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ERIC Number: ED348833
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1992-Jul
Pages: 62
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Listening to the Experts: The Views of Working-Aged Consumers with Disabilities. Consumer Needs Assessment Project Year Four: Results of the Fourth Year of a Five Year Study.
Ward, Carolyn
This monograph details the findings from the fourth year of a 5-year Consumer Needs Assessment Project. Sixteen focus groups consisting of 133 working-aged persons (25 to 60 years old) with disabilities were convened in 3 different parts of the United States to discuss their personal and technological needs. Consumers identified problems they face in participating actively within their communities. They described attitudinal barriers, their need for human assistance, and obstacles to their use of public and private transportation and accommodations. They also considered workplace issues, including technology and its impact on their employment. They provided recommendations on ways to alleviate social and physical impediments in varied settings. They considered the implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act on these issues. The focus group participants also considered product design features, costs, instructions, repairs, and safety concerns. Consumers spoke about their need for objective information about products, and recommended developing working partnerships among designers, manufacturers, and consumers with disabilities. Consumer observations about specific products are noted, including mobility devices, telecommunication devices, televisions, and computers. Wish list items wanted by individuals with blindness and visual impairments, deafness and hearing impairments, manual dexterity impairments, and mobility impairments are described. A moderator's guide for use with focus groups is attached. (JDD)
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Inst. on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: Electronic Industries Foundation, Washington, DC. Rehabilitation Engineering Center.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A