The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69649

Susan Stark, PhD¹, Holly Hollingsworth, PhD², Kerri Morgan, MS OTR/L², and David B. Gray, PhD². (1) Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University, Program in Occupational Therapy, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, Campus Box 8505, St. Louis, MO 63108, (2) Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University, 4444 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108

Ecological Receptivity refers to the transactional relationship between the features of the community environment and the attributes of individuals with disabilities that influence his or her participation in community. In order to identify the features of the environment that effect the receptivity of the place for a group of persons with mobility limitations, we developed the Community Health Environment Checklist (CHEC).

Materials and Methods: During the first phase of the development of this instrument, a participatory action research approach was utilized. Twenty-five people with various mobility impairments were interviewed using a cognitive mapping exercise and open ended interview questions. Using a constant comparison technique, environmental features and destinations relevant to the social participation of individuals with disabilities were identified. These domains were then used in the development of a community environmental assessment. In phase 2 the CHEC was pilot tested, reviewed by experts and field tested in the several local buildings to produce a final draft. In phase 3, formal validation studies were performed on 122 buildings in three different communities.

Results: The final draft addressed 22 domains of the environment using a 65 item checklist. The validation studies showed the questionnaire to be internally consistent (Cronbach's alpha = .95).

Conclusions: The new CHEC is a valid and reliable instrument that is expected to become a standard measure to evaluate the impact of the environment on the social participation of persons with mobility limitations.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the role of Participation Action Research Methods in developing valid instruments for persons with mobility impariments.
• Understand the relevance of cognitive mapping in developing an objective measure of the built environment.
• Describe the reliability and validity of a new instrument designed to be a standard measure to evaluate the impact of the environment on the social participation of persons with mobility limitations.

Keywords: Environment, Disability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.