Â鶹ֱ²¥ researchers have been awarded the 2017 Dr Louisa Alessandri Research Grant to roll out a free app to help Western Australian children with disabilities access leisure activities in their local communities.<\/p>\n
Lead researcher Professor Catherine Elliott, from the School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work at Â鶹ֱ²¥, said the research aimed to promote community-based recreation among children and young people with disabilities to improve their health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n
Professor Elliott said the research-informed app, named Jooay, would be implemented in consultation with key stakeholders, including people with disabilities and their families. Â鶹ֱ²¥ researchers are collaborating with the Canadian creators of Jooay, the Childhood Disability LINK, to add an Australian arm to the app.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Australia, seven per cent of all children aged up to 17 years have a disability and many of those children have difficulty participating in leisure activities in their communities,\u201d Professor Elliott said.<\/p>\n
\u201cChildren with a disability, their parents and clinicians have told us that not having access to or being aware of opportunities to participate in activities was a major barrier for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis app will deliver a practical solution to break down those barriers and benefit the lives of children and young people with disabilities by helping them take part in community-based leisure activities.<\/p>\n
\u201cImportantly, this research directly involves the design and delivery of supports and services to people with disabilities, by people with disabilities as they will play a key role in providing feedback in the app\u2019s development.\u201d<\/p>\n
The grant will fund the development and maintenance of the app as well as the creation of a community inventory of more than 1000 potential leisure activities across WA, including metropolitan, regional and remote areas.<\/p>\n
Professor Elliott said there were numerous positive physical, psychological and social benefits of children and young people taking part in leisure activities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe expect these benefits to ultimately result in a better quality of life for children and young people with disabilities across the state,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The grant was presented by Disability Services Minister, the Hon Stephen Dawson, at an event on Curtin\u2019s Bentley Campus on 28 June 2017.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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