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Acquiring Assistive Technology for Vision and Hearing Impairments: The Experience of End Users as Consumers in Canada

This study used survey methodology to investigate the experience of acquiring assistive technology, from learning about products, to purchasing and paying for them, to evaluating how well they perform. It examined both the challenges faced and the factors that may help people acquire products. The participants were 251 adults with vision and hearing impairments, recruited from across Canada. The results revealed that the high cost of products and lack of funding for assistive technology were the main barriers faced by respondents. Intermediaries, such as community organizations and health care providers, were found to be important facilitators of access to assistive technology. Financial support to cover product costs increased respondents’ access to higher cost items. While the majority of respondents were quite or very satisfied with their products, hearing product consumers were less satisfied than vision product consumers, yet were likely to have paid more for their products.

  1. http://hdl.handle.net/1882/958
Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:UNB.1882/958
Date January 2007
CreatorsHill, Mary E.
ContributorsBiden, E. N.
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation

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