Affiliations:
Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health & Human Services, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Sajay Arthanat, Ph.D., OTR/L, ATP, Associate Professor, Department of Occupational
Therapy, College of Health & Human Services, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA. Tel.: +1 603
862 1625; Fax: +1 603 862 0778; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Assistive Technology (AT) devices are vastly used by individuals with disabilities in their workplace to accommodate their disability and enable productivity. However, barriers and gaps with integration and use of AT in workplace are well documented in literature. OBJECTIVE:This research study demonstrates the application of a systematic evaluation framework, the Usability Scale for Assistive Technology-Workplace, to examine the usability of work-related AT devices for employees, employers, and vocational rehabilitation providers to identify gaps and optimize the implementation of AT. The framework is fundamentally driven by the employee’s vocational context and range of work-related tasks, and comprehensively accounts AT devices and related accommodations that address each task. METHODS:Five employees with different motor and sensory impairments are presented as case scenarios to highlight the application of the evaluation framework. RESULTS:By using the evaluation framework, it was found that the employees in general were successful in the use of AT devices and rated their productivity as high. However, some unique as well as common barriers were also reported and pertained to technical knowledge and training, reliability and compatibility of the AT devices, and limitations in accessibility. CONCLUSION:Future research is required to derive and establish a standardized evaluation tool using the framework.
