Needs for mobility devices, home modifications and personal assistance among Canadians with disabilities

People with disabilities often require assistive devices, modifications to their home environment, and physical assistance to facilitate mobility. This study examines self-reported met and unmet needs of people with disabilities who use wheeled mobility devices, compared with non-users.

The 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability followed up with 45,442 individuals who reported a disability on the 2011 National Household Survey, and obtained a 75% response rate. Descriptive statistics with variance estimates and 95% confidence intervals were used to compare wheeled mobility device users and non-users.

Nearly 10% of wheeled mobility device users identified an unmet need for an additional mobility device. Compared with non-users, they were twice as likely to modify their home with a ramp and three times as likely to install a lift. The prevalence of unmet need for each type of residence adaptation among wheeled mobility device users was at least double that of non-users. Wheeled mobility device users received assistance with an average of 4.4 activities, compared with 2.0 for non-users, and reported an average of 1.9 activities for which assistance was needed but not received. About one in three relied on paid assistance; for 14% of those who paid for assistance, out-of-pocket expenses amounted to $10,000 or more annually, compared with 2% among non-users.

Wheeled mobility device users reported a higher prevalence of met and unmet needs for residence modifications than did non-users. They required help with more activities of life on a more frequent basis, with greater dependence on paid individuals, resulting in higher out-of-pocket expenses. Power and manual wheelchair users reported greater needs than did mobility scooter users.