Browsing by Subject "disability"
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Item Impact of Family Structure and Household Composition on Receipt of Caregiving, Trajectories of Disability, Hospital Discharge Destination and Risk of Readmission among Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Disability(2016-01-01) Dai, Mingliang; Stuart, Bruce; Gerontology; GerontologyMotivation. Informal caregivers, especially family and household members, are the primary source of help for community-dwelling older adults who need assistance with their disability. However, the impact of family and household characteristics on receipt of caregiving, trajectories of disability and adverse outcomes after hospitalization has not been systematically examined in nationally representative samples of community-dwelling older adults living with disability. Hypotheses. Building on the intergenerational solidarity framework which conceptualized the linkage between structural dimensions of family and household and functional support to older members in times of need, this study hypothesized that family structure and household composition would affect the following outcomes: 1) the likelihood of receiving help and the percentage of care needs met; 2) trajectories of disability over time; and 3) hospital discharge destination and risk of re-admission. Study Design. The 2000-2012 Medicare Current Beneficiary Surveys (MCBS) were the data source for the study. In the analyses of the first and third outcomes, pooled cross-sectional samples were used. In the examination of trajectories of disability, a longitudinal sample was constructed to track changes in disability states over a four-year period. To generate nationally representative estimates, all analyses were weighted by cross-sectional or longitudinal weights based on the nature of the observations and were also adjusted for complex sampling schemes of the MCBS. Results. Among community-dwelling older adults living with disability, large gaps between care needs and actual care received were found. Inadequacies in receiving care were most strongly felt by older adults who were divorced, childless and living alone. Trajectories of disability indicative of both recovery and progression over four years confirmed the dynamic nature of disability and also its long-term impact on older adults' functioning. Strong evidence was found of the rehabilitative potential of living with family members. Nationally, more than one in five (22.8%) hospitalized older adults were discharged to another institution rather than their private community home. Nearly a fifth (18.6%) of the discharged patients were re-admitted within 30 days. Childlessness is a potent indicator of both elevated risks of multiple institutional transitions after discharge and 30-day re-admission. Implications for the findings were discussed in respective chapters.Item An Intersectional Definition of Fairness(2018-07) Foulds, James; Pan, ShimeiWe introduce a measure of fairness for algorithms and data with regard to multiple protected attributes. Our proposed definition, differential fairness, is informed by the framework of intersectionality, which analyzes how interlocking systems of power and oppression affect individuals along overlapping dimensions including race, gender, sexual orientation, class, and disability. We show that our criterion behaves sensibly for any subset of the set of protected attributes, and we illustrate links to differential privacy. A case study on census data demonstrates the utility of our approach.Item "Knowledge Comes Through Participation": Understanding Disability through the Lens of DIY Assistive Technology in Western Kenya(ACM, 2022-04-07) Hamidi, Foad; Owuor, Patrick Mbullo; Hynie, Michaela; Baljko, MelaniePeople with disabilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) have limited access to digital assistive technologies (ATs). Most ATs in LMICs are manufactured elsewhere and are expensive and difficult to maintain. Do-It-Yourself Assistive Technologies (DIY-ATs) designed, customized, and repaired by non-technical users offer exciting directions in these contexts. We have been exploring the possibilities and challenges of DIY-ATs in Western Kenya, using community-engaged workshops in rural and urban special education schools for the past three years. We present findings from a concluding-stage research activity: a multiple stakeholder focus group where teachers, disability advocates, and representatives from the local government and technology innovation hubs, discussed the possibilities and challenges of addressing disability issues through DIY-ATs in this context. Participants identified opportunities for DIY-ATs for social inclusion, disability assessment, and inclusive education, and shared concerns about their sustainability, safety, and contextual relevance.Item Supporting Social Inclusion with DIY-ATs: Perspectives of Kenyan Caregivers of Children with Cognitive Disabilities(ACM, 2023-09-21) Hamidi, Foad; Kidane, Tsion; Owuor, Patrick Mbullo; Hynie, Michaela; Baljko, MelanieDo-It-Yourself assistive technologies (DIY-ATs) that can be designed, fabricated, or customized by non-technical individuals can enable people with disabilities and their community members to create and customize their own technological solutions. DIY-ATs may better fit user needs than mass-produced alternatives. Recently, researchers have started to explore the possibilities and challenges of using DIY-ATs in contexts other than the Global North, where access to digital ATs is limited. Previous research has not yet studied the perspectives of caregivers of children with disabilities towards these technologies. We present findings from an interview study with caregivers of children and youth with cognitive disabilities in Western Kenya who used a DIY-AT system as a research probe. Participants described how negative beliefs about people with disabilities result in social exclusion and discrimination and explained how increased opportunities for social interaction and learning mediated through DIY and other customizable ATs for their children could support their inclusion, safety, and access to future opportunities.