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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Home-Based Monitor for Gait and Activity Analysis
Published on: August 8, 2019
Development of a method for evaluating accessibility of medical equipment for patients with disabilities
Molly Follette Story1, Jack M Winters, Melissa R Lemke
1University of California, Berkeley, Bioengineering, 1301 S 46th Street, Bldg 163, Richmond, CA 94804, United States.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to develop a method for evaluating accessibility of medical equipment for patients with disabilities.
Methods:
The researchers reviewed videotapes of patient-participants with various physical and sensory disabilities using different types of medical equipment. For each of 11 videotapes, four observers independently identified and documented access and safety barriers, such as physical, sensory, cognitive, and environmental barriers. Inter-observer variability for identifying barrier presence was assessed with kappa statistics for pairs of observers.
Results:
A list of 10 access and safety barriers was developed through an iterative consensus process, which identified design features of medical equipment that presented difficulties for participants with disabilities. The list is useful for identifying and categorizing accessibility problems found in equipment. While reliability of barrier identification was substantial or moderate for some barriers, reconciliation of barrier events identified by multiple video observers is recommended for optimal results.