Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114874

Elaine G. Gerber, PhD, American Foundation for the Blind, 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001, 212-502-7644, gerber@afb.net and Corinne E. Kirchner, PhD, Department of Policy Research and Program Evaluation, American Foundation for the Blind, 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001.

Much research on physical activity for people with impairments has been unnecessarily limited by imprecise usage of the ICF conceptual framework. Specifically, common use of the term "mobility impairments" applies it only to persons whose motor ability is impaired as a long-term result of neurological or orthopedic pathologies. That usage confounds the ICF conceptual dimensions of "impairments" and "activities." We propose for greater clarity that the term "mobility" be used to refer to activities (getting around in the environment), and not to describe "impairments." Then it becomes obvious that "mobility" is an issue not only for people with "motor impairments" (those usually labeled "mobility impaired"), but also and importantly for people with visual impairments (also, those with cognitive or hearing impairments, etc). Based on that insight, and focusing on the ICF's environmental dimension, we have designed research (funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's "Active Living" program) that includes four study groups, all with mobility limitations, some having visual impairments and others, motor impairments. The groups are defined not by their impairments, but by the types of assistive mobility technology (AMT) they use to access the environment: guide dog users; long cane users; motorized wheelchair users, and manual wheelchair users. The study uses quantitative methods (surveys and physical exertion instruments) and qualitative methods (observation, in-depth interviews) to study physical activity in an urban community. We will report findings indicating whether the AMTs or the impairment types are more effective predictors of community barriers and facilitators to physical activity.

Learning Objectives:

• To learn about the ICF “EF” categories, in particular, e1201.
• To consider what mobility limitations are faced by people with different (motor and non-motor) impairments
• To consider whether and how policy implications change as a result of a broader definition of “mobility limitations”

Keywords: Disability, ICIDH-2

Related Web page: www.afb.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.