Adoption and Use of Customized Wheelchairs Manufactured for Persons Living with Disability: Modified UTUAT-2 Perspective

Thywill Cephas Dzogbewu, Timothy Whitehead, Deon Johan de Beer, George Torrens

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The mobility and independence of people with disabilities could be significantly improved by wheelchairs. Wheelchair adoption is a complex process that is influenced by various factors, including personal demands, social dynamics, and technological advancements. To effectively promote wheelchair adoption and enhance the quality of life for people with mobility issues, it is crucial to understand the adoption of wheelchairs from a holistic perspective. A model comprising six hypotheses was developed based on the UTUAT-2 (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) framework with modifications. The data was analyzed from 330 individuals living with a disability using SPSS and Smart PLS. The study revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, habit, social influence, and perceived infrastructure individually influence the intention to use wheelchairs. The results further revealed that price value and facilitating conditions were not significant predictors of intention to use a wheelchair. The results also showed that aesthetic design moderates the effect of effort expectancy, habit, social influence, price value, and perceived infrastructure on behavioral intention. Through a multidimensional lens, the paper offers practical recommendations to improve the adoption of wheelchairs for people with mobility impairments.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages30
JournalDesigns
Volume9
Issue number1
Early online date30 Dec 2024
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 30 Dec 2024

Bibliographical note

Copyright © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Data Access Statement

The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings can be shared on request.

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