Fange, A. & Iwarsson, S. (2005). Changes in accessibility and usability in housing. Occupational Therapy International, 12(1): 44-59.

Summary:

• This study evaluates the importance of removing physical barriers in the home to make it more usable and accessible to the individuals that reside there
• 131 clients received grants for housing adaptations and accessibility and usability of their home was evaluated by using a longitudinal design
• 3 assessments occurred over the course of the study: one at baseline before the housing adaptations, once at 2-3 months, and once at 8-9 months
• The instruments used to evaluate the effectiveness of the home adaptations were the Housing Enabler and the Usability In My Home tool
• It was clear that accessibility and usability increased a significant amount over the course of the study  but at different times during the process  depending on the client, and the number of physical barriers decreased in the home over the course of the study
• The results of this study indicate the importance of considering the Person-Environment relationship when making adaptations in the home

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