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An accessible built environment is an important catalyst of participation. However, people living with disabilities face daily barriers to in their built environment. Many stakeholders are involved in the implementation of accessible built environment for all, such as municipalities. The implementation of such universal accessibility measures is therefore complex for municipal employees. Integration of such measures into regular activities requires individual (employees) and organizational (municipalities) change. Different implementation strategies are helpful to guide municipalities in the creation of tools and to facilitate the operationalization and implementation of the measures. The aim was to explore what are the implementation strategies used by municipalities to implement universal accessibility measures. To answer this question, (1) identified the different strategies used by municipalities in implementing universal accessibility measures, (2) explored the perceived influence of these strategies, and (3) identified facilitators and barriers to the use of the different strategies to implement universal accessibility measures. We conducted a scoping review following the PRISMA-SR guidelines. We analyzed the data according to the type of strategy and to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Of 1328 articles identified by the search strategy, six studies met the inclusion criteria. The strategies were identified as dissemination, process, integration, or capacity-building strategy. Involvement of all stakeholders was the most frequently mentioned facilitator, while lack of awareness was the most reported barrier. The results show that there is no consensus on which implementation strategies are appropriate and effective to use in this context. Also, there are no measures of effectiveness of pre-post design of these strategies. This shows that implementation strategies in municipal context regarding universal accessibility are still in an exploratory phase. However, it is possible to make links with the different implementation domains of the CFIR. We also observed that the identification of facilitators and obstacles to implementation is important to identify needs and to better plan the different stages of implementation. Keywords: knowledge mobilization, accessibility, universal design, public organizations, implementation strategies, disability Un environnement b ti accessible est un important catalyseur de participation. Cependant, les personnes handica-p es sont confront es des obstacles quotidiens dans leur environnement b ti. De nombreux acteurs sont impliqu s dans la mise en oeuvre d'un environnement b ti accessible tous, tel que les municipalit s. La mise en oeuvre de telles mesures d'accessibilit universelle est donc complexe pour les employ s municipaux. L'int gration de telles mesures dans les activit s r guli res n cessite des changements individuels (employ s) et organisationnels (municipalit s). Diff rentes strat gies de mise en oeuvre sont utiles pour guider les municipalit s dans la cr ation d'outils et pour faciliter l'op rationnalisation et la mise en oeuvre des mesures. L'objectif tait d'explorer les strat gies de mise en oeuvre utilis es par les municipalit s pour mettre en oeuvre des mesures d'accessibilit universelle. A cette fin, l'ont, (1) a identifi les diff rentes strat gies utilis es par les munici-palit s pour mettre en oeuvre des mesures d'accessibilit universelle, (2) explor l'influence per ue de ces strat gies et (3) identifi les facilitateurs et les obstacles l'utilisation des diff rentes strat gies de mise en oeuvre de l'accessibilit universelle des mesures d'accessibilit . Nous avons men une tude de cadrage conform ment aux lignes directrices PRISMA-SR. Nous avons analys les donn es selon le type de strat gie et selon le Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Des 1 328 articles identifi s par la strat gie de recherche, six tudes r pondaient aux crit res d'inclusion. Les strat gies ont t identifi es comme tant une strat gie de diffusion, de processus, d'int gration ou de renforcement des capacit s. La participation de toutes les parties prenantes tait le facilitateur le plus fr quemment mentionn , tandis que le manque de sensibilisation tait l'obstacle le plus signal . Les r sultats montrent qu'il n'y a pas de consensus sur les strat gies de mise en oeuvre appropri es et efficaces utiliser dans ce contexte. De plus, il n'existe aucune mesure de l'efficacit de la conception pr -post design de ces strat gies. Cela montre que les strat gies de mise en oeuvre dans le contexte municipal en mati re d'accessibilit universelle sont encore en phase exploratoire. Il est cependant possible de faire des liens avec les diff rents domaines de mise en oeuvre du CFIR. Nous avons galement observ que 1'identification des facilitateurs et des obstacles la mise en ceuvre est importante pour identifier les besoins et mieux planifier les diff rentes tapes de mise en oeuvre. Mots-cl s : mobilisation des connaissances, accessibilit , conception et design universelle, organismes publics, strat gies de mise en oeuvre, handicap, Introduction An accessible built environment is an important catalyst of social and economic participation (Eckhardt et al. 2020). Accessibility to infrastructure enables citizens to meet their needs for health, employability [...]

Physical disabilities significantly impact individuals' ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL), leading to reduced autonomy and difficulty to accomplish daily living tasks. One such barrier is the difficulty or inability to open doors, preventing access to different rooms in their residence (bathroom, bedroom, etc.), rooms at work, or shopping areas. Existing solutions, such as robotic arms on wheelchairs and door openers mounted at the top of doors, remain expensive, complex to install, and relatively difficult for the target population to use. Addressing this challenge, this study introduces a Robotic Wheel Door Opener System (RWDOS) designed to facilitate the opening and closing of the door. The RWDOS is installed at the bottom of a door and is controlled remotely through a smartphone application. The paper presents the mechanical design and control system along with a cost analysis. It concludes with initial results and outlines the future directions for the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognition is an important factor affecting power mobility device (PMD) use. However, a gap in knowledge on the role of cognition in PMD use limits evidence of best practices for screening, assessment, and training. The overall goal of this research activity was to identify strategic research priorities to delineate the next steps in research. Following the Collaborative Prioritized Planning Process (CP3), a 1.5-day meeting was held with an interdisciplinary and international team of assistive technology users, clinicians, service providers, and researchers with expertise in PMD use and cognition. Our four-stage process included: knowledge synthesis; identification and prioritization of challenges; identification, consolidation, and prioritization of solutions; and action planning. Five of 14 challenges for research on cognition and PMD use were prioritized, and five solutions (of the 100 generated) perceived to be the most impactful were selected as the focus for the remainder of the meeting. The resulting prioritized solutions included, improving knowledge translation of existing and new evidence, profiling and addressing individualized needs, creating and evaluating training tools, development of practice guidelines, and validating and developing evaluation tools or toolkit. Preliminary action planning facilitated discussion of potential future projects, initiated new research collaborations and partnerships, and provided a foundation to build a program of research for investigating the role of cognition in PMD use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We conducted an intersectional analysis to explore how demographic characteristics and mobility device use were associated with psychological distress (depression and anxiety) and confidence negotiating physical and social environments. Design: Cross-sectional data were collected using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, modified Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale, and self-reported functional independence scale. Participants: The sample included 105 participants. Primary mobility devices used included mobility scooters (27%), power wheelchairs (26%), manual wheelchairs (25%), walkers (11%), and cane or crutch (12%). The mean age of participants was 58 yrs, 53% were female, and 52% lived alone and were functionally independent with the use of assistive technology. Results : We were able to explain between 39% and 65% of the variance (adjusted R 2) in the dependent variables with parsimonious regression models. Age was an independent predictor of all outcomes. Women were less confident negotiating the physical environment, and walker use was associated with depression and lower confidence negotiating physical environments, but increased confidence negotiating social environments. Conclusions : Age is associated with psychosocial outcomes for assistive device users, and those who use walkers may experience increased challenges with depression and negotiating the physical environment. Pending confirmatory research, the findings may have important implications for targeted interventions related to device provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine improvements in goal satisfaction following individualized mobility-related powered wheelchair skills training and whether changes in satisfaction are maintained 3 months post-training. Materials and methods: Seventeen powered wheelchair users, from two centres, who were randomized to the training intervention from a larger multicentre study, were included in this secondary analysis. The intervention consisted of five 30-min individualized Wheelchair Skills Training Program sessions. Participants rated their current satisfaction with each of their goals from 0 to 10 (10 being the highest) prior to training, immediately after the intervention, and approximately 3 months following the intervention. Themes relating to the participants’ goals were also explored. Results: Goal satisfaction scores improved statistically (p < .001) from baseline (4.7 ± 1.9) to immediately following training (8.0 ± 1.0) and were maintained 3 months (8.3 ± 1.2) following the intervention. Participants’ goal satisfaction scores were not significantly correlated with goal attainment scores recorded by the trainer (r = 0.387, n = 17, p = .125). The majority of goals set fell into the broader “manoeuvring” category. Conclusion: Goal satisfaction following the Wheelchair Skills Training Program improved years after initially learning how to operate a powered wheelchair. The five training sessions were effective in improving goal satisfaction. The quantification of goal satisfaction appears to be a sensitive outcome for powered wheelchair users undergoing mobility-related training. Implications for rehabilitation: Goal satisfaction improved following the Wheelchair Skills Training Program. Even with years of powered wheelchair experience, the majority of goals set fell into the broader “manoeuvring” category. An individual’s goal satisfaction may not correlate with whether they have attained their goal as determined by a trainer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]