A review of adaptive equipment and technology for exercise and sports activities for people with disabilities

Abstract

Individuals with disabilities face psychological, environmental, and resource-related barriers to participating in exercise and sports. The lack of participation in exercise observed in the disability community poses great concern to this population’s health. This review discusses commercially available adaptive equipment and technology for exercise and sports that help people with disabilities circumvent barriers to exercise. The methods section highlights various categories of adaptive tools and their cost, accessibility, ease of learning, and progress level to help people with disabilities determine points of entry to fitness that align with their needs. Additionally, fitness-related businesses, fitness device developers, and researchers can leverage the discussed findings to understand gaps in this field to further advance adaptive equipment and technology and help facilitate widespread use. The paper serves as a comprehensive resource to researchers, entrepreneurs, and consumers to guide developing, accessing, and marketing adaptive exercise technology.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• A majority of people with disabilities experience barriers to participating in exercise and sports which can drastically affect their physical and mental well-being.

• Although there are commercially available adaptive equipment and technologies for exercise and sports, limited accessibility, cost, and lack of options for various disabilities can hinder participation in physical activities.

• There are many developments needed in terms of technology and programs that can address issues faced by the disability community regarding exercise and sports participation.

Keywords:

• Adaptive exercise
• adaptive sports
• adaptive exercise equipment
• exercise for people with disabilities
• accessible exercise
• adaptive technology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was not funded.

Notes on contributors

Alexandra R. Jamieson

Alexandra R. Jamieson, University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute, Fort Worth, TX, USA. Alexandra R. Jamieson is a research scientist at the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute with 5+ years of experience in the field of biomedical technologies. Her research focuses on developing innovative solutions for upper extremity rehabilitation, exercise engagement for PWD, prevention of pressure sores and other injuries, and wound healing.

Helara D. Wijesundara

Helara D. Wijesundara, New York University, New York, NY, USA. Helara Wijesundara is a graduate student at New York University studying psychology, and she was a research assistant at the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI). Her role was to research gaps in existing adaptive exercise equipment and technologies to help guide and progress the development of exercise and rehabilitation equipment at UTARI.