Courage and hope : Towards an evolving paradigm of inclusive and transformational dis/ability research
- Authors: Marks, Genee
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 7th International Conference on Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations, Amsterdam, The Netherlands : 3rd-6th July 2007
- Full Text: false
- Description: It has been argued by researchers in the field of dis/ability research that it is not possible for participatory research to be both inclusive and transformational, let alone emancipatory. In this paper I challenge that notion, and posit that in order for such research to be emancipatory, researchers and theoreticians in the field must develop new and eclectic ways of framing the problem, so that rather than losing hope and courage in our desires to be inclusive, our work is truly transformational. This paper addresses constructions of difference, drawing on a wide range of perspectives and theories, including Foucault's heteropia, Mestizaje and Borderland Theory (Anzaldua, 1987; Pallotta-Chiarolli and Lubowitz, 2003), Pagtatanong-tatong (Pe-Pua, 1989), Probin's (1996) work on "outside belonging" Freire's (1994) work on a pedagogy of hope, and the more recent work of Zournazi (2002) on hope as a new philosophy for change. Through this diversity of perspectives, I works towards presenting a new paradigm that, while applying specifically to dis/ability research, may be generalised to wider contexts of diversity, difference and culture. It is my intention to propose such a model, drawing on post-structuralist notions and critical theory within a post-modern milieu, and argue that participatory research with people with dis/ability as co-researchers may be both inclusive and emancipatory, rather than transformational research having the potential to be disempowering. I will contend that as researchers, we need to maintain hope, and indeed courage (Walkerdine, 2003) in our persistence to develop research paradigms and theories that have the potential to be emancipatory.
The Horsham awakenings disability arts festival
- Authors: Schwarz, Eric , Tait, Robin
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australasian Parks & Leisure Vol. 9, no. 3 (2006), p. 12-14
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- Description: The aim of the study was to investigate the benefits of performing arts participants receive from involvement in the Awakenings Festival.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003002145
Since I came to work at DAL I don't have a disability
- Authors: Marks, Genee
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Making meaning: creating connections that value diversity Conference 2005, Brisbane : 1st June, 2006
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Corio Bay Innovators, trading as dal Gourmet Café and Catering, is an innovative supported training and employment service that operates a gourmet catering service and two retail cafes in Geelong. Currently, dal has around forty staff who receive federal or state disability funding, and about half as many support staff. Rather than being seen as an agency providing supported employment, dal is regarded as a successful and competitive business that is very popular locally, and is in demand in the hospitality sector. Yet dal’s primary purpose is not the friendly service, great atmosphere, and delicious food, but the creation of a range of innovative employment opportunities in a caring work environment for adults who have been labeled as having disabilities. Most significant, however, is the extremely strong emphasis on inclusion in the local community, in combination with an actively supportive and empowering workplace. Staff at dal have voted that they do not want to be labelled as having disabilities but to have it noted that they have special needs. While the choice of such terminology may not necessarily be in line with current “politically correct” discourse, it is a choice that is respected at dal. It is a description worn with pride in difference and collective identification adopted by other oppressed communities and acknowledged by Meekosha (2000) and Barton (2003). While exploring dal as a model of best practice in training young people for the hospitality industry, this paper will explore the conflicts raised by contrasts between the voices of the staff at dal and the discourses of educators and trainers, in an attempt to develop a sustainable model for the future.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001340
Identity and ownership : Since I came to work at dal I don’t have a disability
- Authors: Marks, Genee
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: The International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations Vol. 6, no. 5 (2006), p. 107-124
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- Description: Corio Bay Innovators, trading as dal Gourmet Cafe and Catering, is an innovative supported training and employment service that operates a gounnet catering service and two retail cafes in Geelong. Currently, dal has around forty staff who receive federal or state disability funding, and about half as many support staff. Rather than being seen as an agency providing supported employment, dal is regarded as a successful and competitive business that is very popular locally, and is in demand in the hospitality sector. Yet dals primary purpose is not the friendly service, great atmosphere, and delicious food, but the creation of a range of innovative employment opportunities in a caring work environment for adults who have been labeled as having disabilities. Most significant, however, is the extremely strong emphasis on inclusion in the local community, in combination with an actively supportive and empowering workplace. Staff at dal have voted that they do not want to be labelled as having disabilities but to have it noted that they have special needs. While the choice of such termninology may not necessarily be in line with current "politically correct" discourse, it is a choice that is respected at dal. It is a description worn with pride in difference and collective identification adopted by Other oppressed communities and acknowledged by Meekosha (2000) and Barton (2003). While exploring dal as a model of best practice in training young people for the hospitality industry, this paper will explore the conflicts raised by contrasts between the voices ofthe staffat dal and the discourses of educators and trainers, in an attempt to develop a sustainable model for the future.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003002384
University education for all? Barriers to full inclusion of students with disabilities in Australian universities
- Authors: Ryan, Janette , Struhs, John
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Inclusive Education Vol. 8, no. 1 (2004), p. 73-90
- Full Text: false
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- Description: In Australia, anti-discrimination legislation and government policies have been introduced which aim to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities in employment and education. However in the area of nursing, attitudinal barriers persist that effectively hinder the full participation of people with disabilities in nurse education programs. These attitudinal barriers prevail despite such legislative and policy changes, and run counter to changing community views about disability. Normative assumptions about the ideal attributes of nurses appear to influence these attitudes, especially in the area of admission of students with disabilities to nurse education programs per se, and to their participation in the practicum component of nurse education programs. This paper reports on research conducted in Victoria, Australia, by nurse academics and equity practitioners at three Victorian universities, into the barriers facing such students. The research examined the views of undergraduate student nurses, their lecturers and their clinical educators, nurse clinicians, and university disability practitioners about the participation of people with disabilities in nurse education programs. The research also sought to document their responses to a framework, developed through the research that aims to facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities in undergraduate nursing programs. It did this against a pluralistic and technological milieu that in the researchers' view requires a more diverse mix within the nursing profession.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003000761
The injury List Of All Deficits (LOAD) Framework - conceptualising the full range of deficits and adverse outcomes following injury and violence
- Authors: Lyons, Ronan , Finch, Caroline , McClure, Rod , van Beeck, Ed , Macey, Steven
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion Vol. 17, no. 3 (2010), p. 145-159
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Over recent years, there has been increasing recognition that the burden of injuries and violence includes more than just the direct and indirect monetary costs associated with their medical outcomes. However, quantification of the total burden has been seriously hampered by lack of a framework for considering the range of outcomes which comprise the burden, poor identification of the outcomes and their imprecise measurement. This article proposes a new conceptual framework, the List of All Deficits (or LOAD) Framework, that has been developed from extensive expert discussion and consensus meetings to facilitate the measurement of the full burden of injuries and violence. The LOAD Framework recognises the multidimensional nature of injury burden across individual, family and societal domains. This classification of potential consequences of injury was built on the International Classification of Functioning concept of disability. Examples of empirical support for each consequence were obtained from the scientific literature. Determining the multidimensional injury burden requires the assessment and combination of 20 domains of potential consequences. The resulting LOAD Framework classification and concept diagram describes 12 groups of injury consequences for individuals, three for family and close friends and five for wider society. Understanding the extent of the negative implications (or deficits) of injury, through application of the LOAD Framework, is needed to put existing burden of injury studies into context and to highlight the inter-relationship between the direct and indirect burden of injury relative to other conditions.
Stuttering, disability and the higher education sector in Australia
- Authors: Meredith, Grant , Packman, Ann , Marks, Genee
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology Vol. 14, no. 4 (2012), p. 370-376
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- Description: The aim of this study was to ascertain the extent to which Australian public universities and their associated disability liaison services offer web-based information for current or prospective students who stutter. The disability pages of the websites of all 39 public universities in Australia were visited and the information about disability services assessed according to 12 criteria developed by the authors. Results indicate that there is a dearth of information on Australian university websites available for students or prospective students who stutter. Only 13% of the sites reported any form of alternative teaching and assessment procedures for speech-impaired students and only 51% of 39 disability liaison officers responded when contacted by email. Such a student could not make an informed choice to enrol in a university based upon the information on disability services available on public Australian university websites. © 2012 The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited.
Special needs, special play? Examining the agency of children with impairments in play-based learning in a special school
- Authors: Claughton, Amy
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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- Description: Play is an inherent part of childhood, often cast as an innate behaviour of children. Over the years, play has been scrutinised by theorists, researchers and educators alike in their attempts to understand how children engage in play, the role of play in development and how to identify, define and measure play. For children with impairments, play is frequently subjected to surveillance and compared to that of children whose development is considered typical. This thesis interrogates the play-based learning experiences of five children who attended a special educational school in rural Victoria, Australia. It examines the experiences that these children had in play and how teacher actions and responses enabled and supported their engagement in play-based learning. The theoretical framework for this study draws on critical ethnography underpinned by disability studies. Disability studies recognises the social model of disability, in which disability is a social construction. Using this model, impairment is distinct and separate from disability. In this study, socially constructed barriers that confront children in their play are identified as being created by attitudes, structures and environments (Bishop et al., 1999). These barriers are overlaid by the psycho-emotional dimensions of disability (C. Thomas, 1999) in an effort to represent the experiences of children as shaped by the actions and responses of others. This thesis introduces a new analytic tool in the learning portal framework. The learning portal framework aims to provide a platform through which teacher actions and responses can be analysed to understand how children are enabled to access play-based learning. The findings of this study indicate that children with impairments play in complex and nuanced ways. They show purpose in their play, are able to self-initiate, and independently investigate play-based learning experiences. Adult actions and responses often enable children with impairments to engage in play by offering opportunities and pathways for exploration. Indirect adult facilitation in play supports children’s ability to act in play with individuality and determination.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
iPod therefore I can : Enhancing the learning of children with intellectual disabilities through emerging technologies
- Authors: Marks, Genee , Milne, Jay
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at ICICTE 2008: International Conference on Information Communication Technologies in Education, Corfu, Greece : 10th-12th July 2008
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- Description: This paper explores the pedagogical and social potential of emerging technologies, in particular the iPod, in facilitating the learning of young Australians with severe intellectual and social disabilities. The study, which was carried out in a segregated educational setting in Victoria, Australia, sought to establish whether the intrinsic portable, multi-media capabilities of the iPod particularly lent themselves to a practical application for students with severe disabilities. It was concluded that such new technology has considerable power and potential as an emerging pedagogy with students with severe intellectual and physical disabilities.
- Description: 2003006449
Promoting the psychosocial function of young adults through psychiatric residential rehabilitation: A qualitive evaluation of the making a significant change (MASC) program
- Authors: Kelly, Melinda , Boyd, Candice
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Vol. 10, no. 2 (2006), p. 139-153
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- Description: This research evaluated the Making a Significant Change (MASC) program - the only residential psychosocial rehabilitation program for young adults in the Grampians region of Victoria, Australia. The program provides intensive support and rehabilitation services to young people aged 16 to 24 years who have a mental illness and are at risk of developing further mental health disabilities. This evaluation aimed to establish a holistic view of the program with a focus on the process descriptive data for key stakeholders in the service so that the impact of intervention approaches could be gauged.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003003401
The impact of a novel mimicry task for increasing emotion recognition in adults with autism spectrum disorder and alexithymia : protocol for a randomized controlled trial
- Authors: Caine, Joshua , Klein, Britt , Edwards, Stephen
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: JMIR Research Protocols Vol. 10, no. 6 (2021), p.
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- Description: Background: Impaired facial emotion expression recognition (FEER) has typically been considered a correlate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Now, the alexithymia hypothesis is suggesting that this emotion processing problem is instead related to alexithymia, which frequently co-occurs with ASD. By combining predictive coding theories of ASD and simulation theories of emotion recognition, it is suggested that facial mimicry may improve the training of FEER in ASD and alexithymia. Objective: This study aims to evaluate a novel mimicry task to improve FEER in adults with and without ASD and alexithymia. Additionally, this study will aim to determine the contributions of alexithymia and ASD to FEER ability and assess which of these 2 populations benefit from this training task. Methods: Recruitment will primarily take place through an ASD community group with emphasis put on snowball recruiting. Included will be 64 consenting adults equally divided between participants without an ASD and participants with an ASD. Participants will be screened online using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10; cut-off score of 22), Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-10), and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) followed by a clinical interview with a provisional psychologist at the Federation University psychology clinic. The clinical interview will include assessment of ability, anxiety, and depression as well as discussion of past ASD diagnosis and confirmatory administration of the Autism Mental Status Exam (AMSE). Following the clinical interview, the participant will complete the Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ) and then undertake a baseline assessment of FEER. Consenting participants will then be assigned using a permuted blocked randomization method into either the control task condition or the mimicry task condition. A brief measure of satisfaction of the task and a debriefing session will conclude the study. Results: The study has Federation University Human Research Ethics Committee approval and is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials. Participant recruitment is predicted to begin in the third quarter of 2021. Conclusions: This study will be the first to evaluate the use of a novel facial mimicry task condition to increase FEER in adults with ASD and alexithymia. If efficacious, this task could prove useful as a cost-effective adjunct intervention that could be used at home and thus remove barriers to entry. This study will also explore the unique effectiveness of this task in people without an ASD, with an ASD, and with alexithymia. © 2021 JMIR Research Protocols.
“I’m very visible but seldom seen” : consumer choice and use of mobility aids on public transport
- Authors: Unsworth, Carolyn , Rawat, Vijay , Sullivan, John , Tay, Richard , Naweed, Anjum , Gudimetla, Prasad
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology Vol. 14, no. 2 (2019), p. 122-132
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- Description: Purpose: The number of mobility aid users continues to rise as the population ages. While mobility aid users rely on public transport due to its affordability, evidence suggests access can be difficult. This study aims to describe people who use mobility aids to access public transport and the role of public transport access in influencing mobility aid choice. Methods: Sixty-seven mobility aid users participated in telephone surveys which predominantly used a structured quantitative format. Data were analysed descriptively and any additional comments were simply categorized. Results: Thirty-six participants were female (54%), with a total sample mean age of 58.15 years (SD = 14.46). Seventy-two percent lived in metropolitan areas, 48% lived alone, and the sample experienced a variety of conditions including spinal cord injury (37%) and arthritis (18%). Sixty-four percent of all respondents used two or more mobility aids including powered wheelchairs, scooters and walking frames. The most important features when choosing a mobility aid were reliability, turning ability and size. Fifty-two percent of all respondents strongly agreed that public transport is generally accessible. Conclusions: While work continues to ensure that public transport vehicles and stations are fully accessible, mobility aid users must manage current infrastructure and access a system which has been shown through this research to have many limitations. Mobility aid users, vendors and health professionals need to work together to identify mobility aids that fulfil needs, and are reliable and safe, so that mobility aid users are both “visible and seen” when accessing the public transport network.Implications for rehabilitation Some mobility aid users experience difficulties accessing and using public transport and further research is required to ensure the whole public transport network is fully accessible to people using mobility aids. Many people have more than one seated mobility aid, suggesting people can choose different aids for different purposes and environments. Health professionals may need to increase their involvement in assisting individuals to select and use mobility aids. © 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Barriers and enablers to safeguarding children and adults within a disability services context : insights from an Australian delphi study
- Authors: Ottmann, Goetz , McVilly, Keith , Anderson, Julie , Chapman, Jessica , Karlyawasam, Imalka
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Social Policy and Administration Vol. 51, no. 3 (2017), p. 488-510
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Research conducted in the 1990s revealed the tragic irony that exposure to the disability support system, and particularly to its institutional forms, was a major risk factor related to the neglect and abuse of children and adults with a disability. Subsequently, a range of policies have been introduced to minimize risk. However, recurring events of abuse and neglect in the disability services sector in high and middle income countries demonstrate that processes geared to safeguard children and adults with a disability from abuse and neglect remain insufficient. To establish the wider fabric of organizational factors that contribute to effective safeguarding practices within the Australian disability support sector, a modified online Delphi study was conducted, capturing the views of disability services staff and managers (n = 249) regarding barriers and enablers to effective safeguarding. This study identified issues concerning organizational culture, management practice, workforce development, client capacity building and contextual factors. During Round Two of the Delphi, participants were asked to rate the categorized enabler statements according to importance on a 10-point Likert scale, to ascertain the degree of consensus. A total of 262 of the statements were regarded as important or very important. The Delphi result highlighted the considerable gap between the wider systemic and cultural processes that, in the eyes of disability services staff and management, contribute to good safeguarding practice and the safeguarding measures currently in place. The article calls for a holistic approach to safeguarding that addresses procedural issues and to the transformation of the wider systemic and cultural fabric of an organization. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Goetz Ottmann” is provided in this record**
A 3D measurement and computerized meshing study to promote bus ridership among people using powered mobility aids
- Authors: Unsworth, Carolyn , Chua, Julian , Gudimetla, Prasad
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Frontiers in Built Environment Vol. 6, no. (2020), p.
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- Description: People who use powered mobility aids such as wheelchairs and scooters need and want to use public transport. Buses are the most affordable and efficient form of public transport, capable of connecting people across local communities. However, with curbside rather than platform boarding and internal space limitations, buses also present many accessibility challenges for people using mobility aids during ingress, egress, and interior maneuverability. In Australia, people using mobility aids board low floor buses that are required to comply with the national bus accessibility standard, using the front doors. A new standard was recently created to provide a Blue Label identification for powered mobility aids suitable to access public transport. The accuracy of this standard to identify mobility aids suitable to use on buses has not been verified. This research used a world-first methodology that included 3-Dimensional (3D) scanning of 35 mobility aids and 21 buses. The resulting 735 scan combinations were efficiently meshed using Meshlab, an open-source software. The research demonstrated that (i) although none of the buses were compliant with the relevant standard in 3D, many could still facilitate the boarding of a variety of mobility aids, and (ii) the Blue Label, while a valuable guide, did not accurately identifying all mobility aids that would and would not be able to board buses. This research has shortlisted nine mobility aids that can be recommended to consumers as being able to fit all the full-size buses tested. The dimensions of mobility aids that appear to enable access on most buses were also identified for consumers to consider when purchasing a mobility aid. The novel 3D meshing methodology used in this research also revealed that most collision points between mobility aids and buses occur in the curved-corridor entry of the buses. To minimize this entry problem, future bus boarding designs should consider the option of double-door entry/exit in the middle of the bus, which is common in many other countries. Adoption of this strategy would mitigate some of the challenges that people using mobility aids encounter when accessing buses, thereby increasing public transport ridership among this group. © Copyright © 2020 Unsworth, Chua and Gudimetla.
A systematic review of public transport accessibility for people using mobility devices
- Authors: Unsworth, Carolyn , So, Man , Chua, Julian , Gudimetla, Prasad , Naweed, Anjum
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Disability and Rehabilitation Vol. 43, no. 16 (2021), p. 2253-2267
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Purpose: Being able to access public transport is vital for mobility device users as this is an affordable way of maintaining community connections and participating in activities that promote quality of life. This systematic review investigated literature on public transport access for people using mobility devices, excluding transit restraint and securement literature. Materials and methods: A systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature in English from 1995 to 2019, with critical appraisal and narrative synthesis. Results: Twenty-six articles were identified, including 14 studies investigating user experiences, seven examining bus formats and floor layouts, and five focusing on bus ramp incidents and optimal design. Studies were generally observational and descriptive, with 12 including analysis of video data. Conclusion: This is the first systematic review of literature related to the accessibility of public transport for people using mobility devices. Topics such as ramp access have been relatively well-researched, as have the experiences of users. However, many gaps remain and there is a need for research to; address the barriers identified through user experiences, discern the best access to stations and stops, as well as floor formats for people to ingress, manoeuvre and egress from a variety of transport modes, and promote universal design principles in the transport sector. Rehabilitation professionals can use the findings of this review to advocate for, and support people using mobility devices to successfully negotiate public transport.Implications for Rehabilitation Accessible public transport is vital to enable people using mobility devices to remain connected in their communities. Despite increased international awareness and adoption of accessibility features by the public transport sector to improve getting to a stop, ingress, manoeuvrability within and egress from conveyances, access for people using wheeled mobility devices cannot be assumed. When prescribing new wheeled mobility devices with clients, rehabilitation professionals and users need to consider public transport access and the suitability of different devices for this purpose. Rehabilitation professionals can undertake skills training with people using wheeled mobility devices to test out access prior to independent travel on public transport and develop strategies to overcome any barriers. © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Menstrual hygiene management strategies used by women who are blind or have low vision
- Authors: McGregor, Freya , Unsworth, Carolyn
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy Vol. 29, no. 7 (2022), p. 598-610
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Background: Menstrual hygiene management is a global public health issue that requires local and individualized support to reduce activity limitations and enable safe, independent task performance for people with impaired body functions. Aim: How do women with blindness or low vision self-manage their menstrual hygiene to promote independence, and what do they recommend occupational therapists incorporate in education for young women when working in this field? Methods: Phenomenological design revealing lived experience expertise. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six women who are blind or have low vision aged 16–70 in Australia. The resulting data transcripts were coded and analyzed thematically using the Person-Environment Occupation Performance Model as an organizing framework. Results: Participants reported a range of personal (touch) and organizational strategies relying on environmental cues such as regular times for changing sanitary items, lining up pads using underwear seams and wearing dark clothing to disguise leaks. Participants suggested that group occupational therapy education sessions be used to promote self-management. Conclusions and significance: The lived experience of women who successfully self-manage menstrual hygiene with blindness or low vision has generated evidence to inform the development of therapist-mediated interventions and resources that could be applied with women across a range of clinical populations. © 2021 Crown Copyright in the Commonwealth Government of Australia. Department of Education, Skills and Employment.
Powered mobility aid access on public transport : a validation study of compliance with disability standards
- Authors: Unsworth, Carolyn , Chua, Julian , Gudimetla, Prasad , Naweed, Anjum
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Transport and Health Vol. 22, no. (2021), p.
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Introduction: Public transport accessibility is vital for people using powered mobility aids, particularly on buses which have the greatest travel reach into the community. In Australia, a new standard has been developed against which the fit of mobility aids can be determined prior to travel. However, the standard is documented in 2D and real-world tests have not been conducted. The aim of this study was to examine powered mobility aid access on test rigs specified in the standard to determine public transport conformance thus contributing to real-world validation of the standard, and identify the measurements of mobility aids most likely to access public transport. Methods: Life-size rigs were built according to the specifications within the standard to simulate and facilitate five types of test including the:180° turn; Pavement gap; Swept path; Allocated space; and Narrow access path. Thirty-five powered mobility aids were measured and driven through these test rigs and successful completion or collision points were recorded. Results: Nine of the 35 mobility aids were found to be noncompliant with the new standard. The Allocated space test, which represented manoeuvring into a designated travel space was most difficult, followed by completion of the 180° turn test. The measurements of powered mobility aids that are likely to comply with the standard for public transport access were found to be those with diagonal length (D) less than 1280 mm, overall length (L) less than 1110 mm, and a measured turn radius less than 760 mm. Conclusions: This research provides an empirical validation of the new 2D standard using real-world experimental testing standard by building the associated test rigs and driving a sample of powered mobility aids through them. Future research using field-based validation in bus light rail and trains is warranted. © 2021
The good, the bad, the ambivalent : investigating patriarchal and complex representations of motherhood in crime television series
- Authors: O’Neill, Courtney
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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- Description: The cultural and social understanding of motherhood has been historically determined by patriarchal discourse. This thesis analyses the significance of this discourse and how it manifests in representations of women, mothers in particular, in television series. Specifically, it examines the dichotomy between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ motherhood that is prevalent in patriarchal discourse and in crime television series. Identifying the extent to which crime series subscribe to patriarchal notions of motherhood highlights the prevalence of conservative ideas of motherhood in television narratives. This is crucial to the aim of this thesis, which is to challenge conservative notions of motherhood, demonstrating instead that motherhood is a complex experience. This thesis provides an in-depth analysis of three crime television series—Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–), The Bridge (2011–2018) and Top of the Lake (2013, 2017)—to identify their portrayal of motherhood and highlight the ways in which maternal figures are portrayed as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Significantly, the thesis identifies disability as a theme that is repeatedly utilised to explain deviant maternal behaviour, which serves to reinforce patriarchal notions of motherhood. The overall aim of this study is to critically analyse and destabilise patriarchal representations of good and bad motherhood by examining the depiction of complex maternal experiences in crime narratives. By exploring the concept of maternal ambivalence and how it is portrayed in these series, this research ultimately contributes to refuting and undermining patriarchal characterisations of motherhood, particularly the dichotomy between good and bad mothers. In sum, this thesis argues that despite the ongoing emphasis on patriarchal ideas of motherhood in television, the maternal experience is fluid, complex and changing, as made evident in these crime television series.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
A Scoping review of autism and the way it changes the presentation of suicidal thoughts and behavior compared to the general population
- Authors: Cleary, Michelle , West, Sancia , McLean, Loyola , Hunt, Glenn , Hungerford, Catherine , Kornhaber, Rachel
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Issues Mental Health Nursing Vol. 44, no. 4 (2023), p. 282-301
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Autism spectrum conditions are a group of neurodevelopmental conditions that carries an array of co-occurring diagnoses, including a heightened risk of suicide attempts and suicide. This scoping review examined primary research focusing on autism and suicidality, to understand what is currently known on the topic, including how autism changes the presentation of suicidal thoughts and behavior and to assess the suicide awareness and prevention education programs currently available for autistic people, their families, and health professionals and support workers. A comprehensive search (November 2021) across Scopus, PubMed and CINAHL identified 39 articles from 38 studies. Three themes emerged, with five subthemes. 1. The prevalence of suicidality in autistic people 2. The presentation of suicidality in autistic people, including (a) risk of suicidality (b) gender, age, employment and education (c) co-occurring psychiatric conditions (d) autism traits and social communication (e) intellectual disability and 3. Autism-specific approaches to suicidal thoughts, behavior and prevention. Findings were mixed, including conflicting evidence on the risk of autism and suicidality, and limited evidence of resources related to autism-specific suicide awareness or information, and education or prevention programs.
Does multisession cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex prime the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on fear of pain, fear of movement, and disability in patients with nonspecific low back pain? A randomized clinical trial study
- Authors: Ehsani, Fatemeh , Hafez Yousefi, Mohaddeseh , Jafarzadeh, Abbas , Zoghi, Maryam , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Brain Sciences Vol. 13, no. 10 (2023), p.
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- Description: Many studies have shown that low back pain (LBP) is associated with psychosomatic symptoms which may lead to brain changes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the concurrent application of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and transcranial direct electrical stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on fear of pain, fear of movement, and disability in patients with nonspecific LBP. This study was performed on 45 LBP patients (23 women, 22 men; mean age 33.00 ± 1.77 years) in three groups: experimental (2 mA cathodal tDCS (c-tDCS)), sham (c-tDCS turned off after 30 s), and control (only received CBT). In all groups, CBT was conducted for 20 min per session, with two sessions per week for four weeks. Fear of pain, fear of movement, and disability were evaluated using questionnaires at baseline, immediately after, and one month after completion of interventions. Results indicated that all three different types of intervention could significantly reduce fear and disability immediately after intervention (p > 0.05). However, improvement in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the other groups immediately after and at the one-month follow-up after interventions (p < 0.05). DLPFC c-tDCS can prime the immediate effects of CBT and also the lasting effects on the reduction in the fear of pain, fear of movement, and disability in LBP patients. © 2023 by the authors.