Introduction

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratified in 2006 aims to promote, protect, and ensure full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect and dignity. However, people with mobility issues continue to experience inequitable access and restricted participation in meaningful activities, often leading to marginalization or exclusion from desired social roles in their communities. Assistive technologies and related services or policies are critical to facilitate mobility and community participation for people with disabilities. Technologies may range from low-tech interventions that consider human behaviour and learning to ground-breaking technologies in engineering and tech design to facilitate environmental and social access, such as participation in activities of daily living, employment, education, personal relationships, social roles, and leisure activities.

Invitation for contributions

This session invites presentations on innovative ideas, visions, experiences, projects involving different knowledge users, best practices, reviews and research ideas, development and evaluation on topics related, but not restricted to, assistive mobility devices, navigation technologies, pedestrian environment, public transport, participation in vocational, leisure and physical activities.

The session is organized and promoted by Social Participation and Inclusive Cities and Mobility Access Participation, two partnership research teams working to improve community access for people with disabilities in all dimensions of urban and rural territories through research with and empowerment of the disability community. Participatory action research and partnership approaches are encouraged to ensure people with disabilities and relevant partners have a voice in the research and resulting outcomes. Deliverables result in innovative solutions that reduce or eliminate environmental, social, and physical barriers to the community participation of people with disabilities.

Chairs

Krista Best, Université Laval, Québec, Canada, krista.best@fmed.ulaval.ca

François Routhier, Université Laval, Québec, Canada, francois.routhier@rea.ulaval.ca