The assessment of the influence of AT on the lives of people with SCI is important for several reasons. First, people with SCI rely of assistive technology (AT) for engaging in many life activities. Determining the change in their lives pre and post intervention with AT may provide essential information for the selection of AT that best fits life styles, justification for the purchase of AT for third party payment, and formation of a data base that can be used to advocate for social policy change in support of the provision of AT. An outcome measure that can show changes in participation in the community with AT can be critical to demonstrating to payers the effects of AT. This same tool could also be used to determine the effectiveness of various types of AT and various types of service delivery models for delivering AT. The purpose of this study is to test the ability of surveys - Participation Survey (PARTS) and Facilitators and Barriers Survey (FABS) - to detect changes in participation by individuals with spinal cord injuries who get new wheelchairs and/or seating systems. This study will compare the influence of current and newly acquired wheelchairs on the participation of people with SCI in 13 major life activities in three settings-home, community and work or school. This project is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh. |