title: Using a Participatory Action Research Design to Develop an Application Together with Young Adults with Spina Bifida.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Young adults with spina bifida often have cognitive difficulties. As a result, young adults with disabilities are facing challenges with respect to housing, education, relationships and vocation which increases risk of unemployment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim is to describe a method to develop a smartphone application together with young adults with spina bifida as an assistive technology for cognition.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a Participatory Action Research approach, young adults (n = 5) with spina bifida were individually interviewed with Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). The participants' restrictions in everyday life activities, identified by COPM, were discussed in a focus group formed by the young adults and the result was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Developing the application the principles of Human-Centered-Design and Universal Design was followed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An application made for iOS with a focus on usability and worthiness, done by creating a clear and intuitive interface, with a calendar function useful for example to initiate and plan social activities was developed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The method seems useful when the outcome from the project, a beta version of an application for iOS Smartphone, was achieved in agreement with the participants. The study highlight the importance of involving individuals with disabilities when developing smartphone applications.
authors: Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden.
authors: Helene
authors: H
authors: Lidström
authors: Health and Habilitation Centre, Uppsala County Council, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Magnus
authors: M
authors: Lindskog-Wallander
authors: Health and Habilitation Centre, Uppsala County Council, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Arnemo
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006804:Ergonomics; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000068997:Smartphone; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000523:psychology*; D013548:Sweden; D014584:User-Computer Interface