Sports-Wear in Wheelchair Rugby: Establishing Design Needs

Sara Braganca, James Steele, Simeon Gill, Miguel Carvalho, Pedro Arezes

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Published conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

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Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a preliminary study that intended to understand how wheelchair rugby athletes feel about the clothing they wear while playing the sport and how the available clothes make them feel. 61 non-professional wheelchair rugby players from 21 different teams/clubs in the United Kingdom participated in this study. To understand the players’ opinions, this study consisted of a mixed-method approach, with data collected through a focus group and a questionnaire. The results show that, on top of the lack of availability of sports-wear for this specific sport, which compromises the athletes’ satisfaction, comfort and performance, there is also a need on the part of the athletes for this type of specialized equipment. This study showed that there is a need for this type of sports-wear, hence the importance to act and develop more specialized garments to satisfy this population not just in terms of safety, comfort and performance but also in terms of inclusivity.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdvances in Design for Inclusion
EditorsGiuseppe Di Bucchianico, Pete F Kercher
Place of PublicationCham
PublisherSpringer International Publishing AG
Pages381-389
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-319-60597-5
ISBN (Print)978-3-319-60596-8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Jun 2017
Event8th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics and the Affiliated Conferences - Los Angeles, United States
Duration: 17 Jul 201721 Jul 2017

Publication series

NameAdvances in Intelligent Systems and Computing
PublisherSpringer
Volume587
ISSN (Print)2194-5357
ISSN (Electronic)2194-5365

Conference

Conference8th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics and the Affiliated Conferences
Abbreviated titleAHFE 2017
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityLos Angeles
Period17/07/1721/07/17

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