Facilitators and challenges in partnership research aimed at improving social inclusion of persons with disabilities.

PURPOSE: To identify partnership research challenges and facilitators, as experienced by members of the Inclusive Society (IS) initiative. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case study was conducted on all partnership research projects conducted between 2017 and 2019 under the IS initiative through surveys, interviews with the IS community, logbooks, and focus group. Thematic analysis and descriptive analysis were undertaken. RESULTS: To work effectively with a diversity of stakeholders, winning conditions must be created for the project from the outset. These include determining the team functioning, project objectives, the expectations of each party, and agreeing on a realistic action plan. Project implementation with concern for sustained stakeholder commitment, good working relationships, and achieving project objectives requires organizational planning that favours partner involvement, shared leadership, agreed methods for communicating, conflict resolution methods, recognition of each participant's expertise, and creating a climate of trust. Upon concluding a partnership research project, it is essential to devote time to implement project results in local environments and to ascertain their usefulness to partners.IS partnership research challenges and facilitators are similar to those identified in past research. Despite this knowledge, challenges persist. Future research could explore tools and practices from other domain to overcome partnership research challenges.

Partnership research has the potential to contribute to a more inclusive society for people with disabilities.Challenges and facilitators are identified for the stages of creating, implementing, and completing a partnership research project.Suggested solutions are offered to facilitate the conduct of a partnership research project and to increase the project's chances of success.Partnership research could benefit from using tools from other fields such as community development and social innovation to successfully implement some of the facilitators and overcome specific barriers to partnership research.

Evaluation of three pedestrian phasing with audible pedestrian signals configurations in Quebec City (Canada): an exploratory study of blind or visually impaired persons' sense of safety, preferences, and expectations.

PURPOSE: This exploratory study aimed to evaluate the preferences, expectations, and sense of safety of blind or visually impaired persons regarding three types of pedestrian phasing with audible pedestrian signals configurations that exist in Quebec City (Canada). These include: 1) exclusive phasing with non-directional audible pedestrian signals; 2) exclusive phasing with directional audible pedestrian signals; and 3) concurrent phasing with directional audible pedestrian signals. METHODS: Thirty-two blind or visually impaired persons were asked to complete a survey. Their preferences and expectations regarding audible pedestrian signals were documented through a series of simulations. Their sense of safety regarding the three existing configurations were also documented. Subsequently, semi-directed, individual interviews with 11 of the individuals who had completed the survey were conducted to build off the collected information. RESULTS: No formal consensus regarding many of the issues discussed were established as participants' responses varied too significantly. However, findings suggest that the exclusive phasing with directional audible pedestrian signals configuration is perceived to be the safest option by the participants. CONCLUSION: This study may have practical implications on the design of intersections (e.g., selection of a type of pedestrian phasing with audible pedestrian signal) and the training of blind or visually impaired pedestrians.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe addition of audible pedestrian signals to pedestrian signals heightens the sense of safety of blind or visually impaired persons.This study may have practical implications on the design of intersections with audible pedestrian signals and the selection of a type of audible pedestrian signals based on intersection characteristics.Since many participants reported a lower sense of safety when faced with concurrent phasing, it is recommended that more intensive orientation and mobility interventions be provided to blind or visually impaired pedestrians who use this type of traffic signals.Educating road users about blind or visually impaired pedestrians appears also essential.

Strengths and limitations of the Inclusive Society research model: an autoethnography.

Purpose: The Inclusive Society partnership research model aims to promote change in society for people with disabilities by supporting research teams composed of researchers and partner organizations. The objective of this article is to identify the strengths and limitations of this research model.Material and methods: An autoethnography approach was used. Thematic analysis of four methods was undertaken: semi-directed interviews with members of the research teams funded by Inclusive Society (researchers, partners), a focus group with the Inclusive Society's intersectoral collaboration agents, their logbooks, and Inclusive Society's annual reports.Results: Strengths and limitations of the Inclusive Society model were identified through their networking activities, the role and support of the intersectoral collaboration agents and the partnership research program.Conclusions: Networking activities are an essential element of Inclusive Society. They are indispensable for composing intersectoral research teams that will work on answering needs of people with disabilities. Intersectoral collaboration agents are also a strength of the model, but their role could be clarified to better frame what tasks are in their scope of practice and what the research teams could ask from them. Finally, the research program eligibility criteria could be improved to support, among others, the projects' appropriation phases.

Networking activities stimulate the creation of intersectoral research teams centered on answering the needs of people with disabilities that are identified in the fieldHired facilitators can play an important role in the emergence of research teams, merging the academic and non-academic worlds, and supporting the teams during their research projectIn participatory research projects, some funding should be reserved to support the partner organization's participation and the appropriation phase of the research projects.

Implementation Determinants of Knowledge Mobilization within a Quebec Municipality to Improve Universal Accessibility.

According to the UN-CRPD, cities must develop action plans about universal accessibility (UA). Operationalization of these plans is complex, and little is known about what municipal employees know about UA. AIM: The aim is to document implementation determinants of UA within a municipal organization in Quebec, Canada. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was performed. Employees answered a survey based on the TDF and the DIBQ. Facilitators, barriers, and factors influencing the determinants were identified. RESULTS: A total of 43% of the employees completed the survey. The implementation of UA measures is more facilitated by their beliefs about the impact on citizens, while the external context hinders the proper implementation. It is also influenced by six factors: (1) professional role, (2) capacity, (3) resources, (4) willingness, (5) characteristics, and (6) feedback. DISCUSSION: Results suggest that understanding the consequences, sufficient resources, abilities, and willingness can influence implementation of UA. CONCLUSION: These findings have informed the objectives of the next action plan of the municipal organization and could guide the development of solutions.

Usability evaluation of detectable warning surfaces in Quebec City (Canada): an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: International standards govern the installation of detectable warning surfaces in urban environments. However, the application of these standards at the local level poses many challenges due to contextual differences. METHODS: The aim of this qualitative cross-sectional study was to evaluate the usability of detectable warning surfaces installed in Quebec City (Canada) with people with visual impairments. Nineteen participants with various profiles visited two sites where the detectable warning surfaces had been installed. They tested the surfaces as well as adjacent urban facilities following a pedestrian route. They were then interviewed about what they thought of the detectable warning surfaces: their usefulness, messages transmitted, locations chosen, how safe they make users feel, types of environment in which they should be installed, how detectable they are, their advantages and disadvantages, and any desired improvements. RESULTS: Generally, the participants understood the messages transmitted by the warning surfaces and were in favor of their installation. They identified some disadvantages and suggested various improvements. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide important information concerning the usability of detectable warning surfaces for partners and stakeholders in Quebec City and also contribute to the international literature in this field.Implications for rehabilitationDetectable warning surfaces increase the readability or use of road infrastructures by people with visual impairments. They make it easier for them to get around independently.This project supports the importance of establishing an effective communication plan, particularly with the aim of clarifying the contexts of implantation and the messages transmitted by the detectable warning surfaces to the people with visual impairments. Training could systematically be offered to them by an orientation and mobility specialist.It is also important to inform and educate the general public and bus drivers about the presence of detectable warning surfaces. Information could be transmitted via some community organizations and the public transit networks.In order to effectively coordinate the implantation process of detectable warning surfaces, communication and consultation between the various stakeholders are essential, including the designers, the municipalities and the concerned government authorities.