Sustainable solutions for wheelchair and seating assistive technology provision: Presenting a cosmopolitan narrative with rich pictures

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Concepts of sustainability are beginning to emerge in relation to appropriate provision of wheelchair and seating assistive technology (WSAT) from design to follow up and management. OBJECTIVES: 1. Raising awareness and understanding of and actively considering the complex nature of stakeholders’ participation in the wheelchair and seating provision. 2. Establishing a consensus regarding key goals and sustainability indicators when developing an action plan for sustainable wheelchair and seating provision systems, that would allow for effective process monitoring and measurement. METHOD:Qualitative research design, involving key stakeholder perspectives by utilising a soft systems methodological framework including organisational ethnography and critical participatory action research was chosen to study this complex system. Research processes involved participant observation, individual interviews and a series of collaborative workshops. These processes were made up of four main pillars: 1) stakeholder identification, 2) understanding perspectives, 3) meaningful collaboration and 4) strategy development. Pillars 2 and 3, sought to understand stakeholder perspectives individually and collectively, are addressed in this article. RESULTS: Pillar 2 presents rich pictures which were created to represent collective experiences of wheelchair and seating provision. Pillar 3 presents solutions for building sustainable systems. Findings identified the complexity of the system and key areas for development. Specific concerns reported to exist related to individual and nationwide organisational roles, responsibilities and regulation which appeared to influence the disproportionate rhythm of the wheelchair and seating provision system. CONCLUSIONS: A better understanding of this primary need is required to set provision of WSAT for prioritisation at a public and policy level both nationally and internationally.