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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

H. Stephen Kaye, PhD¹, Myisha Reed, BA², Patricia Yeager, MS², and Tanis Doe, PhD². (1) Institute for Health & Aging, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 340, San Francisco, CA 94118, 415-502-7266, steve.kaye@ucsf.edu, (2) California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, 1029 J Street, Suite 120, Sacramento, CA 95814

Assistive technology offers a path to greater independence and increased participation for people with all types of disabilities. A survey of 2,000 randomly selected consumers using Independent Living Centers throughout California provides data on usage of various assistive technology (AT) devices, along with respondent sociodemographic, economic, and disability characteristics. Tabulations reveal substantial usage disparities by age, race, ethnicity, educational attainment, income, and type of disability. Statistical modeling allows for a more nuanced picture of the factors influencing AT usage. For example, age no longer predicts overall AT usage once educational attainment is added to the logistic regression model; minority group status remains a negative predictor, however. For usage of specific devices among the relevant disability groups, predictors vary. Early age of onset predicts electric wheelchair usage, while late onset predicts usage of canes and walkers. Higher education and disability beneficiary status predict vision-related technology usage. Minority status is negatively associated with vision, hearing, and computer technology usage. Mental health disability is negatively associated with mobility device and computer technology usage. Although educational attainment predicts usage generally, income is significant only for usage of adapted vehicles. Expressed unmet need for AT is positively predicted by higher education and beneficiary status, but negatively predicted by age and minority status. These findings highlight the need to address racial and ethnic disparities in AT usage and awareness, and to increase awareness generally of the potential benefits of AT. Disparities by funding source, and the association between mental health and AT usage, merit further study.

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

• Describe factors that predict usage of assistive technology among people with various disabilities.
• Prioritize interventions to increase assistive technology usage among underserved groups.

Keywords: Disability, Technology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation