Parental experiences on the role of wheelchairs in the lives of their children with mobility impairments: a qualitative exploration in Dubai.

PURPOSE: To explore parental experiences on the role of wheelchairs in the lives of their children with mobility impairments in Dubai. METHODS: Seven participants were recruited through purposive sampling and their experiences were explored by conducting semi-structured interviews. The audio recordings were transcribed and thematically analysed. RESULTS: The findings showed that wheelchairs were an essential part of the children`s lives, which enabled their participation in the home, the school and the community. Procurement processes were difficult owing to a lack of assessment and prescription processes as well as insurance companies providing little assistance with payment. The participants described Dubai as a wheelchair friendly city and two overarching themes emerged; firstly, The wheelchair: "It is her life", and, secondly, Participation: Isolation versus inclusion. CONCLUSION: The study is the first of its kind in Dubai and indicated that the wheelchair played an important role in the children's lives and allowed participation in life roles that brought joy and fulfilment. Without wheelchairs, children would be isolated and frustrated. However, some of the participants were not satisfied with their child's current wheelchair and felt the chair was not appropriate. Recommendations to specific stakeholders included: the development of policies to guide wheelchair service provision by government. In addition, insurance providers could collaborate with the government to adhere to the policy to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe wheelchair provided children the mobility to participate in life roles instead of being isolated.Not all children had appropriate wheelchairs.Service providers and medical insurance did not give sufficient support during wheelchair selection and procurement.