Designing appropriate rehabilitation technology: a mobility device for women with ambulatory disabilities in India

Mobility is an essential requirement for personal independence and social p articipation. For persons with an ambulatory disability, a lack of mobility creates barriers to the realization of these goals. In developed countries , significant research and development has resulted in the technological ad vancement of assistive devices. Unfortunately, transfer of these technologi es to developing countries has proven difficult. Consequently, effort has b een directed at designing appropriate technology in these countries - most often in the form of wheelchairs and hand-driven tricycles. For activities within and around the home, however, especially in cultures where many acti vities are traditionally performed on the floor, wheelchairs and tricycles are often inappropriate solutions. In response to this, a novel mobility de vice has been designed for use by women with ambulatory disabilities living in rural and low-income areas of India. The device is intended to assist t he user in performing activities of daily living which occur within and nea r the home, and at ground level. To this end, the device conceptually diffe rs from traditional wheelchair designs in that it physically keeps the ride r near to the floor. This paper describes the new device as well as the cro ss-cultural and cross-professional collaborative methodology used in its de sign.