Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-73). Also available via the Internet.

D.Phil.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

The role of engineering in the rehabilitation of the disabled has been steadily increasing in recent years. With the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, that role has taken on a new level of importance. Uncomfortable with the qualitative, disability-oriented assessment tools of their special education, occupational and physical therapists, and medical teammates, engineers have come to rely more and more on their own quantitative assessment devices. Among these, the Available Motions Inventory (AMI) has shown great promise as a tool for the development of job modifications for the moderately disabled individual. From its seventy-one sub-tests, the AMI provides raw and processed data on an individual's capability to manipulate switches, orient settings, and demonstrate strength, as well as perform light assembly tasks. Included in the output is a weighted set of scores showing the subject's strength, range of motion, and reach/reaction capabilities. However, the AMI has its drawbacks. The scoring algorithms can underestimate the capabilities of subjects who fail to perform certain tasks, and it will not permit recombination or selective omission of the various sub-tests. This study examined the feasibility of employing the AMI analysis algorithms using a spreadsheet format for the purpose of better analyzing the data generated by persons with limited range of motion disabilities. Ten Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) were asked to analyze a series of data profiles and place the individuals described by the profiles into one of four job options. The data profiles are the AMI scores for individuals falling into one of three categories of disability: normal, hemiplegic, and limited range of motion. The jobs increase in difficulty from a position of non-feasible employment to employment as a pizza chef. The data generated were analyzed using the Sign Test. The results showed that a difference does exist between the current scoring system and the updated system in the placement of individuals. A difference between the systems was established for the case involving individuals with a limited range of motion. More importantly, the SMEs frequently chose more complex jobs for individuals with limited range of motion, suggesting that the new system provides a more realistic picture of this category of disabled persons. The results of this research permit a more effective use of the AMI by implementing an updated scoring system. The new system allows for several increased benefits during analysis. The scoring system is based on an EXCEL spreadsheet, thus it is operable in both the PC, Windows and Apple environments. Better data control and manipulation allows for better representation of an individual's capabilities. The system operates in the same manner as the existing system; however, the spreadsheet design allows for customization of the data output. Finally, it is believed that the use of the new system will increase the chance of job placement for severely disabled individuals with a limited range of motion. / Master of Science

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

For over 20 years occupational therapists have been using functional capacity evaluations to provide information about individuals’ ability to work after a musculoskeletal injury. An important component of these evaluations is the determination of the clients’ level of effort during the assessment. Only when a client puts forth high effort are the results considered an accurate measure of their work ability. This qualitative study explored therapists’ perception of the process of determining effort. Consistent with the literature, the results show that effort is a complex construct that is not easily defined, understood, or consistently assessed in practice. The participants in this study spoke about their own struggles defining, explaining, and assessing effort within the medico-legal context of an insurance system. The study results suggest support is needed for clinicians to navigate multiple client contexts, and the term ‘effort’ needs to be conceptualized in line with current knowledge about disability.

Thesis (D.Phil.(Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2005. / Includes bibliography.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of program type and selected predictor variables on the vocational placement and feelings of self-esteem of disabled male workers. It was predicted that: (1) a physical capacity assessment program (PCA), designed by the investigator, would result in a higher rate of successful vocational placement than conventional placement techniques, in a shorter period of time and with a better vocational match; (2) increased measures of self-esteem would be experienced by the PCA group and at a more significant level than conventional vocational programs; (3) there would not be a significant interaction between the vocational placement variables and the independent variables of age, degree of disability and injury type; and (4) there would not be a significant effect of selected moderator variables between groups on the vocational placement variables. Fifty disabled workers were randomly selected from the active caseloads of the Vocational Rehabilitation Department of the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia for participation in the study. Their average age was 33.32 years, and their average length of time on wage loss was 245 days. All subjects were injured as the result of an industrial accident, were no longer undergoing medical treatment, had been cleared for a return to work but were suffering from a residual disability that prevented them from returning to the work force. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions involving vocational counselling with job search training (JS) and vocational counselling with physical capacity assessment (PCA). Following completion of the program, subjects began job search activities and were monitored for a period of 6 months or until successful vocational placement was achieved. Data analyses showed that: there was a significant main effect between groups for success in vocational placement with PCA placing more subjects than job search; there were no significant differences between groups on measures of self-esteem following completion of the programs; there was a significant interaction effect of age, degree of disability and type of injury with success in vocational placement and; there was a significant interaction effect of several moderator variables including marital status and length of time on wage loss with success in vocational placement and time to vocational placement. The results tend to support the use of physical capacity assessment for the guantification of individual capacity to perform work. Further, the results suggest that the use of PCA information in the identification and selection of appropriate vocational alternatives can significantly enhance the success of vocational placement disabled workers. Recommendations were made for future research. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

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