Lay summary for website
A manual wheelchair can be hard to push long distances and up hills, creating shoulder problems. A power wheelchair requires much less effort, but it is larger and very heavy, making it difficult to use in small spaces and transport in a vehicle. A power assist device (PAD) is a small electric motor that can slide on and off a manual wheelchair. When the PAD is on, the motor turns a drive wheel that pushes the wheelchair forwards making it much easier to propel. When the PAD is off, the wheelchair can be used just as it normally is. The purpose of this study is to explore what children, their parents, and their therapists think about using a PAD on their manual wheelchair. We are interested in learning what they like or don’t like about the PAD; what it is like learning to use a PAD; and the kinds of activities a PAD might be helpful with. This information could be helpful to children and their families when they are considering what kind of mobility device best suits their needs, and to therapists who recommend mobility devices and provide training in how to use them for children. The study involves 2 to 3 sessions where a therapist will introduce the PAD to the child and provide some training on how to use it; the researchers will then conduct an interview with the child, the parent, and the therapist to ask them each about their experience.