Measuring Outcomes and Impact Related to Assistive Technology and Accessibility for Disability

Dear Colleagues,

Assistive Technology (AT) is a key enabler for people with disabilities across the lifespan in all areas of life. It has the potential to improve their functional ability, enable and enhance their participation and inclusion in all domains of life, and promote their well-being. Globally, the need for AT is growing rapidly alongside the rise in noncommunicable diseases and an ageing population. The WHO estimates that only 1 in 10 people globally have access to the AT they need, with more than 2.5 billion people needing one or more assistive products. It is estimated that by 2050 more than 3.5 billion people will need at least one assistive product, with many older people needing two or more.

Without access to AT products, people with disabilities are often socially isolated and the impact of their disability is felt not only at the individual level but also at the level of family, community, and country. To address the large and growing unmet need for AT, several international efforts have been made to enhance access and use to AT, especially by the WHO and the United Nations (UN). Additionally, AT is commonly used with accessibility and universal design (UD) approaches. However, there is a paucity in research targeting AT, accessibility, and UD innovative strategies for measuring and collecting access, impact, and outcome data.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect original research, comprehensive reviews, and advanced theoretical approaches regarding the measurement of outcomes and impact related to assistive technology and accessibility for disability.

The topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Advances in impact and outcome measurements for AT;
2. Impact and outcome studies using innovative measurement for assistive technology;
3. Measuring access to AT;
4. Training related to AT;
5. The application of AI for measuring outcomes of AT;
6. The application of AI for measuring accessibility and outcomes of universal design strategies;
7. Innovative tools and strategies for measuring accessibility and/or universal design;
8. Innovative papers in measurement topics including in robotics, personal communication, smart apps, vision and hearing systems, information strategies, mobility, transportation, work-systems, personal care, and home health;
9. Innovative methodology for improving cross-cultural implementation of AT and UD measures;
10. Innovative methods for improving the reliability and validity of AT and UD measures.

Dr. Rochelle Mendonca
Dr. Qussai Obiedat
Prof. Dr. Roger O. Smith
Guest Editors

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• assistive technology
• disability
• accessibility
• measurement
• outcomes
• universal design