Providing Accessible ReCreation Outdoors-User-Driven Research on Standards: Protocol for Mobile and Web-Based Interviews for Winter Assessments.

BACKGROUND: Although there have been recent efforts to improve access to Canadian national parks, many remain not fully accessible to people with disabilities. Winter conditions, in particular, present challenges that limit their participation in outdoor activities. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a novel method to assess park access during winter, which will inform recommendations for national park standards to meet the needs of all park visitors (regardless of ability) during winter conditions. METHODS: A larger participatory mixed methods research project exploring park access was adapted. A 3-phase approach has already been proposed to achieve the study objectives. In the first phase, a scoping review of the existing accessibility standards will be conducted. In the second phase, objective audits of trails and features in 6 parks, 3 in western Canada and 3 in eastern Canada, will be conducted, as well as mobile interviews with 24 various participants in each region regarding their experiences of and recommendations for improving the park's accessibility. In the final phase, a Delphi participatory consensus development process will be used, based on the data gathered in the first 2 phases, to prioritize recommendations for standards. This paper will focus on the second phase of the study, specifically on whether the in-person winter mobile interviews (ie, walking and wheeling interviews) with people who have a wide range of disabilities while visiting 3 parks in 2 provinces were modified. Changes were made to accommodate the extreme winter weather conditions in Quebec while using safe and informative data collection methods. RESULTS: In Quebec, one park, where winter conditions are safer, has been assessed in person (n=4). Web-based interviews were used to facilitate the assessment of other winter and summer conditions in two other parks (n=8). Winter and web-based interviews were completed in April 2022. Data are currently being collected and analyzed, and results will be completed by December 2022. CONCLUSIONS: We expect that adapting the protocol to gather further information on winter conditions and access to parks will provide high-quality and rich data to better inform park access standards. This participatory mixed methods research will inform the development of park standards that consider the accessibility needs of all people. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/38715.

Providing Accessible Recreation Outdoors-User-Driven Research on Standards (PARCOURS): Protocol for a Multiphase Study.

BACKGROUND: Canada's national parks are world-renowned. However, despite recent attempts to improve access, many are not accessible to people with disabilities. With the advent of provincial and federal legislation, standards are being developed to assist with the design and management of parks. OBJECTIVE: The overarching objective of this study is to inform accessibility standards for federal parks that meet the needs of all park visitors, regardless of ability. The specific objectives of this study are to identify park accessibility standards that exist internationally, identify the accessibility challenges that people with disabilities face in park environments, and prioritize and recommend accessibility standards for national parks. METHODS: A 3-phase approach will be used to achieve the study objectives. In the first phase, a scoping review of the existing accessibility standards will be conducted. The second phase will include objective audits of trails and features in 6 parks, 3 in western Canada and 3 in eastern Canada, as well as mobile interviews with 24 diverse participants in each region regarding their experiences of and recommendations for improving the park's accessibility. In the final phase, a Delphi participatory consensus development process will be used, based on the data gathered in the first 2 phases, to prioritize recommendations for standards. RESULTS: We expect to find gaps in existing standards that do not account for the diverse range of accessibility requirements that people with disabilities have for visiting parks. We also expect to find that existing standards, on their own, may not be enough to ensure equitable access to all the experiences and amenities that parks have to offer. Development of subsequent guidelines and best practices may be necessary to address complex scenarios for which standards may not be the best approach to ensuring accessibility. CONCLUSIONS: The participatory and mixed methods approaches used in this study will provide rich insights for developing accessible park standards that consider the diverse needs of people with disabilities. The findings will also support the development or enhancement of park standards at all levels of government. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/33611.

Predictors of Psychological Distress and Confidence Negotiating Physical and Social Environments Among Mobility Device Users.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted an intersectional analysis to explore how demographic characteristics and mobility device use were associated with psychological distress (depression and anxiety) and confidence negotiating physical and social environments. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data were collected using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, modified Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale, and self-reported functional independence scale. PARTICIPANTS: The sample included 105 participants. Primary mobility devices used included mobility scooters (27%), power wheelchairs (26%), manual wheelchairs (25%), walkers (11%), and cane or crutch (12%). The mean age of participants was 58 yrs, 53% were female, and 52% lived alone and were functionally independent with the use of assistive technology. RESULTS: We were able to explain between 39% and 65% of the variance (adjusted R2) in the dependent variables with parsimonious regression models. Age was an independent predictor of all outcomes. Women were less confident negotiating the physical environment, and walker use was associated with depression and lower confidence negotiating physical environments, but increased confidence negotiating social environments. CONCLUSIONS: Age is associated with psychosocial outcomes for assistive device users, and those who use walkers may experience increased challenges with depression and negotiating the physical environment. Pending confirmatory research, the findings may have important implications for targeted interventions related to device provision.

Using photovoice to increase social inclusion of people with disabilities: Reflections on the benefits and challenges.

The aim of this study was to understand the mobility experiences of mobility device users regarding the environmental and social barriers and facilitators in their community and to discuss the benefits and challenges of using photovoice, as a participatory methodology, to increase social participation for people with disabilities. Photovoice was used with mobility device users (n = 70) in two different locations in Canada. The participants took pictures for two weeks and then participated in individual interviews and focus group sessions to discuss their photographs. The participants took over 1,000 pictures that were grouped into five themes around social participation and accessibility. They chose the most illustrative pictures to share in an exhibit to create a dialogue with different stakeholders. Using photovoice offered many benefits such as allowing the participants to be equal partners of the research and made their voices heard, but also presented disability and study-related challenges.

Factors affecting the activity spaces of people who use mobility devices to get around the community.

The ability to move about the community safely and easily plays a key role in the lives of people who use mobility devices. This study explored how personal characteristics, mobility device use, transportation, and environmental factors affected the size of their activity spaces (i.e., daily path area). Seventy-eight people who used manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, canes, and/or crutches tracked their movements in the community using a geographical positioning system device over a 7-day period. Participating in productive activities, walkability, the interaction between access to a vehicle and walkability, seasonality, and location helped to explain 43% of the variability in daily path area. The type of mobility device used and years using a device were associated with activity space size in bivariate analysis but not significantly significant in the regression model. The findings underscore the complex challenges that people who use mobility devices face moving about the community. Implications for researchers and transportation planners are discussed.