Playful Interactive Systems to Support Physical Activity Among Wheelchair Users

Abstract

Health benefits associated with physical activity (PA) are widely accepted; however, nearly two-thirds of people with disabilities are not active enough to achieve health benefits. This is due to several unique environmental, programmatic and attitudinal barriers. Technology can be leveraged to reduce these barriers, e.g., Kinect being used to create movement-based games for children with mobility impairment. However, wheelchair-accessible games have not previously been built to address moderate-to-vigorous level exercise provision for wheelchair users. This PhD project will explore how to create game-based solutions to facilitate exercise and PA among wheelchair users, seeking to answer the following research questions: How do wheelchair users engage with PA and technology, how can we build playful systems to support wheelchair user's efforts to stay or become active, and can playful interactive systems facilitate positive exercise and PA experiences among wheelchair users? It is hoped that this work will actionable insights into the creation of game-based solutions to facilitate exercise and PA among wheelchair users.