Understanding Risk in Daily Life of Diverse Persons with Physical and Sensory Impairments

Authors

  • Afnen Arfaoui Laval University -Quebec
  • Geoffrey Edwards Laval University, Quebec
  • Ernesto Morales Laval University, Quebec
  • Patrick Fougeyrollas Laval University, Quebec

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17411/jacces.v9i1.183

Keywords:

people with impairments, risk perceptions, decision-making process, risk management and assessment.

Abstract

Managing risk of injury in daily life is a task common to all humans. However, people with impairments face significantly greater challenges in both assessing and managing risk of injury. To find out more about how individuals with impairments understand risk, we developed a qualitative study design based on semi-structured interviews. Seven people with a broad range of impairments were recruited for the study. The interviews were analyzed and organized into a codification tree subdivided into four main sections: safety and risk management, risk situation portrayal, perceptions of safety measures and finally loss of control and strong sensations. The study revealed that the difficulties related to managing risk in day-to-day situations are much higher than for people without impairments and, indeed, are possibly under reported in the literature. The realization that risk is ever present in the daily lives of people with impairments has led us to reconsider how we move forward on the remainder of our study.

Author Biographies

Afnen Arfaoui, Laval University -Quebec

PhD candidate, Department of Geomatics, Faculty of Forestry, Geography and Geomatics, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada;

Geoffrey Edwards, Laval University, Quebec

Professor, Department of Geomatics, Faculty of Forestry, Geography and Geomatics, Université Laval. Researcher, Centre interdisciplinaire en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Quebec, Canada.

Ernesto Morales, Laval University, Quebec

Professor, Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada; Researcher, Centre interdisciplinaire en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Quebec, Canada

Patrick Fougeyrollas, Laval University, Quebec

Professor, Department of Anthropology at Université Laval, Quebec, Canada. Researcher, Centre interdisciplinaire en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Quebec, Canada 

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Published

2019-05-31

How to Cite

Arfaoui, A., Edwards, G., Morales, E., & Fougeyrollas, P. (2019). Understanding Risk in Daily Life of Diverse Persons with Physical and Sensory Impairments. Journal of Accessibility and Design for All, 9(1), 66–89. https://doi.org/10.17411/jacces.v9i1.183