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Authors: H. Stephen Kaye, Ph.D., Taewoon Kang, Ph.D., Mitchell P. LaPlante, Ph.D.
Report 14
June 2000
INTRODUCTION | HIGHLIGHTS | DATA SOURCE AND ACCURACY | POPULATION ESTIMATES AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC COMPARISONS | HEALTH AND DISABILITY STATUS | HEALTH CONDITIONS AND IMPAIRMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH MOBILITY DEVICE USE | ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES AND PROBLEMS | HEALTH INSURANCE | CONCLUSIONS | REFERENCE | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Assistive devices--such as wheelchairs, scooters, canes, crutches, and walkers--are effective ways to alleviate the impact of mobility limitations for many people, allowing improved ambulation and independence. Because the U.S. population is aging, the use of assistive devices by people with mobility impairments is of increasing importance. Assistive technology may be responsible for the observed reduction in the level of activity limitation at older ages (Manton, Corder, and Stallard, 1993).
The use of mobility devices has grown in recent years (LaPlante, Hendershot, and Moss, 1992), with the populations using wheelchairs and walkers doubling from 1980 to 1990. Crutch and cane use also increased by 14 percent and 53 percent, respectively, over this period. Growth in the usage of these devices continued from 1990 to 1994 (Russell, Hendershot, LeClere, Howie, and Adler, 1997), far exceeding what could be attributed to the aging of the population. It is likely that improved survival of trauma patients has also contributed to the growth in mobility device use. However, significant improvements in the design of mobility devices, both in function and image, have also fueled this growth. While financing may have become more available, it remains the case that about half of people or their families pay for devices solely on their own. The unmet need for devices is substantial, with the primary barrier being that people simply cannot afford to purchase them.
Although mobility device users represent only a relatively small minority of the population with disabilities, their importance transcends their numbers. Mobility devices, especially wheelchairs, are highly visible signs of disability; they have even become symbols in themselves of the concept of disability. Understanding the magnitude and characteristics of the population using these assistive technologies is therefore of particular importance.
For mobility devices to be used effectively, the environments in which they are used must be accessible. Yet, there is little data on the extent of accessibility barriers faced by people who use these devices.
This report focuses on the population using devices, providing a detailed profile of their demographic characteristics; health and disability status, including diagnoses and impairments, physical functioning, and activities of daily living; and health insurance status. More significantly, the report addresses the accessibility of mobility device users' homes and larger environments, demonstrating that improvements in physical accessibility remain a priority for millions of mobility device users who still experience accessibility barriers.