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The aim of this study was to explore how shopping malls could be used during rehabilitation and to identify the facilitators and barriers to their use.Two focus groups, conducted with 15 rehabilitation professionals from various disciplines and working with people with disabilities of all ages were structured around two topics: (i) The usage of malls for rehabilitation and (ii) Factors that facilitate or limit rehabilitation professionals' use of the mall as an environment for clinical assessment and/or intervention.The thematic analysis revealed that shopping malls were used to achieve several rehabilitation goals targeting physical and cognitive skills, psychological health and socialization. This real-life environment is motivating and helps foster independence and normalization. Factors affecting mall use during rehabilitation included personal factors (e.g. clients' personality and level of readiness) and environmental factors (e.g. clinical context, accessibility of the mall and social attitudes of store owners).Shopping malls may be a relevant rehabilitation assessment and treatment environment that could contribute to optimizing community integration of people with disabilities. Implications for rehabilitation To ensure successful community reintegration, clients could be trained at some point during their rehabilitation, to perform activities in real-life settings, such as a shopping mall. Shopping malls appear to enable the attainment of rehabilitation goals targeting a variety of skills. This real-life environment appears to be motivating and helps foster independence and normalization. Factors felt to affect mall use during rehabilitation include personal factors (e.g. clients' personality and level of readiness) and environmental factors (e.g. clinical context, accessibility of the mall and social attitudes of store owners). The shopping mall may be an untapped resource as it appears to be a relevant rehabilitation assessment and treatment environment that could contribute to optimizing community integration of people with disabilities.

Although public environments provide opportunities for participation and social inclusion, they are not always inclusive spaces and may not accommodate the wide diversity of people. The Rehabilitation Living Lab in the Mall is a unique, interdisciplinary, and multi-sectoral research project with an aim to transform a shopping complex in Montreal, Canada, into an inclusive environment optimizing the participation and social inclusion of all people.The PRECEDE-PROCEDE Model (PPM), a community-oriented and participatory planning model, was applied as a framework. The PPM is comprised of nine steps divided between planning, implementation, and evaluation.The PPM is well suited as a framework for the development of an inclusive mall. Its ecological approach considers the environment, as well as the social and individual factors relating to mall users' needs and expectations. Transforming a mall to be more inclusive is a complex process involving many stakeholders. The PPM allows the synthesis of several sources of information, as well as the identification and prioritization of key issues to address. The PPM also helps to frame and drive the implementation and evaluate the components of the project.This knowledge can help others interested in using the PPM to create similar enabling and inclusive environments world-wide. Implication for rehabilitation While public environments provide opportunities for participation and social inclusion, they are not always inclusive spaces and may not accommodate the wide diversity of people. The PRECEDE PROCEDE Model (PPM) is well suited as a framework for the development, implementation, and evaluation of an inclusive mall. Environmental barriers can negatively impact the rehabilitation process by impeding the restoration and augmentation of function. Removing barriers to social participation and independent living by improving inclusivity in the mall and other environments positively impacts the lives of people with disabilities.