Adaptive outdoor physical activities for adults with mobility disability: a scoping review.
Pegah Derakhshan, William C Miller, Andrea Bundon and 3 others
PMID 38259872WHAT IT FOUND
Participation in adaptive outdoor activities depends less on the disability itself and more on program design.
Barriers include cost, lack of trained staff, and inaccessible transport. Facilitators involve equipment that looks like standard gear, shared control options, and peer mentors.
Key findings
01Barriers and facilitators were categorized into four levels: intrapersonal, social/environmental, physical/environmental, and policy-related.
02Intrapersonal factors, such as attitude, self-perception, and fear of risk, were the most frequently identified influences on participation.
03Design recommendations focused on Universal Design principles, such as making equipment look similar to able-bodied gear to reduce stigma, and offering shared-control options to balance safety with autonomy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The review only included studies published in English, potentially overlooking relevant research from non-English speaking countries. All included studies were from developed countries (US, Canada, Europe, Australia), so findings may not apply to settings with less developed accessibility infrastructure. Only 20 studies were included, which is a small number for a scoping review, limiting the breadth of evidence. The review did not assess the quality or risk of bias of the included studies.
Declared interests
The authors declared no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these design recommendations have been tested for efficacy. This review synthesizes barriers and suggested designs from qualitative and descriptive studies; it does not prove that implementing these changes increases participation or health outcomes.