, and how participatory methodologies are applicable in research contexts to move beyond working with the 'usual suspects' to effectively engage people who are most often excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the 2017 to 2020 National Crime Victimization Survey, the current study examines how race, ethnicity, and sex affect the likelihood of reporting violent victimization to the police across types of disability (hearing, vision, cognitive, and physical). Findings reveal that Black individuals with cognitive disabilities and Hispanic individuals with multiple disabilities were less likely to report their violent victimization to the police compared to White individuals with no disabilities. Results not only support prior literature's conclusion that disability type shapes reporting outcomes but indicate potentially cumulative effects for those at the intersections. Its implications highlight the critical need for criminal justice practitioners, victim advocates, and researchers to integrate disability and its heterogeneity into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is broad consensus that listening effort is an important outcome for measuring hearing performance. However, there remains debate on the best ways to measure listening effort. This study sought to measure neural correlates of listening effort using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in experienced adult hearing aid users. The study evaluated impacts of amplification and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on cerebral blood oxygenation, with the expectation that easier listening conditions would be associated with less oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex. Thirty experienced adult hearing aid users repeated sentence-final words from low-context Revised Speech Perception in Noise Test sentences. Participants repeated words at a hard SNR (individual SNR-50) or easy SNR (individual SNR-50 + 10 dB), while wearing hearing aids fit to prescriptive targets or without wearing hearing aids. In addition to assessing listening accuracy and subjective listening effort, prefrontal blood oxygenation was measured using fNIRS. As expected, easier listening conditions (i.e., easy SNR, with hearing aids) led to better listening accuracy, lower subjective listening effort, and lower oxygenation across the entire prefrontal cortex compared to harder listening conditions. Listening accuracy and subjective listening effort were also significant predictors of oxygenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decade, there has been a move towards consumer-centric hearing healthcare. This is a direct result of technological advancements (e.g., merger of consumer grade hearing aids with consumer grade earphones creating a wide range of hearing devices) as well as policy changes (e.g., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration creating a new over-the-counter [OTC] hearing aid category). In addition to various direct-to-consumer (DTC) hearing devices available on the market, there are also several validated tools for the self-assessment of auditory function and the detection of ear disease, as well as tools for education about hearing loss, hearing devices, and communication strategies. Further, all can be made easily available to a wide range of people. This perspective provides a framework and identifies tools to improve and maintain optimal auditory wellness across the adult life course. A broadly available and accessible set of tools that can be made available on a digital platform to aid adults in the assessment and as needed, the improvement, of auditory wellness is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the potential of assistive service robots to support disabled and elderly people. It shows that they have considerable untapped potential in this area, but also that inappropriate implementations could increase isolation, reduce independence and lead to users feeling as though they are under surveillance. The main body of the paper presents an overview of existing applications and discusses their benefits and potential problems. This is organized by an extension of the common classification into socially and physically assistive robots by the two categories of sensory assistive and mixed assistance robots. Another more detailed classification is also presented. This discussion is introduced by an overview of many of the technological components of smart mobile robots. It is followed by a discussion of user acceptance. The problems of existing models based on either solely positive or solely negative factors are noted and a model containing both types of factors is proposed. The need for continuing research is noted and various proposals are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: People with intellectual disability are less likely to participate in breast screening than people without intellectual disability. They experience a range of barriers to accessing breast screening, however, there is no consensus on strategies to overcome these barriers. Our objective was to reach consensus on the strategies required for accessible breast screening for people with intellectual disability. Methods: Fourteen experts participated in a modified on-line Delphi that used Levesque's model of health care access as the theoretical framework. At the end of each round descriptive and thematic analyses were completed. Data was then triangulated to determine if consensus was reached. Results: After 3 rounds, 9 strategies were modified, 24 strategies were added and consensus was reached for 52 strategies across the 5 dimensions of access. Key areas of action related to (i) decision making and consent, (ii) accessible information, (iii) engagement of peer mentors, (iv) service navigators, and (v) equipping key stakeholders. Conclusions: The resulting strategies are the first to articulate how to make breast screening accessible and can be used to inform health policy and quality improvement practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the financial well-being of people with disabilities is a pressing concern, given the documented lower levels of financial well-being among this population compared to the general population. Limited research, however, offers effective strategies for improving their financial well-being. This study investigates how financial knowledge and family financial socialization can be combined to enhance the financial well-being of people with disabilities. Using data from the 2016 National Financial Well-Being Survey, we employ multivariate analyses and propensity score matching techniques to test the robustness of our results and ensure our population comprised a nationally representative sample of people with disabilities. Our findings show that people with disabilities experience lower levels of financial well-being compared to those without disabilities. Furthermore, we find that self-assessed financial knowledge and financial socialization within the family context are positively associated with the financial well-being of people with disabilities. These findings have important implications for researchers and financial service professionals who work with people with disabilities. This study emphasizes the importance of tailoring financial education to the specific needs of people with disabilities and prioritizing financial education and financial socialization within the family context as critical mechanisms for enhancing their financial well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this paper are to analyze the role of medical and health professions in creating and establishing the disability category. We also explore how the diagnosis, measurement, and treatment of disability have contributed to stigmatization and promoted social, political and economic inequality. Theories from a variety of disciplines are used to examine the ways that medicine and the health-related professions have contributed to the oppression of people with disabilities, including the maintenance of a 'medical/knowledge power differential,' reinforcement of the 'sick role,' and objectification of people with disabilities. We also explore opportunities for empowerment versus 'sick role' status. The medical and health professions are uniquely positioned to promote the empowerment of people with disabilities as active partners in their own health care. Replacing the biomedical model of disability with a socio-political model that prioritizes disease/health care management, wellness and prevention of further disability as opposed to treatments aimed at curing disability could facilitate the empowerment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This literature review broadly examines disability in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The paper addresses the various types of disability in AD, as well as the presumed causes and the economic and social costs of such disability. The influence of various types of treatment of disability, particularly pharmacological is addressed, as are directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores questions of disability access justice within the academy through the lens of an online digital/multimedia storytelling (DS) research workshop conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our investigation uncovers how the shift from in-person to online DS methodologies created newfound opportunities for participation, particularly for individuals with episodic disabilities (EDs). Through an analysis of three co-author participants' multimedia/digital stories and their reflective insights, we investigate the interplay between research methodologies and the broader context of disability access within the academy. Participants' stories of inventive adaptations unfold against a backdrop of experiences in traditional academic settings that privilege normative ways of working and seldom accommodate diverse rhythms and access needs, including of students, faculty and staff. In light of these narratives, we advocate for an ongoing commitment to access-centered practices in research and work beyond crisis situations. The article concludes that academic research enterprises can accommodate a wider spectrum of participants—particularly those with episodic disabilities—and enhance research outcomes by recognizing and anticipating diverse bodyminds within the design of research methodologies and techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with disabilities often encounter numerous obstacles in securing and maintaining employment, as well as achieving success in their professional roles. This study initially examined how workplace ostracism influenced self-views and workplace behaviors of disabled employees. More importantly, using belief in a just-world theory as the overarching framework, we further explored whether these linkages were contingent on personal belief in a just world (BJW), which was considered to be a personal contract between the individual and the social world (i.e., the world is fair to me). A total of 1,605 Chinese employees with different categories and degrees of disabilities were invited to participate in an online survey. The results showed that self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between workplace ostracism and workplace deviance. Specifically, workplace ostracism had a detrimental effect on the self-esteem of disabled employees, subsequently leading to engagement in deviant behaviors at work. Furthermore, personal BJW played a moderating role in the links between ostracism, self-esteem, and deviance. When employees with disabilities held stronger BJW, they tended to experience more significant adverse effects of workplace ostracism, resulting in lower self-esteem and increased deviant behaviors. Supporting a first-stage moderated mediation model, the indirect effect of workplace ostracism on deviance through self-esteem was contingent on BJW. This indirect effect was more pronounced when participants exhibited higher levels of BJW. Our findings highlight the importance of fair treatment and the meaningfulness of personal BJW by uncovering diverse response patterns to workplace ostracism among employees with disabilities with varying levels of BJW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have recently emphasized the importance of diversity inclusion. Motivated by this goal, we examine the impact of employing individuals with disabilities in apparel manufacturing cells on overall team productivity (PD). We formulate a series of deterministic and stochastic PD maximization assignment problems to study the impact of disability inclusion on a production line. We extend the baseline PD maximization formulation to study a multi‐objective problem that simultaneously maximizes PD, disability diversity (DD), and language diversity (LD). Each analysis is performed across two different garments drawn from a real‐world setting. The models are tested using archival time study data collected in partnership with an apparel manufacturing firm where more than 75% of the billed work hours are from individuals with significant disabilities. The following insights emerge from the analyses. First, the PD of teams that have individuals across multiple, different types of disabilities is higher than the PD of teams with employees who share a single, specific type of disability. Second, teams that employ both individuals with and without disabilities perform slightly better than teams that consist of only individuals with disabilities. In some instances, contrary to intuition, teams of only individuals with disabilities even have higher PD than teams of only individuals with no disabilities. Finally, our results from the multi‐objective problem that simultaneously maximizes PD, DD, and LD suggest that PD is not generally sensitive to increases in DD. However, PD is sensitive at extreme levels of DD and LD. Limitations and possible future extensions of the study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a large and representative sample of physically disabled persons resident in the community, this paper considers the association between disability and risk for depression and examines the relevance of stress process variables in accounting for variations in depression. Using two waves of data spaced four years apart, we demonstrate that the disabled are at dramatically elevated risk for depressive symptoms and that this high level of depression characterizes both men and women of all ages. Longitudinal analysis show eventful stress, chronic strain, mastery, and social support to be significant determinants of depression in this population. Only the effects of mastery and social support, however, are clearly observable within all age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification and representation of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) has been a contentious issue due to the lack of methodological standardization. This study scrutinizes the methodological innovation made by the Indian state of Kerala for identifying PwDs in its special census on disability in 2015. The study used disability data from the 15th Census of India and the Disability Census (DC) of Kerala and used descriptive statistics to compare the two on demographic, health, social, and economic dimensions. The prevalence of disability in Kerala was found to be around 2.2% in both the censuses. However, between the two data sources, the share of different disabilities varied from 1% in the case of mental retardation to as much as 10% in the case of locomotor disability. Robust data collection in two stages by trained health professionals, incorporation of detailed categories of disabling conditions, and inclusion of a large number of dimensions in DC made it an effective survey. It is important to improve the identification of PwDs to properly address their unique needs and promote an inclusive development. Defining "mental retardation" to capture disability can be derogatory to many; however, disability in mental health has been defined as "mental retardation" and "mental illness" in the 15th round of the Census of India. As a result, these are the terms that will be used throughout the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Screening for poor physical performance has the potential to identify older adults at risk for loss of future independence, yet clinically feasible measures have yet to be identified. Methods: Using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, we evaluated the diagnostic utility of self-reported physical capacities of older adults (walking three blocks or six blocks, climbing 10 stairs or 20 stairs) compared to the objectively measured Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio (LR) were calculated across three SPPB cut-points (≤8, ≤9, ≤10). Results: Sensitivity of single item-measures for detecting a low SBBP averaged 0.39 (range: 0.26–0.52), specific averaged 0.97 (range: 0.94–0.99) and likelihood ratio averaged 20.0 (range: 9.0–35.5). Among age and gender subgroups, all measures maintained clinically applicable LRs (minimum = 4.59). Conclusion: Single-item self-reported physical capacities are accurate for screening older adults with physical limitations, making them potentially useful in healthcare settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with impaired hearing or deafness often perceive communication barriers when and participating in their daily lives, such as when contacting primary healthcare, leading to a risk of them using emergency services for less urgent conditions. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to describe the perceptions of individuals with hearing impairments and deafness in relation to the treatment and communication they received from primary healthcare professionals. The study employed a mixed-methods design, and the data comprised questionnaire responses from 101 individuals with hearing impairments or deafness, including 11 open-ended questions, analyzed with conventional content analysis. The study was evaluated using the COREQ checklist and the GRAMMS guidelines to further improve the transparency of the research. The results indicate that healthcare professionals who are responsive, considerate, and respectful regarding communication were perceived among people with hearing impairments or deafness to be professionals. The ideal healthcare encounter for people with hearing impairments or deafness would be where the healthcare professionals could perform sign language, which would allow the healthcare professional to communicate freely. Healthcare professionals need more knowledge about how they can best meet, care for, and communicate with individuals with hearing impairments or deafness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep quality amongst caregivers with disability may have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated differences in sleep quality amongst custodial grandparents from a southern state that were identified through state-based Kinship Care support groups coordinators and online. Participants (N = 102) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and self-reported disability statuses. Gamma tests showed a strong negative relationship between disability and sleep duration indicating fewer hours of sleep, higher use of sleep medication and greater sleep disturbances. Disability is not significantly related to sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction. T -tests showed no strength of relationship between disability and overall sleep quality. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, custodial grandparents with disability had greater issues with their sleep quality than those without disability. Sleep, as it pertains to its overall preponderant role in maintaining good health, should be examined amongst custodial grandparent caregivers and those with disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subjects utilizing a cochlear implant (CI) in one ear and a hearing aid (HA) on the contralateral ear suffer from mismatches in stimulation timing due to different processing latencies of both devices. This device delay mismatch leads to a temporal mismatch in auditory nerve stimulation. Compensating for this auditory nerve stimulation mismatch by compensating for the device delay mismatch can significantly improve sound source localization accuracy. One CI manufacturer has already implemented the possibility of mismatch compensation in its current fitting software. This study investigated if this fitting parameter can be readily used in clinical settings and determined the effects of familiarization to a compensated device delay mismatch over a period of 3-4 weeks. Sound localization accuracy and speech understanding in noise were measured in eleven bimodal CI/HA users, with and without a compensation of the device delay mismatch. The results showed that sound localization bias improved to 0°, implying that the localization bias towards the CI was eliminated when the device delay mismatch was compensated. The RMS error was improved by 18% with this improvement not reaching statistical significance. The effects were acute and did not further improve after 3 weeks of familiarization. For the speech tests, spatial release from masking did not improve with a compensated mismatch. The results show that this fitting parameter can be readily used by clinicians to improve sound localization ability in bimodal users. Further, our findings suggest that subjects with poor sound localization ability benefit the most from the device delay mismatch compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin autofluorescence is a useful index to estimate the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products in human tissues. Elderly persons with higher skin autofluorescence have lower muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle power, however, little is known about the relationship between the skin autofluorescence level and each muscle activity. We measured the values of skin autofluorescence from five places on a lower limb, and the signals of surface electromyogram during isometric contractions from five muscles on that, simultaneously. The waveforms of surface electromyogram were analyzed by Daubechies-4 wavelet transformation. The value of skin autofluorescence was increased in the proximal part of the lower limb compared with the value of the distal part. The principal component of surface electromyogram activity in a time-frequency domain was lower in the proximal part compared with that of the distal part. There was a weak negative correlation between the value of skin autofluorescence on the gluteal region and the value of the mean wavelet coefficient of the surface electromyogram signals within the gluteus maximus muscle. The higher accumulation of advanced glycation end-products on the gluteal region might suggest the lower muscle activity in aging without disease and disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity is one of the most efficacious pathways to promoting mental and physical health, preventing disease, and, most important during the COVID-19 pandemic, bolstering a stronger immune system. Efforts to "flatten the curve" have resulted in the temporary closure of exercise facilities and gyms, suspension of sport activities, and advisories to avoid public recreational spaces. All of these changes have made traditional opportunities to be physically active difficult to access. These changes have also exacerbated existing disparities in access to social and environmental supports for physical activity, potentially contributing to a widening gap in physical activity participation among those at greatest risk for COVID-19. Physical activity can play a special role in reducing the inequitable consequences of COVID-19; however, expansion and better targeting of evidence-informed interventions are needed that address the unique barriers present in communities that have been economically and socially marginalized to achieve health equity in COVID-19 outcomes. This review highlights effective and feasible strategies that provide more equitable access to physical activity programs and spaces across the United States. With a renewed investment in physical activity, this behavior can play a crucial role in improving population health and reducing disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Of the 6.2 million Canadians aged 15 years or older who live with disability, 61% have disabilities that are not static or continuous. These dynamic conditions are known as episodic disabilities and many disproportionately experienced by women. Chronic pain is also a common feature associated with many episodic disabilities. The purpose of this article is to explore the experience of chronic pain for women living with episodic disabilities. Methods: This qualitative study draws on the tenets of interpretive description. Thirty women, with one or more episodic disabilities and chronic pain, participated in a semi-structured interview and answered questions about their chronic pain levels, using Von Korff et al.'s graded chronic pain scale. Results: Women experienced gendered treatment within the healthcare system and reported that they were frequently dismissed by their healthcare providers, most often physicians. Healthcare professionals' practices around pain assessment were another common challenge for women. Women who were able to access financial support from government disability programs were more likely to access allied health professionals. Many of the holistic strategies that women researched and used to treat chronic pain were self-enacted. While diet, exercise, and other self-care activities are general health promotion strategies for all, they were seen as essential aspects of living that helped women have control over chronic pain and modifying the course of their episodic disability. Conclusion: Living with chronic pain and an episodic disability is complex. The findings of this study present the impact that gendered treatment in the healthcare system has on women who live with an episodic disability and experience chronic pain. It is evident that the current system did not meet the needs of the women in our study and system changes could result in better experiences, more disclosure of alternative therapies, and increase women's agency in their care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that disability is gendered, culturally constituted and socially negotiated. It explores the nature and form of disability afflicting the individual and social life of women in rural Haryana, in terms of both physical and mental parameters. It describes the community and the family strategies for supporting disabled women in negotiating family, work, economy and society. It also highlights the social effects of physical disability on various stages of their life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

APSWP and the representatives of the 20 institutes are seeking RCI regulations and registration for PSWs and call for the support of our fellow mental health colleagues - psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and mental health nurses to make this possible. If RCI recognizes the psychiatric social work profession, the rehabilitation interventions by PSWs also would be recognized as per the RCI Act 1992/2000,[29] which allows anyone to practice as a "rehabilitation professional" with its registration only. Broader Roles and Functions of PSWs in the Field of Mental Health PSWs play an important role in the multidisciplinary team of a mental health care institute and have multiple roles and functions. Initially, PSWs were not included under the NCAHCP Act.[25] It was under the recommendations of associations of social work professionals (who do not cater to PSWs only) that PSWs were later included under its purview. [Extracted from the article]

Early formulations of the social model of disability have been subject to critical amendment by disabled women. Disabled women activists have, however, been equally critical of the failure of mainstream feminism to recognise the disability perspective. This article continues the approach taken by the author in an earlier paper in which she proposed the development of a model which understands the concerns of disabled women as central to both feminism and disability politics. It explores some of the complexities of a feminist agenda for disabled women in the linked arenas of sexuality, reproduction and motherhood, considering the contribution of a disability rights perspective to these core areas of feminist debate. It moves on to examine the potential contribution of a feminist disability perspective to the reconceptualisation of informal caring, where the experience of disabled women might help to untangle some of the dilemmas experienced by both men and women in the critical issues of caring and dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the efforts of three social-movement organisations in Vancouver, Canada, to advance oppositional cultures in what Nancy Fraser has termed a 'post-socialist' age, marked both by neo-liberal hegemony and by the primacy of cultural recognition over material redistribution in the framing of progressive politics. Based on in-depth interviews with activists in The Centre (a lesbian-gay-bisexual-transsexual community centre), the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities, and End Legislated Poverty, we compare how these organisations frame and pursue three analytically distinct tasks, which we take to be integral to sustaining counter-hegemony: (1) community-building, in the sense of elaborating collective identities and ethical-political frameworks that are oppositional to dominant conceptions; (2) meeting needs of constituents in ways that empower them and prefigure alternative ways of life; and (3) mobilising and engaging in collective action to press for tangible changes in cultural discourses and social relations. The manner in which each group pursues these three tasks defines the horizons of its political project, including the extent to which the project involves 'affirmative' (reformist) or 'transformative' (radical) strategies of social change. Counter-hegemonic capacities thus depend in part on specific configurations of practice, which we compare across the three organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin autofluorescence is a useful index to estimate the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products in human tissues. Elderly persons with higher skin autofluorescence have lower muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle power, however, little is known about the relationship between the skin autofluorescence level and each muscle activity. We measured the values of skin autofluorescence from five places on a lower limb, and the signals of surface electromyogram during isometric contractions from five muscles on that, simultaneously. The waveforms of surface electromyogram were analyzed by Daubechies-4 wavelet transformation. The value of skin autofluorescence was increased in the proximal part of the lower limb compared with the value of the distal part. The principal component of surface electromyogram activity in a time-frequency domain was lower in the proximal part compared with that of the distal part. There was a weak negative correlation between the value of skin autofluorescence on the gluteal region and the value of the mean wavelet coefficient of the surface electromyogram signals within the gluteus maximus muscle. The higher accumulation of advanced glycation end-products on the gluteal region might suggest the lower muscle activity in aging without disease and disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Informal caregivers are in increasing demand to provide care for sick, disabled, and elderly persons in the years to come, also in the Nordic welfare states. Informal caregivers can provide different types of care, such as personal care, supervision, and practical help, and previous research has shown that women take on a heavier care burden than men. However, structural differences in care tasks and caregiver burden in the Norwegian population is an under-researched area of study. Objective: The study objective is to explore different types of informal care and caregivers in the Norwegian population and assess how different types of caregivers are distributed across socio-demographic groups. Methods: A cross-sectional population survey was conducted in 2014. A random sample of 20,000 people above 16 years of age was drawn from the national population register. The net sample consisted of 4,000 individuals, giving a response rate of 20.2%. Data were collected using telephone interviews. We used descriptive statistics, crosstabulations with chi-square tests and multinomial regression analyses. Results: Fifteen and seven percent of the respondents reported that they regularly helped persons with special care needs outside and inside their own household, respectively. Women were more likely than men to give personal care, whereas men were overrepresented among caregivers providing practical help only. The mean age of caregivers providing practical help only was significantly lower than for caregivers providing personal care. Conclusion: Our results indicate that women take on a heavier care load, both by providing more personal care then men and in that they spend more time caring. It is important that nurses and other healthcare professionals in community care have knowledge about structures of inequality in informal caregiver tasks and burden so that they can better identify opportunities for improved coordination between formal and informal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There has been suggestion that current diagnostic instruments are not sufficient for detecting and diagnosing autism in women, and research suggests that a lack of diagnosis could negatively impact autistic women’s well-being and identity. This study aimed to explore the well-being and identity of autistic women at three points of their diagnostic journey: self-identifying or awaiting assessment, currently undergoing assessment or recently diagnosed, and more than a year post-diagnosis. Methods: Mixed-methods were used to explore this with 96 women who identified as autistic and within one of these three groups. Participants completed an online questionnaire, and a sub-sample of 24 of these women participated in a semi-structured interview. Results: Well-being was found to differ significantly across groups in three domains: satisfaction with health, psychological health, and environmental health. Validation was found to be a central issue for all autistic women, which impacted their diagnosis, identity, and well-being. The subthemes of don’t forget I’m autistic; what now?; having to be the professional; and no one saw me were also identified. Conclusion: These results suggest that autistic women’s well-being and identity differ in relation to their position on the diagnostic journey in a non-linear manner. We suggest that training on the presentation of autism in women for primary and secondary healthcare professionals, along with improved diagnostic and support pathways for autistic adult women could go some way to support well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper queries the absence of disabled voices in contemporary citizenship literature. It argues that the language and imagery of the citizen is imbued with hegemonic normalcy and as such excludes disability. Feminist perspectives, such as those which argue for a form of maternal citizenship, largely fail to acknowledge disability experiences. Exclusionary practices are charted and links are made between gender, race and disability in this process. A citizenship which acknowledges disability is fundamental to re-imaging local, national and international collectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A type of valgus deformity of the foot which differs from those commonly recognized is described. In this foot, correction of the hindfoot valgus results in the talus assuming an abnormally horizontal position, so that the forefoot is markedly rotated relative to the hindfoot. The condition is usually present at birth and may occur in paralytic and non-paralytic forms. Its recognition is important as the deformity may lead to difficulties later in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Despite a growing body of evidence suggesting inequalities in breast cancer screening uptake in the United States for women with disabilities, few attempts have been made to examine whether this association applies to the United Kingdom. We conducted the first population-wide study investigating the impact of disability on uptake of breast cancer screening in Northern Ireland. Methods: Breast screening records extracted from the National Breast Screening System were linked to the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study. This identified a cohort of 57,328 women who were followed through one complete three-year screening cycle of the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme in Northern Ireland. The presence of disability was identified from responses to the 2011 Census. Results: Within this cohort, 35.8% of women reported having at least one chronic disability, and these individuals were 7% less likely to attend compared with those with no disability (odds ratio 0.93; 95% confidence interval 0.89–0.98). Variation in the degree of disparity observed was evident according to the type and number of comorbid disabilities examined. Conclusion: This is the first population-wide study in Northern Ireland to identify disparities in breast screening uptake for women with chronic disabilities, in particular, those with multimorbidity. This is of particular concern, given the projected rise in the prevalence of disability associated with the ageing population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from National Statistical Institutes is generally considered an important source of credible evidence for a variety of users. Summarization and dissemination via traditional methods is a convenient approach for providing this evidence. However, this is usually comprehensible only for users with a considerable level of statistical literacy. A promising alternative lies in augmenting the summarization linguistically. Less statistically literate users (e.g., domain experts and the general public), as well as disabled people can benefit from such a summarization. This article studies the potential of summaries expressed in short quantified sentences. Summaries including, for example, "most visits from remote countries are of a short duration" can be immediately understood by diverse users. Linguistic summaries are not intended to replace existing dissemination approaches, but can augment them by providing alternatives for the benefit of diverse users of official statistics. Linguistic summarization can be achieved via mathematical formalization of linguistic terms and relative quantifiers by fuzzy sets. To avoid summaries based on outliers or data with low coverage, a quality criterion is applied. The concept based on linguistic summaries is demonstrated on test interfaces, interpreting summaries from real municipal statistical data. The article identifies a number of further research opportunities, and demonstrates ways to explore those. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is unclear whether EDSS is responsive to disability worsening in advanced MS. Objective: To explore the dynamics of disability worsening in persons with advanced-stage MS (EDSS ≥5.5) using three disability worsening definitions (EDSS, Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI), 9-Hole Peg Test (9-HPT)). Methods: EDSS-, RMI- and 9-HPT-based disability worsening were assessed over a minimum of two years in a cohort of 286 persons with advanced MS attending inpatient rehabilitation using Kaplan-Meier Curves and multivariable Cox regression. Furthermore, the correspondence between EDSS-, RMI- and 9-HPT-based disability worsening was analyzed. Results: Disability progression was observed in 49% (9-HPT), 52% (EDSS) and 53% (RMI), with 9-HPT-based worsening slightly lagging behind. The Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS) was the only consistent factor predicting disability worsening based on all three definitions (EDSS: hazard ratio 1.48 [1.30;1.68]; RMI: 1.12 [0.99;1.27]; 9-HPT: 1.36 [1.18;1.57]). Correspondence between EDSS and the other definitions (9-HPT and RMI) was 44.3% and 55.7% at time of EDSS progression and 65.1% and 72.5% overall, respectively. Conclusion: In persons with advanced-stage MS, half still developed disability worsening in different functional systems over a median of 6 years. MSSS seems a valid predictor for disability worsening in all three outcome measures in advanced MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on a research project led by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) on shelter in East Africa. It explores Mogadishu's history, political settlements and variations in housing to inform more inclusive, affordable shelter interventions. MAIN FINDINGS: • Connection between urban poverty and internal displacement. Mogadishu's informal settlements are inhabited by people displaced from other regions and poor urban residents. As the urban poor live in areas with high tenure insecurity and can be evicted without notice, there are migration flows both into the city and within Mogadishu itself. • Role of informal networks and relations. As access to land and shelter is governed by a complex system of formal and informal rules, having contacts with powerful actors in the informal settlements is key to finding shelter. • Vulnerabilities of women, people with disabilities, and young single men. In Somalia's patriarchal society, the male-headed family is the fundamental social unit; people who fall outside this category are heavily disadvantaged when accessing housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sound externalization, or the perception that a sound source is outside of the head, is an intriguing phenomenon that has long interested psychoacousticians. While previous reviews are available, the past few decades have produced a substantial amount of new data.In this review, we aim to synthesize those data and to summarize advances in our understanding of the phenomenon. We also discuss issues related to the definition and measurement of sound externalization and describe quantitative approaches that have been taken to predict the outcomes of externalization experiments. Last, sound externalization is of practical importance for many kinds of hearing technologies. Here, we touch on two examples, discussing the role of sound externalization in augmented/virtual reality systems and bringing attention to the somewhat overlooked issue of sound externalization in wearers of hearing aids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decolonization of research is nowhere more pressing than in post-apartheid South Africa, where cross-cultural encounters characterize every aspect of society. The health system plays a critical role in realizing the rights of marginalized populations, particularly rural communities and people with disabilities. However, cultural divides between service users and health care workers render health care provision unexpectedly complex. Such divides likewise obscure the meanings embedded in qualitative data, rendering research interpretations challenging. A study of the engagement between rural isiXhosa-speaking people with disabilities and primary health care workers was conducted by the first author, a White English-speaking female health care worker, in partnership with the second author, a Xhosa male research implementer. Ethnographic and narrative methods were used to create an embedded case study of 11 households of people with disabilities. Lessons on conducting ethical and culturally congruent research with this population are presented, important limitations in the qualitative paradigm raised, and alternative stances explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the selection process in a pilot project aimed at distributing computers to disabled people to allow for digitalization. Particular attention is paid to the complexities generated by an allocation assessment form, designed to help these people improve their social interactions through electronic media. There is a paucity of discussions on forms in the organization studies literature but, when studied, an over-reliance on semantics such that their enactment in embodied sociomaterial performances is easily glossed over. Our problematic revolves around how forms and their surrounding sociomaterial performances constitute, but are also transformed by, subjects, objects and organizational relations. The contribution of this article is, therefore, to address the embodied enactments and sociomaterial practices that are embedded within these allocation processes. So, for example, assessors in the project deviated from a strict interpretation of the questions on the form and sometimes ignored clients' responses so as to prevent formal allocations of computers from being seen as illegitimate, and potentially disruptive to the organization's objectives of distributing digital devices. This enabled us to focus on the sociomaterial and embodied relations that are enacted within the selection process and how these place limits on, but also possibilities for, those allocating and those seeking to be allocated computers. The case study shows how distributing computers to disabled people is a complex sociomaterial process that is conditioned by the embodied performances and textual devices deployed. At the same time, the process was informed by humanistic and normalizing assumptions about sociability that are inscribed on the assessment form as criteria for allocating the computers. One implication, we found, was a tendency to reinforce the marginalization of disabled people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the association between disability and participation in breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening in Flanders (Belgium). Methods: Data from the Centre for Cancer Detection were linked to data of the Flemish Agency for disabled persons by the Crossroads Bank for Social Security, using National Social Security Numbers. Results: The study population consisted of 92,334 invited individuals registered as disabled in 2013–2015. For breast cancer screening (including both opportunistic screening and participation in the screening program), 51.7% of disabled women had undergone mammography in the last two years, compared with the Flemish uptake of 61.8%. In cervical screening, 45% of the women with a disability had undergone a PAP smear in the last three years (overall Flemish uptake was 60.7%). For colorectal cancer screening, 40.7% of individuals with a disability had undergone a fecal immunochemical test in the last two years (overall Flemish uptake was 51.5%). Participation in breast and colorectal cancer screening among persons with a disability was 10% points less than the Flemish average during the same period. In the cervical cancer screening program, the difference between the participation of disabled women and the Flemish average was 10% points. Persons with any type of disability had a lower uptake of cancer screening than the Flemish average, except for individuals with a hearing impairment. Conclusions: Participation disparities in the Flemish cancer screening programs between persons with and without disabilities require specific efforts to increase cancer screening among people with a disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several papers discussed at a meeting of the Section of Medical Education is presented. Discussions about disability and handicapped were presented. The meeting also featured several personalities in the field of medicine including Christopher Pinder, Henry Patterson, and Rosemary Dawson-Shepherd.

Background: Lesion location is a prognostic factor of disease progression and disability accrual. Objective: To investigate lesion formation in 11 brain regions, assess correlation between lesion location and physical and cognitive disability measures and investigate treatment effects by region. Methods: In 2355 relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis patients from the FREEDOMS and FREEDOMS II studies, we extracted T2-weighted lesion number, volume and density for each brain region; we investigated the (Spearman) correlation in lesion formation between brain regions, studied association between location and disability (at baseline and change over 2 years) using linear/logistic regression and assessed the regional effects of fingolimod versus placebo in negative binomial models. Results: At baseline, the majority of lesions were found in the supratentorial brain. New and enlarging lesions over 24 months developed mainly in the frontal and sublobar regions and were substantially correlated to pre-existing lesions at baseline in the supratentorial brain (p = 0.37–0.52), less so infratentorially (p = −0.04–0.23). High sublobar lesion density was consistently and significantly associated with most disability measures at baseline and worsening of physical disability over 24 months. The treatment effect of fingolimod 0.5 mg was consistent across the investigated areas and tracts. Conclusion: These results highlight the role of sublobar lesions for the accrual of disability in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]