Improving Participation and Support for Individuals with Mobility Impairments in Leisure-time Physical Activities

Research Objectives: To gain a comprehensive understanding of the needs, interests, and obstacles faced by individuals with mobility challenges regarding their participation in recreational activities and the use of an assistive device loan program.

Design: Using a qualitative descriptive approach, and a community participatory research study.

Setting: General community.
Participants were recruited through established relationships with disability organizations, such as Spinal Cord Injury-BC and the Amputee Coalition of Canada.

Participants: Adults with mobility impairment that limited their ability to participate in LTPA (e.g., Spinal cord injury) using typical devices (e.g., bikes). We included those who had and had not used recreational adaptive devices to ensure we captured a variety of perspectives.

Interventions: Semi-structured interviews were conducted, audio recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Interviews elicited:
participants' experiences with previous and current recreation activities and activities they would like to try in the future; equipment they had used or would like to try; and thoughts on the RAD Loan Program.

Main Outcome Measures: Needs, interests, and challenges of stakeholders regarding a recreational assistive device loan program.

Results: We identified five main themes:
“Inclusive and Adaptive Recreation” depicted the personal significance participants attributed to aspects of outdoor LTPA, emphasizing enjoyment, exercise, and social interaction.
“Community Engagement and Information Dissemination” described the process of becoming aware of outdoor activities and the preferred methods of receiving information.
“Planning and Accessibility Infrastructure” outlined the existing and desired conditions for individuals with mobility impairment to participate in outdoor LTPA.
“Economic and Logistical Support for Adaptive Devices” delineated the necessary infrastructure and facilities required for a rental program targeting individuals with mobility impairment.
“Safety, Training, and Empowerment” illustrated the progression from doubting one's capacity to feeling competent and empowered.

Conclusions: Our research gathered comprehensive insights into the quality of participation in leisure-time physical activities (LTPA), equipment requirements, interests, and challenges faced by individuals with mobility impairments. Additionally, it shed light on modifications to the innovative rental program for individuals with mobility impairment.

Author(s) Disclosures: Tanelle Bolt is the founder of RAD Recreation Adapted Society (RAD) and a member of the research team. RAD Recreation Adapted Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enabling outdoor recreation for individuals with mobility impairment. By conducting participatory research, this study aims to yield insights that will assist RAD in gaining a better understanding of the needs of its participants. This understanding will serve as a foundation for the development of projects tailored to meet those needs effectively. She does not have a financial interest.