WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY - LIVING THE EXPERIENCE - FUNCTION IN THE COMMUNITY

In this study, we explored the perceptions of three people who use whe elchairs (an elderly person, a mid-life business owner and a child) ab out the current architectural accessibility issues in their communitie s. Employing naturalistic inquiry design, we also explored the partici pants' perceptions about the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) on their access to public goods and services. The d ata were generated from in-depth interviews. The data revealed that th e participants were not well-informed about the ADA standards and, the refore, were uninformed of their civil rights, although they were know ledgeable about architectural accessibility problems and recent improv ements. They also identified issues of social roles and relationships relative to accessibility and physical barriers. Understanding the per ceptions of three individuals from different age ranges may have impli cations for the role of rehabilitation personnel, and occupational the rapists in particular, in providing Education and empowerment to bridg e entry or re-entry into community settings fbr people who rely on whe elchairs for mobility.