Search

In this study, the authors attempted to identify employment costs, with particular emphasis on non-wage employment costs in terms of payments to the State Fund for the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (PFRON) and the possibility of their reduction. The main purpose was to identify and verify the effectiveness of legal and financial solutions aimed at stimulating Polish enterprises to employ workers with reduced competitiveness on the labour market and constituting a form of compensation for their employment in the context of reducing non-wage labour costs. The following research hypothesis was formulated: applying financial penalties for not employing persons with disabilities is not severe enough for enterprises to significantly change their attitude towards employing such persons, even in the context of their systematically growing number, because the multidimensional costs of employing persons with disabilities are more severe than the penalties paid for not employing them. The conducted research and literature review allowed for identifying the basic factors and correlations between the severity of penalties and the employment level of persons with disabilities. A strong positive correlation was observed between their employment rate and the increase in the basis for imposing penalties. Employers, having noticed the increasing amounts of penalties, tried at least not to increase the basis for their calculation and systematically aimed at supplementing employment or obtaining reductions in payments as a result of a lower ratio or the amount of payments made to the Fund owing to the cooperation with the employers of people with disabilities authorised to provide them. The research covered the years from 2018 to 2022, the subjective scope included enterprises with at least 25 full-time employees and subject to the obligation of employing persons with disabilities. The following research methods were used: critical analysis of source literature and legal acts, descriptive method, statistical analysis and correlation analysis based on the Pearson correlation coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to available reports, people with disabilities include 15% of the world's population. However, this group experiences discriminatory behaviours in many different aspects. Therefore, they must receive special services called rehabilitation services in order to enjoy a high-quality and independent life. On the other hand, all aspects of human life that are somehow affected by the decisions of the government or non-governmental public institutions are relevant to public policy; rehabilitation is no exception to this rule. This study attempts to examine the level of coherence and correlation between policies concerning the rehabilitation of people with disabilities with good governance indicators noticed by several experts in social sciences and policymaking in recent decades, aiming to show that paying attention to these indicators and proper employment of them is a necessary condition for the success of related policies in this area. Using descriptive analysis and library approach, this study first identifies eight indicators for good governance. Then, reviewing the existing literature about the rehabilitation of people with disabilities and with regard to the eight identified indicators, this study attempts to focus on cases where the outcome has proved to be efficient and effective policy-making in the intended field of study. The findings of this article indicate the existence of a link and alignment between the paradigm of good governance and rehabilitation policies for people with disabilities, suggesting that policies based on these eight indicators will be more successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history of the development a delegate sports federation in France for athletes with physical disabilities during the mid-1900s, and it mentions the French Framework Act Favoring the Disabled, as well as physical rehabilitation, competitive sports, and the creation of the Fédération Sportive des Handicapés Physiques de France in 1963. Founder Philippe Berthe's Amicale Sportive des Mutilés de France club is assessed, along with disability management.

In this work we explore the points of view, the opinions and the social representations that professionals of the sexology make about the Sexual Assistance. Through a qualitative methodology, we use as research techniques the discussion groups and the semi-structured interview with key informants. Among the main findings we find that the professionals studied have a liberal view of the sexuality of people with disabilities, but they develop it from an individual, assistance and therapeutic perspective. They set up Sexual Assistance as a form of sex therapy that favours the rehabilitation of people with disabilities. It is an aligned model with a pathological perspective of sexuality in people with functional diversity and which, in turn, finds in that argument a justification for differentiating Sexual Assistance from prostitution or the stigma of exclusively sexual work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the learning that takes place when people with disabilities interact in a rehabilitation context. Data were generated through in-depth interviews and close observations in a 2½ week-long rehabilitation program, where the participants learned both wheelchair skills and adapted physical activities. The findings from the qualitative data analysis are discussed in the context of situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998). The results indicate that peer learning extends beyond skills and techniques, to include ways for the participants to make sense of their situations as wheelchair users. Also, it was found that the community of practice established between the participants represented a critical corrective to instructions provided by rehabilitation professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article gives an overview of the author's research into the integration of movement oriented aspects of rehabilitation activities used with physically disabled children: physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical education, swimming instruction, movement activities in daily life, and recreational sport. The investigation was carried out in an observation and rehabilitation center in The Netherlands. The research comprised three parts: (a) a situational analysis, (b) the development of a model for starting points and aims of movement rehabilitation, and (c) the development of an intervention model for movement rehabilitation. The design, methods, and results of the research are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluate the impact of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services on employment outcomes of adults with physical disabilities. Using detailed panel data from the Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitation Services in state fiscal year 2000, we estimate a structural model of participation that accounts for the potentially sudden onset of physical impairments and the endogenous selection of VR services. The results imply that VR services have large, positive long-run labor market effects that substantially exceed the cost of providing services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Timely access to orthopedic rehabilitation is an important problem for the Ukrainian healthcare system. The international orthopedic community aims to achieve the best possible outcome for patient care by modifying rehabilitation methods and using telemedicine technology. The theme of this article is to discuss the integration of telemedicine technology in the rehabilitation of patients with injuries of the lower extremities. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients were recruited over a 2-year period. A total of 74 subjects with lower extremity injuries were enrolled in the study and monitored during a 3-month period. Twenty-six patients from the control group underwent traditional rehabilitation procedures for a 3-month period after injury. A total of 48 subjects were enrolled in the telerehabilitation group for a 3-month study period and were trained with a set of exercises for home use. Home remote monitoring for the 48 test subjects included use of a smartphone with gyroscope, G-sensor, magnetometer, and barometer, which was fixed to the injured limb. Software for the smartphone was developed at the I. Horbachevsky Ternopil Medical University, Ukraine. Software permits the monitoring of exercise time, the frequency of active movements of the injured limb, the number of steps per hour, and the walking speed. Results: The 3-month rehabilitation period started with the power load of 10% of body weight, following 3-5 steps five times per day with a speed no >1 km/h. The orthopedic surgeon, during telerehabilitation, took significantly less time to consult patients (2.3 min ± 0.4) than the traditional rehabilitation (12.6 min ± 2.9). Patient satisfaction was higher for the telerehabilitation (83.1% ± 14.2) than for the orthopedic surgeon's traditional rehabilitation (33.1% ± 8.9). Conclusions: Telerehabilitation is a good alternative for providing access to specialty care for the growing number of patients with traumatic injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message This study shows that neuromuscular taping improves gait, balance, pain and ability to walk and conduct daily activities in a multiple sclerosis patient. It is the first study to identify a panel of miRNAs modulated throughout rehabilitation using neuromuscular taping in a multiple sclerosis patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Arthrofibrosis is the most common post-operative complication of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Risk factors and management strategies for arthrofibrosis remain unclear. The purpose of this review was to: (a) describe existing definitions of arthrofibrosis, and (b) characterize the management strategies and outcomes of arthrofibrosis treatment.Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed were searched from database inception to search date (March 21, 2016) and screened in duplicate for relevant studies. Data regarding patient demographics, indications, index surgery, management strategy, and outcomes were collected.Results: Twenty-five studies of primarily level IV evidence (88%) were included. A total of 647 patients (648 knees) with a mean age of 28.2 ± 1.8 years (range 14-62 years) were treated for arthrofibrosis following ACL reconstruction and followed for a mean 30.1 ± 16.9 months (range 2 months-9.6 years). Definitions of arthrofibrosis varied widely and included subjective definitions and the Shelbourne classification system. Patients were treated by one or more of: arthroscopic arthrolysis (570 patients), manipulation under anaesthesia (MUA) (153 patients), oral corticosteroids (31 patients), physiotherapy (81 patients), drop-casting (17 patients), epidural therapy combined with inpatient physiotherapy (six patients), and intra-articular interleukin-1 antagonist injection (four patients). All studies reported improvement in range of motion post-operatively, with statistically significant improvement reported for 306 patients (six studies, p range <0.001 to =0.05), and one study (18 patients) reporting significantly better results if arthrofibrosis was treated within 8 months of reconstruction (p < 0.03). The greatest improvements for extension loss were seen with drop-casting (mean 6.2° ± 0.6° improvement), whereas MUA produced the greatest improvement for flexion deficit (mean 47.8° ± 3.3° improvement).Conclusions: Arthrofibrosis is poorly defined and outcome measures range varies widely. Amongst the studies included in this review, arthrofibrosis was most commonly managed surgically by arthroscopic arthrolysis, and most patients showed at least some improvement, including six studies that reported statistically significant change in ROM. In studies that used a step-wise approach to treating arthrofibrosis, more than half of patients were successfully treated without an operation. A more well-defined concept of arthrofibrosis, along with large, prospective studies will provide a clearer understanding of how to describe and manage this complication. The issue of arthrofibrosis following ACL reconstruction is clinically relevant as it represents a common complication of a commonly performed operation that nonetheless remains poorly defined and without clear treatment guidelines.Level Of Evidence: Systematic Review of Level III and IV Studies, Level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the services provided by certified adapted physical educators (CAPE) to athletes with disabilities. Training in teaching and motor development; Expertise in various motivational strategies and pedagogical techniques that can be used to help maximize the total therapeutic outcomes; Summary of the adapted physical education field.

Part II. Assesses the importance of athletic therapy for athletes with disabilities. Detection of temperature-regulation disorders in athletes with spinal lesions; Prevention of muscle contractures by joint mobilization technique; Benefits of passive range-of-motion exercise for the joints.

In this work, we have developed a multisensor system for rehabilitation and interaction with persons with motor and cognitive disabilities. The system enables them to perform different therapies using multiple modes of interaction (head and body pose, hand gestures, voice, touch and gaze) depending on the type and degree of disability. Through a training process, the system can be customized enabling the definition of patients’ own gestures for each sensor. The system is integrated with a range of applications for rehabilitation. Examples of these applications are puzzle solving, mazes and text writing using predictive text tools. The system also provides a flexible and modular framework for the development of new applications oriented towards novel rehabilitation therapies. The proposed system has been integrated in a mobile robotic platform and uses low-cost sensors allowing to perform non-intrusive rehabilitation therapies at home. Videos showing the proposed system and users interacting in different ways (multimodal) are available on our project website www.rovit.ua.es/patente/ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusess the status of vocational rehabilitation services in the U.S. Topics discussed include issues surrounding with transition-age youth with disabilities attempting to access these services; enactment of Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for addressing such issues; and role of U.S. Departments of Education and Labor in maximizing Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

The reach-to-grasp activities play an important role in our daily lives. The developed RUPERT for stroke patients with high stiffness in arm flexor muscles is a low-cost lightweight portable exoskeleton rehabilitation robot whose joints are unidirectionally actuated by pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs). In order to expand the useful range of RUPERT especially for patients with flaccid paralysis, functional electrical stimulation (FES) is taken to activate paralyzed arm muscles. As both the exoskeleton robot driven by PAMs and the neuromuscular skeletal system under FES possess the highly nonlinear and time-varying characteristics, iterative learning control (ILC) is studied and is taken to control this newly designed hybrid rehabilitation system for reaching trainings. Hand function rehabilitation refers to grasping. Because of tiny finger muscles, grasping and releasing are realized by FES array electrodes and matrix scan method. By using the surface electromyography (EMG) technique, the subject’s active intent is identified. The upper limb rehabilitation robot powered by PAMs cooperates with FES arrays to realize active reach-to-grasp trainings, which was verified through experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lower limb rehabilitation robots are designed to enhance gait function in individuals with motor impairments. Although numerous rehabilitation robots have been developed, only few of these robots have been used in practical health care, particularly in China. The objective of this study is to construct a lower limb rehabilitation robot and bridge the gap between research and application. Open structure to facilitate practical application was created for the whole robot. Three typical movement patterns of a single leg were adopted in designing the exoskeletons, and force models for patient training were established and analyzed under three different conditions, respectively, and then a control system and security strategy were introduced. After establishing the robot, a preliminary experiment on the actual use of a prototype by patients was conducted to validate the functionality of the robot. The experiment showed that different patients and stages displayed different performances, and results on the trend variations across patients and across stages confirmed the validity of the robot and suggested that the design may lead to a system that could be successful in the treatment of patients with walking disorders in China. Furthermore, this study could provide a reference for a similar application design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous robots have been widely used to deliver rehabilitative training for hemiplegic patients to improve their functional ability. Because of the complexity and diversity of upper limb motion, customization of training patterns is one key factor during upper limb rehabilitation training. Most of the current rehabilitation robots cannot intelligently provide adaptive training parameters, and they have not been widely used in clinical rehabilitation. This article proposes a new end-effector upper limb rehabilitation robot, which is a two-link robotic arm with two active degrees of freedom. This work investigated the kinematics and dynamics of the robot system, the control system, and the realization of different rehabilitation therapies. We also explored the influence of constraint in rehabilitation therapies on interaction force and muscle activation. The deviation of the trajectory of the end effector and the required trajectory was less than 1 mm during the tasks, which demonstrated the movement accuracy of the robot. Besides, results also demonstrated the constraint exerted by the robot provided benefits for hemiplegic patients by changing muscle activation in the way similar to the movement pattern of the healthy subjects, which indicated that the robot can improve the patient’s functional ability by training the normal movement pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background Studies support using intraoperative voice prosthesis insertion performed at the time of primary tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) during laryngectomy. However, none have compared intraoperative voice prosthesis insertion with delayed voice prosthesis insertion. The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine patient, services, and cost benefits of intraoperative versus delayed voice prosthesis placement. Methods Voice prosthesis use, duration to the first voice prosthesis change, early communication, and costs were compared between 14 patients who underwent a laryngectomy and who received intraoperative voice prosthesis placement, and 10 patients who underwent initial catheter stenting and then delayed voice prosthesis insertion. Results Intraoperative voice prosthesis placement was associated with significantly fewer early device changes (1.4 vs 2), voice prosthesis changes because of resizing (8% vs 80%), longer durations to initial voice prosthesis change (159.7 vs 24.5 days), earlier commencement of voice rehabilitation (13.2 vs 17.6 days), reduced length of hospital stay (17.2 vs 24.5 days), and cost savings of $559.83/person. Conclusion Superior clinical and patient benefits are associated with intraoperative voice prosthesis placement during primary TEP. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1138-1144, 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study we aimed at presenting the image that the present-day Romanian society has formed on the way in which disabled persons correspond to the ethical norms, in view of their integration and normalisation within society. The group of subjects considered in the research was composed of higher education graduates: 250 specialists (doctors, psycho-pedagogues, social workers) that work in institutions for the recovery and rehabilitation of persons with various disabilities (intellectual, sensorial, motion disabilities) and 250 nonspecialists (engineers, economists). The questionnaire used during the research comprises five insulating negative items and five integrating positive items. The results of the study showed differences between the specialists’ and nonspecialists’ perception on the application of ethical norms in the medical and social-educational activity (hospitals, recovery institutions) as well as in the educational activity (schools). The factors and means for improving the interaction with these people showed direct correlations in the subjects’ view. The conclusions of the study emphasised a better perception of the specialists compared to the perception of the non-specialists concerning the application of ethical norms in the medical-educational activities involving per-sons with disabilities. The perception of the subjects regarding the methods and the factors for improving the interaction with the persons with disabilities indicates on top position the development and the realisation of some joint programs, considering that every member in the community has to be actively involved in the successful integration of these persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to describe the state of rehabilitation health information systems (HIS) in different settings, and identify key processes and actions which contribute to the development of HIS which can effectively support low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) allocate resources to health-related rehabilitation to people with disabilities. Nine case studies were conducted across different disability and developmental settings using documentary review and semi-structured key informant interviews (N = 41). Results were analysed against the six building blocks of a HIS, based on the Health Metrics Network Framework and Standards for Country Health Information Systems and existing HIS capacity. Key barriers or enablers to good disability data collection and use, were documented for each HIS component. Research results suggest there is no gold standard HIS for rehabilitation. There was broad consensus however, that effective health related disability planning requires reliable data on disability prevalence, functional status, access to rehabilitation services and functional outcomes of rehabilitation. For low-resource settings, and where routine HIS are already challenged, planning to include disability and rehabilitation foci starting with a minimum dataset on functioning, and progressively improving the system for increased utility and harmonization, is likely to be most effective and minimize the potential for overburdening fragile systems. The recommendations from this study are based on the successes and challenges of countries with established information systems, and will assist LMICs to prioritize strategic measures to strengthen the collection and use of data for rehabilitation, and progressively realize the rights of people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeTo assess psychometric properties of the problem checklist (PCL) in a sample of individuals with neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders many years after trauma; to identify factors that impact life satisfaction and promote functional competence after long-term disability.MethodCross-sectional, interview- and assessment-based study. Participants were community-dwelling adults with disabilities resulting from neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders (N = 53), who participated in a pre-vocational readiness and social skills training program. The Problem Checklist from the New York University Head Injury Family Interview (PCL), a battery of self-rated and clinician-rated measures of social/emotional status, and neuropsychological tests were main outcome measures.ResultsPCL is a valid and reliable instrument with acceptable psychometric properties (reliability coefficients for two scales and the total score are above (0.795). Use of maladaptive coping strategies in our sample was reflected in inverse relationship between depression and denial of disability, and in the tendency to overrate self-reported symptoms by participants with acquired trauma. Considerably lower self-ratings of symptoms across all PCL scales were seen in those of our participants who live with parents.ConclusionsThe study offers initial support for the use of PCL as a measure of long-term functional outcome in individuals with neurological and neuropsychiatric diagnoses. The goal of rehabilitation in patients with long-term disabilities is increase in life satisfaction.Implications for RehabilitationAn important goal of rehabilitation and training programs for individuals with long-term disabilities due to dysfunction of the central nervous system is to improve their quality of life.The HI-FI Problem Checklist (PCL) is a brief and efficient instrument for assessing functional outcomes after long-term disability.This study demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties of the PCL in a sample of 53 individuals participating in a pre-vocational training program and provided initial support for its utility for patients with various diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Active orthotic devices for joint articulation have a vast number of applications that could benefit many people. Examples include joint articulation for people suffering from disabilities, increased load carrying capacity and walking distance for humans, and gait training. The main goal of this research is to help people with disabilities regain natural walking ability by replicating normal walking gait through the use of an active ankle-foot orthosis (AAFO). This research investigates the optimization of a pulley system for the primary actuator of an AAFO utilizing a high-efficiency pneumatic "Walking Engine." In order to accurately replicate a healthy human gait, the AAFO device had to accurately reproduce the moment applied to the ankle during the gait cycle. The AAFO's internal-combustion (IC) engine was characterized using a dual-combustion (limited-pressure) gas-power-cycle model. With the dual-combustion model, both a theoretical pressure-volume diagram and the thermodynamic engine efficiency were calculated. Using the calculated pressure output of the IC engine, the pulley system was optimized to best match the ankle moment of a healthy human gait, which was obtained from David Winter's Biomechanics and Motor Control of Human Movement. The optimized pulley geometry is very complicated and additional research is necessary to utilize its design. The results of this research provide insight for the future development of untethered, lightweight, efficient AAFO devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper attempts to highlight the concept of disability, rehabilitation and rehabilitation psychology. The most essential aspect of rehabilitation being disability, therefore focus has been given on the definition and classification of disability along with a glimpse on the causes. The major models of disability have been discussed with its major emphasis on the causes of disability and the beliefs associated with each model. The primary focus is on the rehabilitation of people, the goals, process, the professionals involved, and competence required to fulfill the purpose of rehabilitation psychology. The emerging field as rehabilitation psychology emphasizes on the types of intervention programs, activities, outcomes, applications and services given to sufferers. Considering rehabilitation to be the most beneficial feature for the disabled people number of studies carried out on disabled inside the hospitals, home and community settings have been mentioned. In context of various types of disabilities and the applicability of the service provided, the benefits of rehabilitation in general have been outlined. Based on the dominant theoretical framework on disability, certain agenda for future actions are proposed because disability is emerging as a global health issue. It is argued that the prevalence of disability, rehabilitation awareness, education, accessibility and availability of rehabilitation services are the greatest challenge for the development of society as well as the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telerehabilitation is an emerging field of rehabilitation. Combining medicine and engineering, telerehabilitation provides an alternative method of rehabilitation therapy in areas lacking medical resources, and an easy way to resolve the inconvenience for the disabled patients to seek rehabilitation services. This study developed a device that integrates inertial measurement units (IMU) and an ankle foot orthosis (AFO) named AFO-IMU module. We further demonstrate the AFO-IMU module on telerehabilitation diagnostic including patients with muscle weakness due to brain injuries and patients who will receive total knee replacement surgery due to osteoarthritis of knee joints to determine the feasibility in clinical usage. The results from this study indicate that AFO-IMU module is a simple and effective telerehabilitation system to correctly assess knee joint activity and track knee joint rehabilitation diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on difficulties that people with disabilities and reduced work capacity experience in employment and social participation, and on their rehabilitation goals, in order to make recommendations for policy and social and vocational rehabilitation service provision, A semi-structured interview procedure, which included the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0, was used to conduct initial needs assessments with 85 persons in Estonia. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered and analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Results revealed that participants experienced multiple difficulties, which they mostly ascribed to unstable health conditions, that limited their abilities to participate in employment and social activities. A large number of participants also identified themselves as unemployed for health reasons and linked their rehabilitation goals to health restoration rather than becoming employed. Difficulties such as lack of work skills, unsuitable work tempo, mobility limitations, and emotional problems were also mentioned. To support people with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining employment, services must correspond to the persons' need; and comprehensive, person-centred rehabilitation assessment, service planning, and budgeting mechanisms are needed. Supportive legislation, flexibility in service provision, and the availability of needs-based rehabilitation and other services, including lifelong learning opportunities, are also necessary to help people learn new work skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to explore the impact of community-based rehabilitation programs on the well-being of deprived persons with disabilities from a multidimensional perspective using a multilevel analysis. This approach explicitly takes into account potential bias due to the fact that persons with disabilities live and interact in different local contexts (villages). Data were obtained from a large-scale survey in two districts of Karnataka State (India). The impact of community-based rehabilitation on deprived persons with disabilities was positive and significant. Its magnitude varies across different dimensions of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-based rehabilitation (CBR), is an approach to rehabilitation service delivery intended to reach people with disabilities. Unfortunately, CBR is still inaccessible. The aim of the study was to determine factors influencing the utilisation of community based rehabilitation in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A quantitative retrospective descriptive study design was used. A selfconstructed questionnaire was used to collect data. A proportional sample of convenience, of people with disabilities and caregivers for children with disabilities residing in Soshanguve and Winterveldt were studied. The majority were males (56.2%), 52.8% of participants did not receive disability grant. The main conditions were hemiplegia (44.9%) and cerebral palsy (40.4%). There was no association between disability and gender (p = 0.207). Most participants used taxis (67%). The main finding was lack of awareness of rehabilitation services in 77.5% of the participants. Shortage of staff, equipment and patient referral were other factors that influenced utilisation of community based rehabilitation services in Soshanguve and Winterveldt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke represents the main cause of disability in adults. The disability is caused by motor or sensitive impairment, loss of interjoint coordination, spasticity and pathological synergies that occur after stroke. The new directions in motor rehabilitation point at facilitating neuroplasticity by multimodal stimulation, like virtual reality, or by active assistance in task specific training, like rehabilitation robots associated or not with functional electrical stimulation (FES). The aim of this article is, on one hand, to analize the way in which the existing robots face the biomechanical chalenges of modeling the upper limb`s movements and, on the other hand, to evaluate the efficiency of robotics in rehabilitation, by pointing out the results of the existing clinical trials. Finally, possible directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering consist in application of science and technology for more effective rehabilitation processes and reintegration of the disabled in family and society. This paper presents few innovative systems belonging to robotics, developed for maximizing the functional capabilities of people with different disabilities. Different types of original upper limb exercisers, exoskeleton-type wearable rehabilitation systems for upper limb, a complex system for mobility and posture are described in terms of their destination, structure and functional parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a part of their educational program, the students in Biomedical Engineering and Mechatronics bachelor programs are required to develop projects for disabled people. The project activity is organized on teams, based on a Project Based Learning approach, focused on real-world topics and professionally relevant problems. This approach promotes creative and efficient design experience which led to the development of functional prototypes currently used as demonstrators for students. Thus the project activity provides support for an original educational infrastructure. The paper gives details about specific aspects of project activities and presents examples of student demonstrators developed in the field of Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recovering from trips is challenging for transfemoral amputees, and attempts often result in falls. Better understanding of the effects of the sensory-motor deficits brought by amputation and the functional limitations of prosthetic devices could help guide therapy and fall prevention mechanisms in prostheses. However, how transfemoral amputees attempt to recover from trips on the sound and prosthesis sides throughout swing phase is poorly understood.Methods: We tripped eight able-bodied subjects and eight unilateral transfemoral amputees wearing their prescribed prostheses. The protocol consisted of six repetitions of 6 and 4 points throughout swing phase, respectively. We compared recovery strategies in able-bodied, sound side and prosthesis side limbs. The number of kinematic recovery strategies used, when they were used throughout swing phase, and kinematic characteristics (tripped limb joint angles, bilateral trochanter height and time from foot arrest to foot strike) of each strategy were compared across limb groups. Non-parametric statistical tests with corrections for post-hoc tests were used.Results: Amputees used the same recovery strategies as able-bodied subjects on both sound and prosthesis sides, although not all subjects used all strategies. Compared to able-bodied subjects, amputees used delayed-lowering strategies less often from 30-60 % of swing phase on the sound side, and from 45-60 % of swing phase on the prosthesis side. Within-strategy kinematic differences occurred across limbs; however, these differences were not consistent across all strategies. Amputee-specific recovery strategies-that are not used by control subjects-occurred following trips on both the sound and prosthesis sides in mid- to late swing.Conclusions: Collectively, these results suggest that sensory input from the distal tripped leg is not necessary to trigger able-bodied trip recovery strategies. In addition, the differences between sound and prosthesis side recoveries indicate that the ability of the support leg might be more critical than that of the tripped leg when determining the response to a trip. The outcomes of this study have implications for prosthesis control, suggesting that providing correct and intuitive real-time selection of typical able-bodied recovery strategies by a prosthetic device when it is the tripped and the support limb could better enable balance recovery and avoid falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most acute stroke patients with disabilities do not receive recommended rehabilitation following discharge to the community. Functional and social barriers are common reasons for non-adherence to post-discharge rehabilitation. Home rehabilitation is an alternative to centre-based rehabilitation but is costlier. Tele-rehabilitation is a possible solution, allowing for remote supervision of rehabilitation and eliminating access barriers. The objective of the Singapore Tele-technology Aided Rehabilitation in Stroke (STARS) trial is to determine if a novel telerehabilitation intervention for the first three months after stroke admission improves functional recovery compared to usual care. Methods/design: This is a single blind (evaluator blinded), parallel, two-arm randomised controlled trial study design involving 100 recent stroke patients. The inclusion criteria are age ≥40 years, having caregiver support and recent stroke defined as stroke diagnosis within 4 weeks. Consenting participants will be randomized with varying block size of 4 or 6 assuming a 1:1 treatment allocation with the participating centre as the stratification factor. The baseline assessment will be done within 4 weeks of stroke onset, followed by follow-up assessments at 3 and 6 months. The tele-rehabilitation intervention lasts for 3 months and includes exercise 5-days-a-week using an iPad-based system that allows recording of daily exercise with video and sensor data and weekly video-conferencing with tele-therapists after data review. Those allocated to the control group will receive usual care. The primary outcome measure is improvement in life task's social activity participation at three months as measured by the disability component of the Jette Late Life Functional and Disability Instrument (LLFDI). Secondary outcome variables consist of gait speed (Timed 5-Meter Walk Test) and endurance (Two-Minute Walk test), performance of basic activities of daily living (Shah-modified Barthel Index), balance confidence (Activities- Specific Balance Confidence Scale), patient self-reported health-related quality-of-life [Euro-QOL (EQ-5D)], health service utilization (Singapore Stroke Study Health Service Utilization Form) and caregiver reported stress (Zarit Caregiver Burden Inventory). Discussion: The goal of this trial is to provide evidence on the potential benefit and cost-effectiveness of this novel tele-rehabilitation programme which will guide health care decision-making and potentially improve performance of post-stroke community-based rehabilitation. Trial Registration: This trial protocol was registered under ClinicalTrials.gov on 18 July 2013 as study title "The Singapore Tele-technology Aided Rehabilitation in Stroke (STARS) Study" (ID: The STARS Study, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01905917). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the development of a dance and recreational training program for diverse people with disbilities. It describes the background, certification, and program structure for wheelchair ballroom dance sport for wheelchair dancers in a competitive setting. It recommends more training program opportunities, intensive workshops, and community classes for young individuals with disabilities.

This article calls choreographers and educators alike to continue building an awareness of methodologies that support a disability aesthetic. A disability aesthetic supports the embodiment of dancers with disabilities by allowing for their bodies to set guidelines of beauty and value. Principle-based work is a methodology that supports a disability aesthetic by focusing on qualities, aesthetic ideas, and concepts either for a creative practice or a technique practice. Principle-based work is an umbrella term that includes many practices and teaching methodologies. The dance community might hone skills in principle-based work as an additional option to a “form-based” technique, thereby allowing for a more inclusive dance space and pedagogy. This article offers both pragmatic and theoretical considerations for working with students with disabilities as a way to change how disability is represented and presented in dance culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a pilot sitting ballet dance class for children with physical disabilities in a private studio environment. It describes the inspiration, guiding philosophy, class design, goals, benefits, challenges, and recommendations related with the pilot program. The dance classes are also designed for people recovering from illness in order to regain flexibility, balance, and core strength.

The article focuses on the rehabilitation services utilization in rural South Africa and influence of cultural beliefs on the rehabilitation services. Topics discussed include poverty and disability reinforcing each other, challenges due to the high rates of poverty, disability and population in rural areas, rehabilitation minimizing the impact on persons with disabilities and exploring the rehabilitation therapists' experiences in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

The number of offenders with eating disorders in women's prisons in Japan has grown annually over the last 15 years. Women's prisons have experienced significant difficulties in the management of patients with eating disorders who have body-critical complications arising from low body weight, in addition to behavioral problems. Patients in Japan's 185 correctional facilities who display high refractoriness or who present a physical risk are transferred to the Hachioji medical prison, a national specialty hospital operated by the Ministry of Justice. The medical prison must manage any psychosomatic problems necessary for the safety of inmates regardless of a patient's wishes. The most common conviction resulting in imprisonment of women with eating disorders was shoplifting (n = 44; 63%), with the second most common being drug-offenses (n = 17; 24%). While shoplifting is of concern in relation to eating disorders, a causal relationship remains unclear. Most patients in the shoplifting group did not have histories of antisocial and/or impulsive behaviors such as drug abuse, sexual deviation, self-injury, or other criminal activity. Instead, shoplifting appears to be an obsessive-compulsive behavior deeply rooted in the psychopathology of severe eating disorder patients. Patients in this group tended to have histories of relatively high education and steady employment, although most also had histories of prolonged eating disorders and unstable treatment. Although adherence to treatment was poor among patients with eating disorders in the medical prison, body weight and behavioral problems improved following treatment in the special compulsory environment, without severe sequelae or patient death. The Ministry of Justice recently established another specialized ward for the care for female patients with eating disorders. If greater emphasis is placed on early-stage, protective, medical treatment, the number of patients with eating disorders in prisons may decrease. Further research is required to investigate the relationship between shoplifting and eating disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this investigation is to study control and monitoring of a rehabilitation robot with two degrees of freedom (2-DOF) for rehabilitation of the lower limbs of patients with loss of ability for movement due to injury, disease, stroke or surgical operations. After determining the movements which include flexion-extension movements of the knee and hip joints, the performance of the mechanism was investigated using dynamic analysis and simulation. Then, a programmable logic controller (PLC) was employed to control the robot performance. Finally, the accuracy of PLC program was guaranteed by monitoring the robot. Passive, assistive and resistive exercises were considered in programming the controller. In assistive exercises, the forces needed by the patient to perform the movements were actually set automatically by using the feedback data provided by the patient's forces. In addition, to perform the resistive exercises, rather than using actual weights, negative loads were employed. The results obtained indicate considerable accuracy to perform the movements and create safe conditions for the patient. Also, high flexibility in programming provides the possibility of performing a wide range of rehabilitation exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rehabilitation / Rehabilitacija is the property of University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)