DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.29002565
title: Identifying the needs and preferences of potential users of a digital platform to facilitate outdoor leisure physical activities for people with physical or sensory disabilities

description: Participation in outdoor leisure physical activities (OLPAs) benefits people with disabilities (PWDs). However, PWDs face multiple challenges to participation in OLPAs. Thus, an online platform is being developed to facilitate PWDs’ access to adapted OLPAs. The aim of this study was to explore the needs and preferences of PWDs and the volunteers who support them during OLPAs regarding such an online platform. A qualitative study was conducted with a descriptive interpretive approach. PWDs and volunteers who support them during OLPAs participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed following Braun and Clarke’s five steps for thematic analysis. Sixteen PWDs and 15 volunteers participated in the study. Analysis of the interviews revealed five major themes the participants found important for the development of the platform: (1) Having several functionalities; (2) Offering the desired training; (3) Including information; (4) Pairing volunteers with PWDs; and (5) Displaying the information. The study highlights the key features future platforms should include to meet the needs of PWDs and volunteers and facilitate access to OLPAs. Online platforms using multiple delivery methods to communicate information have the potential to address the insufficient information and poor access to facilities people with disabilities face when trying to practice outdoor leisure physical activities.Providing information about places where outdoor leisure physical activities can be practiced, and their accessibility can alleviate a barrier people with disabilities experience in accessing outdoor leisure physical activities.Since the need for assistance poses a barrier to the participation of people with disabilities in many outdoor leisure physical activities, and volunteers expressed their willingness to support them, future platforms should offer a pairing procedure for people with disabilities and volunteers to facilitate the access for people with disabilities to outdoor leisure physical activities.Analyzing the needs and preferences of people with disabilities in light of existing platforms to support access to outdoor leisure physical activities and adapted sport suggests that existing platforms do not fully address users’ needs. Online platforms using multiple delivery methods to communicate information have the potential to address the insufficient information and poor access to facilities people with disabilities face when trying to practice outdoor leisure physical activities. Providing information about places where outdoor leisure physical activities can be practiced, and their accessibility can alleviate a barrier people with disabilities experience in accessing outdoor leisure physical activities. Since the need for assistance poses a barrier to the participation of people with disabilities in many outdoor leisure physical activities, and volunteers expressed their willingness to support them, future platforms should offer a pairing procedure for people with disabilities and volunteers to facilitate the access for people with disabilities to outdoor leisure physical activities. Analyzing the needs and preferences of people with disabilities in light of existing platforms to support access to outdoor leisure physical activities and adapted sport suggests that existing platforms do not fully address users’ needs.