Ergonomics research and the disabled

What has ergonomics done to improve the design of products, buildings and environments for handicapped people? The ergonomist, by assisting in the fitting of disabled people to tasks, products and environments designed for people who are not disabled, has made contributions in two main ways. This ha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ergonomics 1981-11, Vol.24 (11), p.821-830
Main Authors: FEENEY, R. J., GALER, MARGARET D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Disabled Persons - classification
Environment Design
Ergonomics
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Self-Help Devices
Space life sciences
United Kingdom
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Summary:What has ergonomics done to improve the design of products, buildings and environments for handicapped people? The ergonomist, by assisting in the fitting of disabled people to tasks, products and environments designed for people who are not disabled, has made contributions in two main ways. This has been done in the first instance by the adaptation ofexisting facilities and the development of special aids. This is, however, a short-term solution to solve problems that exist now. The ergonomist has also done much to assist in the reduction of handicap for disabled people in the future by taking the capabilities and capacities of disabled people into account when developing new facilities. The major difficulties which the ergonomist faces in using and applying ergonomics to find generalizable solutions to the problems presented by disability in all its many varied forms are to do with measurement, classification and goals. These difficulties and ways of dealing with them are discussed.
ISSN:0014-0139
1366-5847
DOI:10.1080/00140138108924903