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Lived experience of using assistive technology for sandy beach based leisure for Australian people with mobility limitations1.15 MB
Published VersionCC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Lived experience of using assistive technology for sandy beach based leisure for Australian people with mobility limitations
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, Vol.19(4), pp.1568-1578
2024
PMID: 37243582
Abstract
Purpose: This study explores experiences of using beach assistive technology (AT), such as beach wheelchairs, powered wheelchairs, prosthetics and crutches, to participate in sandy beach-based leisure for people with mobility limitations.
Methods: Online semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 people, with mobility limitations and experience of using Beach AT. A phenomenological interpretative hermeneutic approach guided reflexive thematic analysis of verbatim transcripts.
Findings: Three overarching themes were identified as: The meaning of using Beach AT, Practicalities of using Beach AT and Responses to using Beach AT. Each overarching theme was underpinned by subthemes. Meaning included: AT connects me, AT impacts my identity and AT attracts attention. Practicalities included: using AT requires other people, AT impacts spontaneity, AT limitations and AT use differs in water. Responses to using Beach AT included: I didn't think it was possible, adaptions to AT limitations and not everyone wants to own Beach AT.
Conclusion: This study illustrates the use of Beach AT as a facilitator for beach leisure, enabling connections to social groups and contributing to one's identity as a beachgoer. Access to Beach AT is meaningful and may be made possible through personal Beach AT ownership or access to loaned AT. The unique nature of sand, water, and salt environments requires users to identify how they plan to use the devices, with realistic expectations that the Beach AT may not enable full independence. The study acknowledges the challenges related to size, storage, and propulsion, but emphasizes that these can be overcome through ingenuity.
Details
- Title
- Lived experience of using assistive technology for sandy beach based leisure for Australian people with mobility limitations
- Authors
- Michèle Verdonck (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Occupational TherapyLeo Wiles (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Occupational TherapyKieran Broome (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Occupational Therapy
- Publication details
- Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, Vol.19(4), pp.1568-1578
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis Inc.
- Date published
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1080/17483107.2023.2217859
- ISSN
- 1748-3115; 1748-3107
- PMID
- 37243582
- Copyright note
- This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health and Sport Sciences - Legacy; School of Health - Occupational Therapy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99731498402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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