Influence of disability type on upper-limb motor skills

Abstract

This study was carried out in order to determine the effect of physical disability (paraplegia) and sensory disability (deafness) on motor skills of the upper limbs. Studies were distinguished by two parameters: the nature of the control curve (sine or random) and the magnitude of the isometric force exerted on the lever (10 N, 20 N, 40 N, 80 N). A comparison of the quality of manual force control in a visual detection task among groups of people with sensory disability (deaf), people with physical disability (paraplegic) and people without disability showed differences among those groups. Values of force above 20 N create conditions of lower quality of control and of direction of force exertion outside the body. At the same time, the study proved that people with some types of disability can perform certain work tasks as effectively as people without disability.