Feldner Heather A, Logan Samuel W, Galloway James C
a Ability & Innovation Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Washington , Seattle , WA , USA.
b Social Mobility Lab and Play Tech Workshop, School of Biological and Population Health Sciences , Oregon State University , Corvallis , OR , USA.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2019 Apr;14(3):301-311. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2018.1447606. Epub 2018 Mar 9.
Rehabilitation professionals are increasingly recognizing mobility as a basic human right and endorsing the efficacy of early powered mobility for children with mobility impairments to foster independence, promote socialization with peers and facilitate participation in family and community life. However, the relationship between mobility and technology provision, when considered in the context of lived experiences of children with mobility impairments and their families, is complex and understudied. Perceptions of these experiences from children's own points of view are especially limited, as is the use of participatory research methods in describing these experiences. The purpose of this study was to empower children and families as co-researchers, investigating their experiences and perspectives of powered mobility provision processes and early use of their mobility technology in their own words and images. Methods: Two families in a major Midwest metropolitan area- one who was receiving a powered wheelchair and one who was receiving a modified powered ride-on toy car- participated as co-researchers from 2015-2016, documenting their experiences with a research camera and narrating their photos to describe meaningful or important aspects of their respective powered mobility provision processes and early use of their devices.
Four themes emerged: (1) Dys/Function of Mobility Technology; (2) Daily Life, Play and Participation; (3) Emerging Self/Advocacy and (4) Complex Family/Industry Interplay. Conclusions: These themes and experiences may inform further innovation in powered mobility practices, generate new hypotheses about the role of technology in shaping disability identity and demonstrate the feasibility and impact of using participatory methods more broadly in rehabilitation research. Implications for Rehabilitation Participatory methods may be a useful and underutilized research tool in describing the impact of powered mobility provision processes on child and family experiences of technology and disability. Empowering children and families as co-researchers is important to move the field of powered mobility technology forward in creating innovative, accessible and socially welcoming devices and processes. It is important to capture the similarities and differences in child and family perceptions and experiences within different models of powered mobility provision, such as traditional powered wheelchair prescription and crowdsourced ride-on toy car modification. Powered mobility provision processes and the perceptions and experiences of children and families move beyond business or medical transactions and may help shape disability identity and pride. A disability studies framework may be useful in analyzing the complexities of technology provision and the nuanced interplay between bodies and technology.
康复专业人员越来越认识到行动能力是一项基本人权，并认可早期动力移动对行动不便儿童的功效，有助于培养其独立性、促进与同伴的社交以及便利其参与家庭和社区生活。然而，在行动不便儿童及其家庭的实际生活背景下，行动能力与技术提供之间的关系复杂且研究不足。从儿童自身角度对这些经历的认知尤其有限，在描述这些经历时使用参与式研究方法的情况也是如此。本研究的目的是赋予儿童和家庭作为共同研究者的权力，用他们自己的语言和图像来调查他们在动力移动设备提供过程中的经历以及对移动技术的早期使用情况。
美国中西部一个主要大都市地区的两个家庭——一个家庭正在接收电动轮椅，另一个家庭正在接收改装的电动乘用玩具车——在2015年至2016年期间作为共同研究者参与研究，用研究相机记录他们的经历，并为照片配文，以描述各自动力移动设备提供过程以及设备早期使用中的有意义或重要方面。
出现了四个主题：（1）移动技术的功能失调；（2）日常生活、玩耍与参与；（3）新兴的自我/自我倡导；（4）复杂的家庭/行业相互作用。
这些主题和经历可能为动力移动实践的进一步创新提供参考，就技术在塑造残疾身份方面的作用产生新的假设，并证明在康复研究中更广泛地使用参与式方法的可行性和影响。
参与式方法可能是一种有用但未充分利用的研究工具，可用于描述动力移动设备提供过程对儿童和家庭在技术与残疾方面经历的影响。赋予儿童和家庭作为共同研究者的权力对于推动动力移动技术领域创造创新、无障碍且受社会欢迎的设备和流程至关重要。重要的是要捕捉不同动力移动设备提供模式（如传统电动轮椅处方和众包的乘用玩具车改装）中儿童和家庭认知及经历的异同。动力移动设备提供过程以及儿童和家庭的认知与经历超越了商业或医疗交易范畴，可能有助于塑造残疾身份与自豪感。残疾研究框架可能有助于分析技术提供的复杂性以及身体与技术之间微妙的相互作用。
