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Equity of access to electoral polling stations (EPS) is a key to enhancing the legitimacy of elections in democratic governance. A crucial characteristic of this equity is the level of spatial access to EPS and its distribution among populations and related socio-economic determinants. This study investigates the disparities of access to EPS for four selected regions in Ghana. The findings show that economic status and access to EPS are inversely related, indicating that access to EPS is not equitable within and between regions. The poor access for economically disadvantaged populations is indicative of unequal access to basic socioeconomic opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis column includes reflections on the UKSG 47th Annual Conference held April 8–10, 2024 in Glasgow, UK and reports on five sessions from the 2024 ER&L Annual Conference held March 3–6, 2024 in Austin, TX. The UKSG conference themes reported on include transitional agreements, artificial intelligence, and research integrity. The ER&L session topics cover e-resource staff challenges in the face of increasing & improving services, accessibility issues through the e-resource lifecycle, a multiple-perspective panel discussion on the journal ecosystem, benefits & lessons learned from a SUSHI implementation project, and Power BI as a tool for supporting collection data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented and virtual reality experiences present significant barriers for disabled people, making it challenging to fully engage with immersive platforms. Whilst researchers have started to explore potential solutions addressing these accessibility issues, we currently lack a comprehensive understanding of research areas requiring further investigation to support the development of inclusive AR/VR systems. To address current gaps in knowledge, we led a series of multidisciplinary sandpits with relevant stakeholders (i.e., academic researchers, industry specialists, people with lived experience of disability, assistive technologists, and representatives from disability organisations, charities, and special needs educational institutions) to collaboratively explore research challenges, opportunities, and solutions. Based on insights shared by participants, we present a research agenda identifying key areas where further work is required in relation to specific forms of disability (i.e., across the spectrum of physical, visual, cognitive, and hearing impairments), including wider considerations associated with the development of more accessible immersive platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations such as zoos and museums offer educational experiences, along with opportunities for leisure and enjoyment, which should not be denied due to lack of access. In this case study, we present a process through which professionals in disability-related fields collaborated with a local community zoo to improve accessibility and inclusive experiences for visitors with disabilities. Recommendations are provided for conducting needs assessments and identifying and implementing new initiatives. We posit a four-stage process for accessibility improvement: Compliance, Commitment, Capacity, and Change. Organizations can use this framework to engage in meaningful work around disability access and inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAccessibility is defined according to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) as a prerequisite for an independent life for persons with a disability. To explore how accessibility is understood or experienced by persons with a spinal cord injury, 45 persons with spinal cord injury living in Finland were interviewed. The analysis approach was phenomenographic, resulting in three main categories of conceptions of accessibility, illustrated through direct quotations. These three levels of understanding are Assumptions, Experiences, and Actions. Accessibility was primarily understood as accessibility in the built environment, and the impact of climate as well as personal choices regarding one’s own actions. Environmental and personal factors either facilitated or hindered the experience of accessibility. Accumulation of varying experiences about accessibility increased the interpretation of the person-environment connection on one’s own functioning and requirements towards accessibility, thus promoting the agency of persons with spinal cord injuries. Points of interestThis study explored the variations of conceptions of accessibility experienced or understood by persons with spinal cord injury in Finland.The analysis resulted in three ways of experiencing accessibility: 1. Assumptions, 2. Experiences, and 3. Actions. The findings indicate that accessibility can be understood in various ways depending on assumptions related to accessibility, experiences, shared information, and the knowledge accumulated in the interaction between individual and the environment.Experiences of accessibility were primarily related to personal, physical, social, and attitudinal environmental factors, the person-environment connection, and the interpretations of their impact on one’s own functioning and accessibility requirements. Respondents identified environmental or personal factors as barring or facilitating accessibility.The interaction between the individual and the Northern environment, including four seasons, lead to various strategies for overcoming climate-caused barriers.This study explored the variations of conceptions of accessibility experienced or understood by persons with spinal cord injury in Finland.The analysis resulted in three ways of experiencing accessibility: 1. Assumptions, 2. Experiences, and 3. Actions. The findings indicate that accessibility can be understood in various ways depending on assumptions related to accessibility, experiences, shared information, and the knowledge accumulated in the interaction between individual and the environment.Experiences of accessibility were primarily related to personal, physical, social, and attitudinal environmental factors, the person-environment connection, and the interpretations of their impact on one’s own functioning and accessibility requirements. Respondents identified environmental or personal factors as barring or facilitating accessibility.The interaction between the individual and the Northern environment, including four seasons, lead to various strategies for overcoming climate-caused barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem, research strategy, and findings: This study shares the results of a test I established of a new minibus route in Kampala with the Uganda Transport Operators Federation (UTOF). Informal transport provides the bulk of urban mobility in the Global South but may be limited in the connectivity and spatial coverage it is able to provide. I tested the effectiveness of market response by temporarily subsidizing operations in an unserved location and found that even a limited expansion of routing found passenger demand, showing a countercurrent of travel against the existing pattern of radial, central business district–to-suburb travel. Female street vendors were a particularly important previously unserved group of passengers. For operators, the study revealed that establishing new services can be difficult, requiring organizational capacity and substantial investment and risk in terms of time and money. In parallel, when such investments are made, other formal and informal actors, such as police, government bureaucracy, and competing operators, can act to extract the benefits, further slowing the change and growth of the transport network. Takeaway for practice: I describe the implementation steps and lessons learned from a small-scale pilot project that could be scaled for use as a planning intervention as well as to assess the equity of market-driven public transport and identify mobility gaps. This study expands the body of evidence on the effectiveness of informal transport systems for diverse mobility needs and spatial coverage, providing unique data and a methodological approach to address latent and hidden mobility needs for urban residents. It develops a potential avenue of intervention for regulators and planning practitioners for a cheap, light-touch intervention that collaborates with informal transport workers to expand accessibility and equity for passengers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored teachers’ perspectives on utilising existing children’s books for students with intellectual and additional disabilities. 58 teachers from Israeli special education schools and kindergartens revealed widespread dissatisfaction with available materials. Strikingly, 70.7% were unsatisfied with existing children’s books, and 94.7% believed there were not enough accessible options. Qualitative analysis identified five major barriers: excessive text, inappropriate content for older age groups, challenges with the physical structure of books, mismatches between text and visuals, and specific challenges for teachers of children with multiple disabilities. These findings underscore the substantial need for more accessible literature tailored to the needs of children with disabilities. Despite legislation mandating societal inclusion of people with disabilities, teachers’ dissatisfaction highlights gaps in addressing their students’ literary requirements. The results shed light on these teachers’ vital roles in adapting books and indicate the need for greater collaboration between teachers, publishers, and policymakers. By highlighting the voices of frontline professionals, this study provides a crucial call to action to develop high-quality, customised educational resources for children and young people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative, narrative study explores the experiences of college students with disabilities before and during the remote learning period. Three main themes emerged as critical influences on student perceptions of institutional access and inclusion: accommodations and accessibility; building relationships and community and course structure and design. The purpose of this study is to inform policies and practices in order to make campuses more accessible and equitable moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the associations between vision impairment (VI) and COVID-19 testing and vaccination services in older US adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed data from adults ≥ 65 years who participated in the National Health and Aging Trends Study (year 2021), a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries. Exposure: Distance VI (<20/40), near VI (<20/40), contrast sensitivity impairment (CSI) (<1.55 logCS), and any VI (distance, near, or CSI). Outcomes: Self-reported COVID-19 testing and vaccination. Results: Of 2,822 older adults, the majority were female (weighted; 55%) and White (82%), and 32% had any VI. In fully-adjusted regression analyses, older adults with any VI had similar COVID-19 vaccination rates to adults without any VI (OR:0.77, 95% CI:0.54–1.09), but had lower odds of COVID-19 testing (OR:0.82, 95% CI:0.68–0.97). Older adults with distance (OR:0.47, 95% CI:0.22–0.99) and near (OR:0.68, 95% CI:0.47–0.99) VI were less likely to be vaccinated for COVID-19, while those with CSI were less likely to test for COVID-19 (OR:0.76, 95% CI:0.61–0.95), as compared to peers without respective impairments. The remaining associations were not significant (p >.05). Conclusions and Relevance: These findings highlight inequities in the COVID-19 pandemic response for people with vision disability and emphasize the need for equitable prioritization of accessibility of healthcare services for all Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper examines the barriers hindering access to digital financial services for individuals with disabilities in China and proposes strategies to address these challenges. Despite rapid growth in inclusive digital finance, practical experience reveals uneven coverage, leading to digital exclusion and discriminatory practices. Barriers include limited access to digital infrastructure, standardised financial products neglecting diverse needs, and insufficient financial education. Moreover, legal safeguards exhibit notable deficiencies, lacking the incorporation of accessibility requirements and effective enforcement mechanisms. Therefore, strengthening legislative, enforcement, and judicial safeguards is essential. Proposed measures include integrating accessibility provisions into financial laws, developing tailored regulatory mechanisms, and enhancing judicial interpretations. These efforts will improve accessibility and foster a digitally enriched quality of life for individuals with disabilities in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMaterial and MethodsResultsConclusion\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTo explore the meaning of community reintegration and strategies for promoting community reintegration based on the lived experiences of individuals with spinal cord injury in northwest Nigeria.Using a qualitative description, we purposively recruited people with spinal cord injury residing in Kano, Nigeria. Eight focus groups were conducted to gather relevant information about the meaning and strategies for community reintegration, based on the lived experiences of the participants.A total of 64 people aged 18-60 years completed the study. Most of the participants had lived with spinal cord injury for more than five years. The individuals perceived community reintegration as a multi-dimensional concept reflected by five major themes namely: living life as usual, gainful engagement, a basket of opportunities, courage and support, and acceptance of destiny. Furthermore, the participants considered education and awareness about spinal cord injury, supportive and enabling environment, equal opportunities, care and moral support, and accessible health and rehabilitation services as critical for promoting community reintegration.Community reintegration is a multidimensional process, and its promotion in northwest Nigeria requires a multisectoral approach.People with spinal cord injury experience challenges when returning to their host communities following hospital-based rehabilitation, especially in low and middle-income countries.Promotion of community reintegration among people with spinal cord injury in low and middle-income settings requires intervention at the level of the individual, community, and the government.Accessibility to the physical environment and equal employment opportunities are paramount to successful community reintegration in low and middle-income countries.Future studies should consider assessing the coping strategies of individuals with spinal cord injury and their families in low and middle-income countries.People with spinal cord injury experience challenges when returning to their host communities following hospital-based rehabilitation, especially in low and middle-income countries.Promotion of community reintegration among people with spinal cord injury in low and middle-income settings requires intervention at the level of the individual, community, and the government.Accessibility to the physical environment and equal employment opportunities are paramount to successful community reintegration in low and middle-income countries.Future studies should consider assessing the coping strategies of individuals with spinal cord injury and their families in low and middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deconstructs everyday mobility practices from a perspective of accessibility and social and transport (dis)advantage in two capital port cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) – Freetown, Sierra Leone and Maputo, Mozambique. The paper proposes a novel framework that interprets social and transport (dis)advantage conditions as critical drivers of mobility behaviours and the resulting (in)accessibility that circumscribes individuals’ experience. Building on its framework, the paper raises unique empirical qualitative evidence from eight neighbourhoods about mobility practices across populations facing different degrees of social and transport (dis)advantage. The study’s design is grounded in the in-depth understanding of accessibility using qualitative methods as a counterpoint to predominant quantitative and spatial approaches, filling critical data gaps in cities in SSA. The findings reveal a deep-seated aspiration for car ownership, tempered by the urgency of other immediate material needs, as well as the dynamic nature of travel behaviour due to changing conditions during the day and throughout the year. The findings also indicate informality plays a significant role in enabling access to critical opportunities and the need to strengthen trust in popular transport systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have a profoundly higher risk of death or injury than their peers when natural disasters occur. International policies call for inclusive disaster risk reduction education (DRRE) to help ameliorate this situation. This paper focuses on Indonesia, which has one the highest incidences of these disasters. A three-part structured literature review was undertaken regarding DRRE and children with SEND, followed by a questionnaire to in schools. Firstly, potential papers were screened against explicit criteria, yielding 23 papers for inclusion in the review. Secondly, these 23 papers were screened for identifiable DRR programmes, producing 12 items. Thirdly, evaluations of these 12 programmes were sought. The findings revealed that children with SEND were largely absent within the published research, the DRRE programmes, and all subsequent evaluations of the DRRE programmes. Questionnaire responses from 769 teachers from across Indonesia indicated that DRRE was often lacking, and that no programmes that were being used were accessible for all children. This is the first study to gain this insight and it concludes that there is a need for DRRE across mainstream, inclusive, and special schools, which has an inclusive and enagaing pedagogy that is accessible for all children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of human-computer interaction, deformable user interfaces are gaining more attention. Gestures performed by bending the deformable device are commonly investigated in the literature. These bend gestures' inherent tactile and kinaesthetic feedback and their association with spatial directions benefit both blind and low vision (BLV) and sighted users. Bend gestures are naturally associated with two descriptors of bend, which are location and direction. One potential opportunity to extend this gesture space is to investigate additional descriptors of bend gestures without introducing new locations. In this context, size and angle are the two common additional descriptors of bend gestures. In this work, we conducted two (preliminary and main) studies to investigate BLV and sighted users' performance and preference for multiple magnitude levels of size and angle of bend on a smartphone-sized deformable prototype. Finally, we discuss the results and propose user group-specific design recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals stipulate that persons with disabilities have equal rights to access and safely use transport systems. The aim of the current study is to explore stakeholders' perspectives of the relationship and prioritization between safety and accessibility in the Swedish discussion of disability and transport. The data consist of interviews with 15 informants from the National Council for Disability and Transport and other key stakeholders. Reflexive thematic analysis led to identification of four themes: basis for priorities is a matter of governing; challenges to measuring and evaluating different values; importance of knowledge and building forums; and a universal system of accessibility and safety is a challenge. The results indicate the road ahead for a possible holistic and sustainable governance in the transport systems. However, how this will be put into practise is not yet defined. Points of interest: According to several regulations, persons with disabilities have equal rights to safety and accessibility in the transport system. However, there are challenges to combining different concepts and perspectives. Lack of mandates for institutions to address both safety and accessibility leads to goal conflicts and a risk that focuses become entrenched with clearly defined boundaries. There are challenges in evaluating different values and perspectives in relation to accessibility. A facilitating aspect for sustainability regarding safety and accessibility is to create opportunities and systems to allow for the exchange of knowledge. Integration of safety and accessibility may be encouraged by the use of existing sets of holistic approaches (i.e. Vision Zero and Universal Design). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When transport systems are accessible and inclusive, people with disability experience dignity. Alternatively, when personal mobility is constrained by physical, social and/or communication, barriers, people with disability experience exclusion and an increasing vulnerability to indignity. This study sought to qualitatively explore the role of trains and buses in an Australian city in supporting access, inclusion and dignified mobility experiences for people with disability. Twenty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants with diverse visible and invisible disabilities and were analysed thematically using Framework Analysis. The findings highlight the complexities involved with navigating public transport systems while maintaining dignity for people with disability. Accessible and inclusive information, infrastructure, and interactions with staff ensured dignified mobility experiences. If any part of a journey was inaccessible, participants were vulnerable to indignity. Dignified mobility experiences represent a complex and dynamic interaction between personal experiences and preferences, impairment-specific requirements, transport infrastructure, interpersonal experiences, and information inclusivity. Points of interest: Public transport systems can play an important role in enabling, facilitating and sustaining dignity for people with disability. People with disability experience theoretical and practical gaps when using trains and buses. Gaps result from infrastructure, environment, information, and attitudinal barriers. Universal Design, access to accessible and inclusive information, and empathic attitudes help create dignified mobility experiences for people with disability when using buses and trains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPublic transport inherently involves encounters with other people. For women, negotiating everyday overcrowded, unsafe, and unreliable conditions is a major barrier to accessing public transport mobility that triggers emotions. Using qualitative research methods – in-depth interviews and visual surveys – this study delves beyond understanding the barriers and looks at the affective realm to comprehend how affects and emotions shape accessibility, acceptability, and affordability of public transport for women in Kolkata. The disruptive affects of overcrowded, unsafe, and unreliable conditions produce emotional ordeals, increase travel time and costs, and restrict mobility. The sense of despair that emerges compels women to adjust, accept, and even opt out of overcrowded, unsafe, and unreliable public transport more often than not. This paper argues that affects, emotions, reactions, and consequences are entangled and impact the accessibility, acceptability, and affordability of public transport. The contribution of this paper lies in bringing to the fore the need for feminist inquiries into gendered mobility inequalities and the role of affects and emotions therein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractNot all approaches to collaborative housing deliver equally on affordability, accessibility, and autonomy. Some cases may become expensive or enclaved, while others that are accessible and affordable may have little collaboration. This paper compares eight cases of collaborative housing in Milan and Amsterdam to understand how collaboration projects deal with demands for affordability, accessibility, and autonomy. We identify four categories of collaborative housing—common, self-promoted, co-managed, and developer-led—along the two axes of tenure type and project initiator. Trade-offs in affordability, accessibility, and autonomy always persist; however, each can be fostered by three of the types (all but developer-led) when explicitly established as core values of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractLittle research has examined the aspects of PMs’ use among individuals who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) who face extra challenges while entering credentials, such as low typing rates, low typing accuracy, shoulder surfing attacks, and verification of the entered data. This paper explores how knowledgeable BVI individuals are of digital security threats; the status of accessibility in security software; awareness of PMs among BVI; and the factors that drive rejection or adoption of PMs. Our findings revealed that the self-reported knowledge of digital security threats is high; there are many accessibility shortcomings in various security software; and the awareness of PMs among BVI individuals is relatively high, although actual use is far less. About 1/4-th of the participants in the study who tried using PMs rejected them. We found that inaccessibility, cross-platform differences, and security concerns as the top rejection factors. By contrast, convenience, effort saving, and accuracy were the primary adoption factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure full participation of people with disabilities in research, accessibility of the instruments employed is essential. This paper describes an exploratory research which included the adaptation of the AIR Self-Determination Scale and the Promotion of Autonomous Decision-Making Scale. The adaptation was designed to enable Hebrew-speaking young adults with physical disability, autism, psychosocial disability, complex learning disabilities, deafness or hearing impairment, or blindness or visual impairment, to complete a self-report questionnaire. It included extensive wording simplifications. In addition, original Likert scales were reduced, and symbols were added to improve accessibility. The forms were modified to a coloured format with more visible headings, including use of a screen reader and additional visual adaptations. The adaptation process included three phases: questionnaire adaptation, examination of face and content validity, and a reliability assessment of the final version. The process was informed by input from young adults with disabilities. We conclude that simplified language, symbols, and visual effects should be considered when adapting questionnaires for people with disabilities. In addition, consulting with individuals with disabilities as experts by experience, should be integral to the adaptation of instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a practical and theoretical exploration of a (highly) specialised type of comics re-mediation, namely, audio described (AD) comics for the Blind and Partially Sighted (BPS). Building on relevant work in comics studies and translation studies, it is argued that translation activity, broadly seen to include interlingual as well as intersemiotic translation (Jakobson 1959), helps rewrite original works. Translation is defined as a blend, or a hybrid mental space combining characteristics of source and target contexts. As such, it entails the imbrication of personal memory, collective memory and the diffusion of a translator's memory in linguistic codes, social milieus, textual traditions and digital capabilities at play. AD exhibits the same blend logic in that it selectively contains visual source-text information in target-text audio performance. An exploratory comics AD pilot project at The Cartoon Museum (London) serves as an exemplar. The project consists of three phases: a focused interview with the creative team (describer, curator, comic artists); scripting and performance of three AD samples; and collecting feedback from BPS visitors. The project reveals how collective memory started to form in this dialogic process and, ultimately, which aspects of AD practice may be deemed to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae are booming as a sustainable protein source for human nutrition and animal feed. Nevertheless, certain strains were reported to have robust cell walls limiting protein digestibility. There are several disruption approaches to break down the cell integrity and increase digestive enzyme accessibility. This review's intent is to discuss the digestibility of microalgae proteins in intact cells and after their disruption. In intact single cells, the extent of protein digestibility is chiefly related to cell wall structural properties (differing among strains) as well as digestion method and when added to food or feed protein digestibility changes depending on the matrix's composition. The degree of effectiveness of the disruption method varies among studies, and it is complicated to compare them due to variabilities in digestibility models, strains, disruption method/conditions and their consequent impact on the microalgae cell structure. More exhaustive studies are still required to fill knowledge gaps on the structure of microalgal cell walls and to find efficient and cost-effective disruption technologies to increase proteins availability without hindering their quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scarcity of public resources and environmental pollution caused by rapid urbanization highlight the practical significance of parks in ensuring the sustainable development of a city. Therefore, the social equity of parks warrants further study. This paper proposes a fine-grained comprehensive evaluation framework that combines geographic accessibility models, geo-statistical analysis, and machine learning algorithms to explore social inequity in Taiyuan, China. In this framework, gini coefficient and lorentz curve express spatial equality, accessibility shows spatial equity, and ridge regression model handles the interdependence of variables with different dimensions to quantify the relative effects of local participants on changes in park accessibility. On this basis, the imbalance between vulnerable groups and park supply is analyzed to further understand the core concept of social equity. Results highlight serious spatial inequality in all three types of parks allocation of six urban areas, especially in community parks. The actual access level of people to parks is also stratified by their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, revealing the social inequity in access to parks. Park distribution is indeed not conducive to some social vulnerable groups, whose contradiction between supply and demand is highly prominent in urban – rural junctions and new urban areas. This paper also confirms the unfair layout of public facilities can be observed in second-tier cities of China by highlighting the social inequity of parks in Taiyuan. The findings of this work have profound implications for urban planning and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractSpace–time prism (STP) is widely applied to measure individuals’ ability to reach opportunities given the resource limitations. The majority of STP models treat prism-based accessibility as binary measures, wherein all locations within a prism are assumed equally accessible while others are deemed inaccessible. Although a few STP models examined heterogeneous interiors by modeling visit probabilities within the STPs, they primarily focused on trip-level analysis and did not explore the application for accessibility measurement. This study proposes a model framework based on multi-state supernetworks for constructing and estimating the probabilistic STPs of daily activity programs. The estimation is implemented with latent class models to account for individual heterogeneities in travel and activity participation. Based on the probabilistic STPs, we suggest a space–time accessibility measurement incorporating visit probabilities. We validate the model framework using mobility trajectory data collected in the Netherlands and demonstrate that the visit probability model can effectively capture the probabilistic STP interiors and the proposed accessibility measurement can provide a comprehensive evaluation of accessibility in the presence of activity chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible housing is a fundamental human right and yet many children and youth with disabilities live in inaccessible, insecure, unaffordable and poor quality housing. The aim of our study was to understand the barriers and facilitators to obtaining accessible housing among children, youth and young adults with disabilities and their families. We conducted a scoping review involving seven international literature databases from 2000 to 2022 that identified 38 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. The reviewed studies involved 10 countries over a 22-year period. Our review emphasized the following key trends: (1) barriers to obtaining accessible homes (i.e. common types of accessibility barriers, rates of inaccessible housing, factors affecting home accessibility), and negative impacts of inaccessible housing; and (2) rates and facilitators to obtaining accessible housing (i.e., common types of home modifications, enablers of home modifications) and positive impacts of accessible housing. Our findings highlight the barriers and enablers of obtaining accessible housing among children, youth and young adults with disabilities and their families and the critical need to support them in securing appropriate housing. Evidence suggests that clinicians and community service providers should support youth with disabilities and their parents to make home modifications and secure accessible housing. Clinicians should consider advocating for accessible housing and help to remove barriers for children with disabilities and their families with particular attention to marginalized and equity-deserving groups. Clinicians and service providers should involve families in the process of making accessible home modifications and help them to connect with relevant housing stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBackgroundObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionAmbulatory anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a promising method, but not common in Poland.That is why the purpose of this study was to demonstrate the experience of performing ACDF in patients with degenerative spinal diseases.This study at the Spine Centre involved a single-center, multi-surgeon evaluation of 100 patients undergoing ACDF.Outcomes assessed included pain severity, measured by the visual analogue scale, which improved from 4.28 ± 0.76 preoperatively to 1.11 ± 0.59 one month postoperatively. The Core Outcome Measures Index-neck (COMI-neck) scale also showed significant improvement: before surgery, 30% of patients scored their condition severity between 4-6, and 70% scored 7-10; 6 months postoperatively, the scores were 0-3 for 55% of patients, 4-6 for 45%, and 7-10 for none. Only 2% of patients experienced moderate, temporary complications, with no serious complications or postoperative hematomas observed.The study supports the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of performing ACDF in an ambulatory setting, suggesting that with appropriate patient selection and surgical protocols, ambulatory ACDF can be more broadly implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the programming period of 2021–2027, the European Union (EU) encourages and supports cities and towns across the community to take action to enlarge their green infrastructure and develop and improve urban green spaces. As the provision of equal opportunities is a horizontal principle of the EU, the needs of vulnerable and disabled people are crucial to consider in developments. Using survey data from 102 respondents in Hungary, this paper explores and assesses blind and visually impaired people’s perceptions of urban green spaces and factors that support or hinder them from accessing and using the parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractExploration of virtual reality locomotion has a rich history, including in the creation of taxonomies categorising individual techniques. However, most existing research collects data from academic sources only, with both historic industry practitioner exploration and a state-of-the-art understanding of locomotion in commercial applications comparatively underexplored. This systematic software-level review of the complete locomotion options in 330 of the most used virtual reality applications released between 2016 and 2023 on the Steam, Meta, Oculus, Viveport, and SideQuest platforms highlights the trends and gaps that exist between industry and academic exploration. Results suggest a decline in the usage of teleportation, with the prevalence of titles containing at least one teleportation technique decreasing from 48% of those released in 2016 to 18% in 2023. Arm-tracked grabbing locomotion techniques such as climbing meanwhile are being increasingly adopted by practitioners, from almost unused in 3% of applications released in 2016 to over 30% in each year between 2020 and 2023. Additionally, although the tracking capabilities afforded by consumer-level head-mounted display hardware has resulted in a high exploration of room-scale tracking, the large academic focus on walking-based locomotion appears to not be shared by practitioners, where room-scale tracking instead is most often paired with conventional controller joystick sliding locomotion. Finally, temporal analysis results showing the growing number of locomotion techniques offered in an average application signifies the need for further accessibility-related locomotion research, particularly in areas beyond visual sickness mitigation. Our findings highlight the continuing evolution of locomotion in commercial virtual reality applications, with industry practitioner locomotion technique adoption rates displaying the divergent interests between industry and academia, in turn adding rigour to future locomotion selections across both domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe increasing prevalence of mobility impairments underscores the urgent need for accessible and affordable mobility aids. To overcome the mobility limitations of people with disabilities, there is an increasing need for the development of lightweight and portable powered wheelchairs that can be easily loaded. This study aimed to perform an early health technology assessment and a formative usability evaluation on a modular (detachable) powered wheelchair. It aimed to gauge device satisfaction among users, pinpoint areas for improvement, and detect any unforeseen errors to inform future development. Engaging 16 participants, including powered wheelchair users, healthcare professionals, and caregivers, the research evaluated the wheelchair’s functionality in various scenarios, emphasizing safety, effectiveness, and convenience. Statistical analyses of task performance and satisfaction surveys highlighted that, while powered wheelchair users successfully completed tasks focusing on driving and power control, healthcare professionals and caregivers encountered difficulties with the wheelchair’s assembly and disassembly. Despite general positivity, the surveys indicated mixed satisfaction levels regarding safety, validity, and convenience, with specific issues related to frame durability, seat comfort, and control mechanisms. These findings suggest that refining the wheelchair’s design and addressing user concerns could significantly enhance satisfaction and mobility services. Future efforts will include a thorough review of an advanced prototype and further satisfaction assessments.We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature by addressing a critical gap in the understanding of user-centric design and usability testing for powered wheelchairs.By emphasizing the importance of early assessments and incorporating user feedback into the development process, our research offers practical insights for creating more accessible and user-friendly mobility solutions.This contribution is particularly relevant in the context of advancing assistive technology and improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature by addressing a critical gap in the understanding of user-centric design and usability testing for powered wheelchairs.By emphasizing the importance of early assessments and incorporating user feedback into the development process, our research offers practical insights for creating more accessible and user-friendly mobility solutions.This contribution is particularly relevant in the context of advancing assistive technology and improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries must provide accessible electronic and information technology to patrons using assistive technology to access library materials. Accessibility of scholarly material is particularly important in the STEM disciplines, where attrition rates of students with disabilities is higher than in other fields. In this study, the accessibility of STEM indexing databases was evaluated using the WAVE accessibility tool, and the frequency of errors, alerts, and features encountered during the completion of typical searching tasks for each database was noted. The use of accessibility-checking tools like WAVE can supplement other methods used to verify the accessibility of vendor-created library databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An estimated 19% of students enrolled in postsecondary education in the US have a disability. However, students with disabilities often face barriers, including accessibility challenges, that result in lower attendance and graduation rates. It is therefore critical that universities take action to ensure campuses are fully inclusive and accessible. Using the Design Thinking Model, a workshop was conducted at a large Southeastern University to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders (n = 32) to brainstorm innovative solutions to accessibility challenges. Four potential solutions were generated that aimed to improve campus infrastructure, the mobile map application, and general advocacy of people with disabilities, and to establish a task force to ensure that addressing accessibility concerns remains a long-term priority. After the workshop, participants reported having greater knowledge of accessibility policies, awareness of accessibility issues on campus, and an increased ability to address accessibility issues when they arise. Participants without disabilities also reported being more likely to notice accessibility challenges on campus and felt more confident talking to individuals with disabilities. Workshops that leverage the Design Thinking Model show promise in generating solutions that could tackle accessibility challenges on postsecondary campuses and increase knowledge of university policies and procedures related to accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite college students' high rates of depression, a large treatment gap remains in which many students in need are not receiving evidence-based care. This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) delivered a novel adaptation of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for College Students (IPT-CS) in group modality at a college counseling center. Of 97 students expressing interest, 18 with mild to moderate depression were randomized to IPT-CS or referral-to-usual-care. The nine who initiated IPT-CS treatment had an average 96.67% attendance rate across 10 sessions and rated IPT-CS as satisfactory and accessible. Facilitators also rated IPT-CS as satisfactory, feasible, and faithful to IPT. Group-by-time analyses indicated that IPT-CS, compared to referral-to-usual-care, yielded a pattern of medium to large effects for depression, anxiety, quality of life, social adjustment and support, interpersonal concerns overall, and disconnection/loneliness specifically. As the pilot trial was powered to detect quite large effects, group-by-time analyses only reached statistical significance for depression and social support, as did within-group analyses for quality of life and interpersonal concerns overall. Importantly, reductions in depression and anxiety were clinically significant, dropping from moderate at pre-intervention to mild/no signs at post-intervention. These findings have implications for improving the accessibility, reach, and impact of effective mental health services for college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research has exclusively focused on the accessibility of AC, despite their substantial impacts on students' and tutors' engagement with AC and the facilitative role of AC for assessment and learning. Drawing upon sequential online surveys and interviews with undergraduate students from diverse disciplines in a British university, statistical and content analysis revealed the challenges undergraduates faced to comprehend and use AC for their assessment. This study unveiled the entanglement among accessibility, understanding and usefulness of AC for assessment and learning. It uncovered the different effectiveness of varied ways of tutors introducing AC to students and students' expectations of how tutors could implement AC in assessment and teaching. It highlighted and substantiated the necessity of shifting from the prevailing product to a process- and future-oriented approach to contextualising and aligning AC with assessment tasks, learning outcomes and feedback and thereby harnessing the accessibility of AC for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the reactivity of acidic resins through mathematical modeling. To assess the reactivity of resins, a copolymerization model was used, making it possible to estimate chain sequences distribution along their polymeric matrices. A model for the reaction catalyzed by these resins, whose equations were based on power law and molar balances, was coupled to the copolymerization model to describe the whole process. Resin properties were collected from the literature and compared to data provided by the copolymerization model, resulting in a linear correlation between the weighted average chain densities measured by ISEC and the total concentration of sequences between cross-links (R2 = 0.988). The prediction ability of the developed model was compared to a literature approach, which depends on an experimental characterization of the resins by Inverse Steric Exclusion Chromatography (ISEC). Akaike Information Criterion revealed that the models exhibit comparable predictive capabilities, demonstrating that the developed model is able to simulate reactions catalyzed by gel-type resins without requiring equipment for morphology characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are now 34 years out from the initial enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (1990), a landmark piece of federal legislation that made education at every level from preschool to graduate school and meaningful employment accessible to people with apparent and non-apparent disabilities. In higher education, and specifically in the academic library, disability accommodations are now an integral part of the life of both students and staff. During my professional internship as part of my MLIS degree at Kent State University, I developed and delivered a tour of the primary academic library, its in-person and online services, and its website for incoming first-year and transfer students with disabilities at Colorado State University, a large, public, land- and space-grant university. The considerations used to develop this programming and its broad impact are discussed here, along with ideas for ongoing support of students with disabilities, and particularly students with non-apparent and executive function disabilities and neurodiversity such as Autism spectrum conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air transportation is a mode of transport developed specifically to provide access to long-distance destinations that may otherwise be infeasible or at least more difficult to reach. Accordingly, there are distinct aspects of air travel that require consideration when assessing accessibility by air transportation, which are not addressed in general local accessibility studies. This paper reviews studies of accessibility by air transportation. The studies in question were published in academic journals, and we analysed them using the broad theoretical framework of accessibility of Geurs and van Wee [Accessibility evaluation of land-use and transport strategies: Review and research directions. Journal of Transport Geography, 12(2), 127–140]. We discuss the characteristics of accessibility by air transportation to consider when designing research, as well as trends and knowledge gaps in the existing literature. An important gap is that, while there is a growing interest towards perceived accessibility by air transportation, accessibility measures based on this perspective have not yet been applied yet. Additionally, the literature is largely focused on the transport and land-use components of accessibility as opposed to the individual and temporal components. We finish by discussing the benefits and drawbacks of directly applying conventional accessibility measures for research on accessibility by air transportation, as well as options to modify the temporal component of conventional person-based accessibility measures for better applicability in the air travel context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adapted ride-on cars (ROC) are an affordable, power mobility training tool for young children with disabilities. Previous qualitative research has identified environmental factors, such as weather and adequate drive space, as barriers to families' adoption of their ROC. However, we do not currently know the relationship between the built environment and ROC usage. In our current study, we quantified the driving patterns of 14 children (2.5 ± 1.45 years old, 8 male: 6 female) using ROCs outside and inside of their homes over the course of a year using a custom datalogger and geospatial data. To measure environmental accessibility, we used the AccessScore from Project Sidewalk, an open-source accessibility mapping initiative, and the Walk Score, a measure of neighborhood pedestrian-friendliness. The number of play sessions with the ROC ranged from 1 to 76; 4 participants used it less than 10 times and 4 participants used it more than 50 times. Our findings indicate that more play sessions took place indoors, within the participants' homes. However, when the ROC was used outside the home, children engaged in longer play sessions, actively drove for a larger portion of the session, and covered greater distances. Most children tended to drive their ROCs in close proximity to their homes, with an average maximum distance from home of 181 meters. Most notably, we found that children drove more in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods and when in proximity to accessible paths. The accessibility of the built environment is paramount when providing any form of mobility device to a child. Providing an accessible place for a child to move, play, and explore is critical in helping a child and family adopt the mobility device into their daily life. Ride-on cars provided a novel means for young children with disabilities to explore their home and community environments. Children drove their adapted ride-on cars for longer periods of time outside than inside, and in close proximity to their homes. The identification of an accessible route increased driving frequency and drive session duration. Recommending accessible routes and play locations where families can use their adapted ride-on car may be an important aspect of increasing mobility technology use. Because there were a higher number of play sessions inside, it is important to consider indoor accessibility when designing and implementing mobility technology for young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries license thousands of electronic resources and they all might not be fully accessible. Libraries need to be prepared to assist patrons with inaccessible features by putting an equally effective alternative access plan into place. Submitting accessibility reviews, either university mandated or generated from the library, helps ensure that electronic resources meet accessibility standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport matters for health and education outcomes, by ensuring physical access to crucial facilities. Using spatial modelling techniques and routable public transport service data, this study assesses the effectiveness of mostly semi fixed-route public transport systems in connecting people to advanced healthcare and education facilities in African cities. Uncovering significant pockets of ‘accessibility poverty’ – travel times above an acceptable level – it underscores the inequality in access within the cities, disproportionately affecting poor populations. Proximity of public transport to homes matters but has limited impact, due to how the routes, operated mainly by informal service providers, are allocated across the urban space and the low technical performance. The low ‘value added’ of public transport compared to walking helps explain the prevalence of foot travel. Tailored policy interventions – improving the public transport systems and, equally importantly, ensuring more equitable spatial distribution of advanced healthcare facilities – emerge as crucial strategies for addressing accessibility poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018, the University of Winnipeg Library introduced the Syllabus Service to improve the course reserves submission process. This initiative has allowed library staff to proactively support copyright in e-reserves and provided opportunities to improve accessibility for students. The service has also encouraged faculty and instructor use of course reserves by reducing the time and effort required to submit requests, and has eased the workload of reserves staff by leveraging the expertise of the Copyright Office. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the design, it is important to evaluate the user experience of representative users in many human product interactions. But, in some cases, it is difficult or even impossible to recruit representative users because they have disabilities that do not allow them to take part in such investigations. Thus, alternative populations are widely studied. The most common way to replace real blind people is to use sighted but blindfolded users when studying design solutions. To test whether such alternative or proxy users can be used to represent blind people in social interactions, we examined the communication quality of 20 blind-sighted pairs and 20 blindfolded-sighted pairs in two different experiments. A prototype named E-Gaze glasses was evaluated as the testing tool. Results clearly show that the blindfolded participants achieved significantly higher communication quality than the blind participants. In qualitative data analysis, the blindfolded participants also reported their user experience of being blindfolded in conversations. Our qualitative results strengthen the conclusion that blindfolded users' behaviour is different from real blind users' behaviour. We recommend that blind users should not be substituted for blindfolded users in human product evaluations when communication quality is measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study aims to evaluate the usability of two Food Delivery Apps (FDAs) available in the market with a sample of older adults. We performed a usability study of basic tasks required to purchase groceries with 12 participants (Mage = 70.92, SD = 4.56). Results showed that interaction experience with both apps was similar. Most participants could perform the tasks, but not efficiently. Tasks that took the longest mean time were adding the first product to the cart and scheduling the delivery service. We found 22 interface barriers for FDA1 and 23 for FDA2. The most frequent errors were caused by a lack of a clear roadmap to guide the purchase process, unclear feedback when adding products, information overload, and difficulty distinguishing interactive buttons from text/icons and mandatory actions from optional ones. System Usability Scale results were below the suggested cut-off point of 68. We provide recommendations that could help design accessible FDAs for older adults and make them easier to use for everyone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with disabilities face additional challenges in maintaining a sense of belonging at university, due to structural barriers. An emergent theoretical model has proposed that self-advocacy, social relationships and mastery of the student role may be important factors for sense of belonging among students with disabilities. However, the utility of this model is yet to be quantitatively tested. The present study thus aimed to investigate how these variables may predict sense of belonging in students with disabilities. Further, given how previous literature has emphasised the importance of university accessibility in predicting belonging amongst students with disabilities, we also included perceptions of accessibility as a predictor variable. In a sample of 84 UK undergraduates who self-identified as having a disability, we found that perceptions of accessibility significantly positively predicted feelings of belonging at university, such that students who felt their university campus and course was more accessible felt stronger feelings of belongingness. However, counter to our hypotheses, measures of self-advocacy, social relationships and mastery of the student role did not significantly predict belonging. Recommendations for Page 2 of 2 future research are discussed, including measures to improve accessibility and belonging at university and the need for a generalisable measurement of accessibility amongst students with disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As medical schools embrace diversity, it is increasingly acknowledged that medical students with disabilities must be welcome and supported in becoming physicians. Students should be able to ask for and receive reasonable accommodations to support their education. However, a practical shared approach to supporting medical students with disabilities is needed. The 12 tips in this article use sense-making theory as a framework to guide medical school faculty in supporting medical students with disabilities. The tips center on perceiving cues, creating interpretations, taking action, and communicating with students. The 12 tips can be utilized by faculty members across universities to take a proactive role in implementing support for medical students with disabilities and, in turn, nurturing an inclusive educational environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 10–15 years, the Volunteer Program at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County has undergone an immense transition. This program overhaul tackled historical methodology that had been creating barriers to participation, addressed the changing needs of modern volunteer audiences, and worked to highlight access and inclusion in all aspects of program offerings. Today, the Volunteer Program is one of NHMLAC's largest and most successful community engagement programs, centering the needs and interests of a diverse volunteer cohort by crafting accessible, learning-centered service offerings, while also providing quality support for museum projects. Through this sometimes difficult process of change, NHMLAC partnered closely with longtime docents and other stakeholders to ensure that all parties could move into this new future together. This article outlines the steps of this transition, highlighting the changes, challenges, and opportunities experienced along the way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that human error is involved in 94–96% of all motor vehicle crashes. Also in 2016, Bonnefon et al. predicted that autonomous vehicles could eliminate 90% of traffic collisions due to their elimination of human error. However, questions of safety, accessibility, and social equity have arisen after the first pedestrian death by an autonomous vehicle in its testing phase occurred in Tempe, AZ, in 2018. This project analyzes how social equity issues shape the discussion, creation, and implementation of governmental policies and regulations surrounding driverless automobiles in Tempe, using policy and text analysis as well as semi-structured interviews of government officials or residents of Tempe. Informed by the concept of the right to the city and critical legal studies, this research suggests that public policy around autonomous vehicles does create new and expand existing spaces for inequality in Tempe. This is exacerbated by increased awareness of inequality within Arizona's autonomous vehicle regulation scheme and its entire transportation system after the first pedestrian death by autonomous vehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many universities are transforming campuses by responding to globally significant, locally specific, economic, political, and social imperatives. Some are implementing urban and regional transformations in higher education delivery to increase student access and diversity. Their success can depend upon infrastructures provided by other parties. Public transport is an example. Transit accessibility and equity affect quality of life, livelihoods, life course, and liveability in cities. Growing numbers of international studies consider factors shaping student travel to and from university campuses by public transport; fewer address local socio-spatial experiences of travel. Informed by debates about differential accessibility of suburban and city campuses, we examined student experiences at an Australian regional university undergoing transformation. We report on a study assessing multiple trips to and from two campuses to five destinations. Rich insights were drawn from experiences of antisocial behaviour, vulnerability, and sub-optimal service provision and reveal why some students think public transport is a mode of last resort. Universities and their stakeholders need to know more about student experiences of mobility. Such knowledge could inform tailored transport interventions and universities' willingness to encourage public transport providers to view their services as infrastructures of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental education (EE) is instrumental in developing environmentally literate citizens with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to support sustainable development. In the case of EE school field trips in the USA, these experiences also foster learning and skill development that supports meeting state and national educational standards. However, despite the importance of EE field trip programs, not all schools participate. This study explored the barriers to accessibility to EE field trips by conducting semi-structured interviews with EE providers and administrators of middle schools in the Congaree Biosphere Reserve (CBR), South Carolina, USA. We also used geospatial information systems to investigate accessibility spatially. Results suggest that aspatial barriers such as curricular constraints, capacity to plan and lead field trips, costs, and transportation influence participation. The results also suggest that these aspatial barriers are often interlinked and that access to EE field trips is disproportionately allocated to students in private education and urban settings and that rural, poor, minority, underperforming, and English as Second Language students face additional hurdles. We discuss a range of potential solutions to overcoming these barriers that reduce participation in EE field trips in the CBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The private rental market costs are placing a burden on household budgets, thus significant pressure is on governments and private housing organisations to supply more social and affordable housing solutions. This research evaluates the key elements of medium- and high-density liveable and accessible social and affordable urban housing precincts. Focusing on investigations into an Australian housing case study, the authors establish a liveability framework to improve understanding of whole-of-life needs. Through a comprehensive literature review, a case study and a series of in-depth interviews with key stakeholders from the housing sector five key elements were identified. These key elements include: (1) Liveability, (2) Accessibility, (3) Value equation, (4) Regulatory and policy environment, and (5) Adoption and overcoming barriers. The liveability framework will form the basis of a set of quality standards that can be used to guide precinct planning, design development and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise in human mobility data in recent years provides a new frontier to understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of mobility to urban parks. These human mobility data offer profound merit in the study of how accessible urban parks are through real-time analytics of individual travel patterns and locations. This study systematically reviewed 46 peer-reviewed publications from the Web of Science and Academic Search Complete databases relevant to human mobility data and urban park accessibility measures. The study aims to provide a comprehensive and quantitative evaluation of the utilization of human mobility data in the field of urban park accessibility research. This objective is pursued through a systematic examination of existing literature within this research domain. We summarize the types of mobility datasets and the modelling tasks adopted. Meanwhile, we grouped the methodological/thematic frameworks from empirical use of human mobility data in park accessibility into seven categories: 1) inequality and inequity level, 2) users' perception and exposure level, 3) frequency and variations in park visitations, 4) park service area or effective service radius, 5) happiness and sentiment level, 6) travel mode choice and trip assignment, and 7) park characteristics. Additionally, we highlighted the obstacles in integrating human mobility data into park accessibility research and engaged in a discussion surrounding prominent ethical dilemmas related to the utilization of big data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]