Martínez Pérez Angélica M, Balcazar Fabricio E, Orellano-Colón Elsa M
Department of Disability and Human Development, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Occupational Therapy Program, School of Health Professions, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2025 Feb;20(2):476-487. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2024.2392852. Epub 2024 Aug 19.
Assistive technology (AT) can increase or maintain the quality of life and overall well-being of people with disabilities. Nevertheless, access to AT is limited among Hispanics with disabilities in the United States (U.S.). AT research representing the experiences of Hispanics is limited, potentially leading to disparities in AT use. Moreover, poor inclusion of Hispanics neglects the needs of this population, resulting in discrepancies in research, practice, and policy related to AT. To address these limitations, this study aimed to identify and explore multilevel environmental barriers to AT use among a sample of Hispanics in the U.S.
This was a descriptive qualitative research design study guided by the Social Ecological Model framework using in-depth interviews to collect data. Nine Hispanic individuals with disabilities and their caregivers who received AT services at the University of Illinois at Chicago Assistive Technology Unit outpatient clinic were interviewed. Data was analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis approach.
Barriers to AT use were found to exist in all levels of the Social Ecological Model. The most common barriers to AT use were identified in the community domain, which was related to the lack of AT information, and in the societal domain, which was related to sociocultural norms and the availability of AT funding, policies, and regulations.
The participants' lived experiences and perspectives underscored that environmental barriers to AT use are not isolated occurrences; rather, systemic attitudes permeate across all levels of the Social Ecological Model.
辅助技术（AT）可以提高或维持残疾人的生活质量和整体幸福感。然而，在美国，残疾西班牙裔人群获得辅助技术的机会有限。代表西班牙裔经历的辅助技术研究也很有限，这可能导致辅助技术使用方面的差异。此外，对西班牙裔人群的纳入不足忽视了这一群体的需求，导致在与辅助技术相关的研究、实践和政策方面存在差异。为解决这些局限性，本研究旨在识别和探索美国西班牙裔样本中使用辅助技术的多层次环境障碍。
这是一项描述性定性研究设计，以社会生态模型框架为指导，采用深度访谈收集数据。对在伊利诺伊大学芝加哥分校辅助技术单位门诊接受辅助技术服务的9名残疾西班牙裔个体及其照顾者进行了访谈。使用定性主题分析方法对数据进行分析。
在社会生态模型的各个层面都发现了辅助技术使用的障碍。辅助技术使用最常见的障碍出现在社区领域，这与辅助技术信息的缺乏有关；以及社会领域，这与社会文化规范以及辅助技术资金、政策和法规的可用性有关。
参与者的生活经历和观点强调，辅助技术使用的环境障碍并非孤立存在；相反，系统性态度渗透到社会生态模型的各个层面。
