ABSTRACT Children with disabilities in low-resource environments (LREs) face major barriers to education, participation, and well-being. Assistive technologies like prostheses can help, but current solutions often fail to meet child-specific needs, particularly in LREs. This study engages pediatric prosthesis users in Cambodia to identify their unique user needs. This study used a novel interactive interview with card games and functional mobility assessment. While the card games and mobility assessment provided quantitative data, the interview responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. Six themes emerged from the analysis, demonstrating children remarkable understanding of both benefits and limitations of their prostheses. They appreciated the independence and cosmetic appearance, but pointed to limited mobility, heavy components, and discomfort as major issues. These priorities were echoed in the card games, where anatomically looking prostheses were the most preferred style, and culturally important activities such as walking fast, sitting cross-legged and kneeling were ranked highest. Children clearly expressed what it is important for them and identified key areas for improvement in current prostheses to improve their social inclusion. Future prosthetic research and development must adopt a user-centered, culturally sensitive approach that actively involves children, ensuring prosthetic solutions meet their physical, emotional, and social needs.

ABSTRACT An interactive virtual assistant can be very useful for older people because it is cost-effective and can easily assist them. It provides ways to give them social support and manage their loneliness by giving them activities, like playing games, solving puzzles, and listening to music. The importance of progress in virtual assistants goes beyond enhancing the features of virtual assistants. Such analysis can be important in finding patterns of trust and attitudes in human interactions, leading to improved adoption of virtual assistants. One of the specific areas where this can be useful is increasing the social acceptance of these assistants among the elderly population. In this study, we surveyed to gauge the popularity of virtual assistants in the elder population, which consisted of a total of 20 questions for which 104 responses were received. Seven hypotheses were formulated for the various Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) parameters and were supported by statistical analysis. The findings highlight that the virtual assistants not only show promising potential for improving the quality of life of older adults but also explain the role of trust, perceived reliability, and emotional comfort in shaping their long-term acceptance.

ABSTRACT This study explores the intersection of gender dynamics and access to rehabilitation services for women with amputation in Cambodia. Taking place in a semi-urban setting in Cambodia, the study employs a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, fostering collaboration with local communities and stakeholders. The study focuses on women with amputations, to examine barriers and challenges to rehabilitation services. By utilizing semi-structured interviews with 12 women and reflexive thematic analysis, this research aims to understand the perspectives of women with amputation about access, acceptability and perceptions of rehabilitation. Six interlinked themes were identified that elucidated the lived experiences of Cambodian women with amputations: Family Dimensions, Financial Impact, the Impact on the Role of Women, Social Isolation and Exclusion, the Care Journey, and the Psychological Distress. Greater awareness of rehabilitation is recommended among the general public, health professionals and policy makers to reduce stigma, improve referral channels and develop gender-specific approaches in service-provision, such as recommendations for women only service initiatives and implementation of staff training to improve awareness and understandings of needs and experiences of women with disabilities. Through a comprehensive exploration, the study contributes to improved understandings about gender-sensitive and equal healthcare solutions, aligning with SDGs, and addressing post-conflict disparities.

ABSTRACT The share of construction trade jobs held by women and people with disabilities has remained stubbornly low in the face of chronic shortages of skilled labor. This study explores the potential of wearable assistive technologies to reduce these disparities. We use U.S. worker-level data to estimate employment and wage differences by gender and by mobility/strength impairments in construction and non-construction jobs. We also use occupational-level data to examine variations in workforce composition, physical skill requirements, and earnings across detailed construction occupations. Regression estimates indicate that being a woman and having strength and mobility impairments are associated with substantial employment and pay gaps in construction compared to non-construction jobs. Further analysis shows a high negative correlation between the representation of women and the ability levels required in those occupations. Finally, we discuss several wearable exoskeletons under development for people with upper-body and lower-body impairments, focusing on how these innovations could be integrated into construction jobs. These findings suggest that wearable exoskeletons that enhance manual dexterity, balance, and strength may improve the representation of women and people with disabilities in some of the higher-paying occupations in construction.

ABSTRACT An increase in the usage of advanced digital Sensory Integration Rooms (SIRs) is being witnessed to address specific sensory needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and to improve their behavior and cognitive skills. The addition of Internet of Things (IoT) and RFID-based technologies improves the efficiency of such SIRs, which has been discussed in this paper. A User Adaptive Sensory Integration Room (UASIR) is designed and developed with a pool of Sensory Stimulating Devices (SSDs) to provide appropriate visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli. Interactive control panels followed by web interfaces and an RFID-based child identification system are introduced to elicit the capacities of stimuli management, efficient tracking of individual child interactions, and data acquisition. Four operational modes are emphasized in UASIR, including (i) relaxing (ii) exciting (iii) customized, and (iv) active, allowing for tailored sensory experiences based on individual preferences and therapeutic goals. Functionality evaluations reveal an overall satisfaction rate of 88% by 35 practitioners who utilized UASIR, indicating that it is highly effective in achieving its objectives. Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed that practitioners’ ratings for the use of added technologies are significantly higher compared to traditional fixed and manual methods, confirming the usefulness of integrated advanced features.

ABSTRACT The dynamic arm support MOMO series by Reharo Corporation, Japan, is an upper limb orthosis that primarily supports the daily lives of people with impaired upper limb function. The MOMO series comprises two types: MOMO and MOMO Prime, which support horizontal movement and antigravity control of the upper limb, respectively. This case series describes occupational therapy interventions using the MOMO series and assistive devices tailored to the individual needs of five participants. Outcomes were assessed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the System Usability Scale (SUS). In all cases, COPM performance and satisfaction scores improved, indicating enhanced ability to engage in meaningful activities such as eating, smartphone use, and leisure. On the SUS score, higher satisfaction was observed when participants could apply the device independently and achieve tasks immediately after introduction. In several cases, the use of the MOMO series contributed to functional recovery, allowing tasks to be continued without the device. These findings suggest that the MOMO series can enhance independence, satisfaction, and quality of life when introduced with appropriate occupational therapy support.

ABSTRACT Among the mechanical factors contributing to pressure injuries, shear forces at the body-seat interface play a critical role. This study introduces a novel machine learning approach to predict these forces, using data from pressure mapping systems and a multi-adjustable experimental seat. A supervised learning model was trained on measurements collected from individuals without disabilities and later evaluated on both this group and a cohort of wheelchair users. The selected model – a Random Forest Regression – relied on six input features: a calculated variable, backrest force, feet normal force, seat pan force, backrest area, and the location of the backrest center of pressure. It demonstrated promising accuracy, with an average error below 20% for individuals without disabilities and for wheelchair users whose shear forces were within a similar range. However, performance declined for wheelchair users exhibiting significantly lower shear forces. To improve generalizability, future work will expand the dataset to include participants with more diverse anthropometric characteristics and a broader range of seated postures.

ABSTRACT Powered mobility devices are underutilized for promoting self-initiated mobility in young children with cerebral palsy due to prioritization of walking, caregiver effort, device characteristics, and environmental factors. Understanding device usage patterns is important to assess the impact of powered mobility interventions on child outcomes. As part of clinical trial (NCT04684576), three objective tracking methods including integrated loggers, Global Positioning System trackers (GPST), and caregiver reported activity logs (CRAL) were compared to provide insights into device usage patterns. Metrics included play session frequency, session duration, total usage minutes, and unique usage days for two powered mobility devices: Modified Ride-on Cars (MROC) and the Permobil Explorer Mini (EM). Twelve children with cerebral palsy used each device for eight consecutive weeks in home and community settings (16 weeks total), with device ordered randomized. Results showed no significant differences among tracking methods for the MROC. For the EM, only session duration differed between GPST and CRAL. Correlation analysis revealed variable relationships amongst tracking methods for both devices. The EM was used more frequently than the MROC, with significantly greater total usage minutes and session duration via CRAL, not GPST. The findings highlight the need for reliable tracking technologies that can be used across powered mobility devices.

ABSTRACT There is need for innovative approaches in the production of assistive devices. This study aimed to examine the effects of a Three-Dimensional (3D) Printed Assistive Technology Intervention. Twelve older adults (mean age of 67.83 ± 2.72 years) participated in the study. Assistive devices were designed using a 3D printer. The participants completed the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and the Lawton-Brody IADL scale. Also they completed the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to evaluate their satisfaction with the 3D printed assistive device. The participants’ mean satisfaction score with the assistive devices was found to be 7.00 ± 1.12. After the intervention, significant improvements were observed in the COPM performance subscale (p = 0.016), the FIM motor subscale (p = 0.012), the FIM total score (p = 0.018), and the Lawton-Brody IADL Index (p = 0.024). However, no significant changes were detected in the COPM satisfaction subscale (p = 0.094) or the FIM cognitive subscale (p = 0.069). This study suggest that economically feasible and easily accessible 3D printed assistive devices may serve as an effective alternative to enhance the occupational performance and independence of older adults.

ABSTRACT Evidence-based clinical care and outcomes research are essential for developing objectively based standards of practice in prosthetic and orthotic care. Traditionally, outcome measures have been collected using paper-based methods. However, digital collection of these measures may offer several advantages. The COMET© (Clinical Outcome Measures Electronic Toolkit) mobile app was developed to facilitate the assessment of commonly used patient-reported and performance-based outcome measures in prosthetics and orthotics. The usability of the COMET app was evaluated among 15 individuals with lower limb amputation and nine clinicians using the System Usability Scale (SUS). The mean SUS score among individuals with lower limb amputation was 84 ± 12 (Grade: A; Percentile: 90–95; Adjective: Excellent; Acceptable), and the mean SUS score among the clinicians was 80 ± 14 (Grade: A-; Percentile: 85–89; Adjective: Good; Acceptable). There were no significant differences in SUS score between the two groups, indicating that the app was acceptable to both groups of participants in clinical settings.