Ripat Jacquie, Borisoff Jaimie F, Grant Lea E, Chan Franco H N
a Department of Occupational Therapy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences , University of Manitoba , Winnipeg , Canada.
b Rehabilitation Engineering Design Lab , British Columbia Institute of Technology , Burnaby , Canada.
Disabil Rehabil. 2018 Mar;40(6):722-731. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2016.1271463. Epub 2017 Jan 5.
The aim of this study was to explore the patterns of wheelchair users' community participation across a one-year period, including periods with substantial differences in weather conditions. We sought to develop a detailed understanding of the patterns of, and influences on, wheelchair use and participation within wheelchair users' own communities.
We conducted an instrumental case study of three purposefully selected individuals who use a wheelchair. Participants' wheelchairs were instrumented with a GPS data logger and data were collected for one week per month across a year. A prompted recall interview was conducted with participants each month, in order to gain an understanding of the influences on their community participation patterns.
For each participant, the percent of trips taken at various trip distance ranges and the mean trips/days and overall distance traveled at or above 0 °C and below 0 °C are reported. Three distinct patterns were identified in response to variations in weather conditions: (1) season and transportation options are linked: winter limits community participation; (2) winter conditions are surmountable: with the right supports year-round participation is maintained; and (3) pre-planning is the key: winter conditions affects ease, choices and options but not overall participation.
While winter weather conditions created community participation challenges, individuals responded differently based on their unique circumstances. The findings highlight the importance of policy that addresses the dynamic nature of weather and the needs of people with disabilities as specific individuals. Implications for rehabilitation Wheelchair users experience both similar and unique challenges regarding seasonal weather conditions that influence their community participation patterns. While some individual wheelchair users effectively maintain their community participation patterns across the year, they employ their own specific strategies in response to winter weather challenges. Ready access to vehicular transportation that is accessible regardless of weather condition is a key factor in promoting community participation across the year for wheelchair users. Accessible community environments can become inaccessible with the addition of winter weather conditions and thus the changing nature of community participation across the seasons should be considered.
本研究旨在探讨轮椅使用者在一年期间的社区参与模式，包括天气条件存在显著差异的时期。我们试图深入了解轮椅使用者在其自身社区内使用轮椅及参与活动的模式和影响因素。
我们对三名经过有目的挑选的轮椅使用者进行了一项工具性案例研究。参与者的轮椅安装了全球定位系统数据记录器，全年每月收集一周的数据。每月对参与者进行一次提示性回忆访谈，以了解影响他们社区参与模式的因素。
报告了每位参与者在不同出行距离范围内的出行百分比，以及在0°C及以上和0°C以下时的平均每日出行次数和总出行距离。根据天气条件的变化，确定了三种不同的模式：(1)季节与交通方式相关：冬季限制社区参与；(2)冬季条件可克服：有适当支持可全年维持参与；(3)预先规划是关键：冬季条件影响出行便利性、选择和选项，但不影响总体参与。
虽然冬季天气条件给社区参与带来了挑战，但个人根据其独特情况做出了不同反应。研究结果凸显了应对天气动态变化以及满足残疾个体特殊需求的政策的重要性。对康复的启示轮椅使用者在影响其社区参与模式的季节性天气条件方面既面临相似又独特的挑战。虽然一些个体轮椅使用者全年有效地维持其社区参与模式，但他们采用自己的特定策略来应对冬季天气挑战。无论天气条件如何都能方便使用的车辆交通是促进轮椅使用者全年社区参与的关键因素。随着冬季天气条件的增加，无障碍社区环境可能会变得无法进入，因此应考虑社区参与随季节变化的性质。
