Exploring Winter Community Participation Among Wheelchair Users: An Online Focus Group

Figures & data

TABLE 1.  Online Focus Group Questions

Day 1: Introduction

Please tell us how long and where you have lived in Manitoba, and about your favorite hobby.

Day 2: Wheeled Mobility and Community Participation

What types of wheeled mobility devices do you use, and which devices do you use most often in the winter?

How often do you use your wheeled mobility devices outdoors in the winter?

What are you favorite things to do/places to visit in the community during the winter?

Day 3: Wheeled Mobility and Participation Facilitators

When using your wheeled mobility device outdoors in the winter, what factors make participating in the community safer and easier?

Do you receive any help from family, friends, or other services when going to places in your community? If yes, please provide examples.

Day 4: Wheeled Mobility and Winter Participation Challenges

Please identify the five main challenges that you encounter while using your wheeled mobility device outdoors in the winter.

Are you able to use your wheeled mobility device outdoors and participate in the community the way you want to? Please provide examples.

Day 5: Solutions to Winter Participation Challenges

Please share one solution to one challenge you encounter while using your wheeled mobility device outdoors in winter.

What strategies do you personally use to manage these challenges?

Day 6: How to Implement Change

What would need to change in order to make it easier to participate in the community during the winter?

Who do you see as being responsible for making these changes?

Who should the study recommendations be shared with?

Day 7: Reflection and Additional Comments

Please reflect on your comments over the past six days and the comments of the other participants and add any additional comments that you think are important.

TABLE 2  Focus Group Participants

Participant	Gender	Type of Outdoor Mobility Used in Winter	Years Used
Sidekick	Female	Manual wheelchair	44
Muzix	Female	Power and manual wheelchair	17
Snowtired	Male	Power wheelchair	8
Worksahobby	Male	Manual wheelchair	13
Jets96	Male	Scooter and walker	18
Babs	Female	Manual wheelchair	14
Survivor	Male	Power wheelchair	10
One2one	Female	Manual wheelchair	1