Attitudes is the most important environmental factor for use of powered mobility devices – users’ perspectives

Abstract

Introduction: Different factors in the environment influence the use of powered wheelchairs or powered scooters, i.e. powered mobility devices (PMDs), but there is limited knowledge about how these factors interact and if any factor has a greater impact. According to the ICF the environment consists of five areas.

Aim: To describe users’ experiences of how environmental factors from all ICF areas influence the use of PMDs.

Methods: Descriptive qualitative design including 14 interviews with PMD users, analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis.

Findings: Use of PMDs means a conditional freedom depending on the interaction of several environmental factors. Regardless of environmental factor the societal attitudes were always present, directly or indirectly, and influenced the participants’ feeling of being included and involved in society. The environmental factors and how they influence PMD use are described in four categories, comprising the following subjects: societal attitudes, the service delivery process, accessibility to the physical environment and financial resources.

Conclusion: The findings show that societal attitudes influence all other factors, directly by others people’s attitudes, or indirectly by how legislation and guidelines are formulated, interpreted and applied. Therefore, a change of societal attitudes seems necessary to increase accessibility and participation for PMD users.

Keywords:

• Powered mobility devices
• environment
• qualitative research
• assistive technology
• powered scooters
• powered wheelchairs

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the prescribers and the Centre for service and delivery of assistive technology in Region Örebro County for their contribution in the data collection.

Disclosure statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Uppsala–Örebro Regional Research Council and the Research Committee of Örebro County Council, Sweden.