R1 Needs Assessment & Technology Use
Principal Investigator
Wendy Rogers, Ph.D.
Team
Lyndsie Koon, Ph.D., Tracy Mitzner, Ph.D., Kara Mumma, B.S/B.A, Elena Remillard, M.S., Shraddha Shende, Ph.D., & Jenny Singleton, Ph.D.
Students
Megan Bayles, M.S., Divya Bhookya, Maya Dye, Erin Heniff, B.S., & Bethanie Sharp.
Partners
AGE-WELL Canada; Anthem; Association of Late Deafened Adults (ALDA); Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI) Atlanta; Deaf Seniors of America; National Multiple Sclerosis Society; OSF Healthcare; Post-Polio Health International
Overview
From assistive technologies (e.g., wheelchairs, screen readers) to emerging new technologies, such as smart phones applications, and voice-activated assistants (e.g., Amazon Alexa), technology holds great potential to support the health, wellness, and independence of people with long-term disabilities so they can age-in-place in their home and community of choice. For these types of technologies to be effective in supporting aging-in-place, researchers and designers must understand the needs of the people who will use them. Building upon previous research, we are continuing efforts to understand activity challenges in-depth among older adults with long-term vision, hearing, and mobility disabilities. We are expanding participatory research studies, including interviews and surveys, to identify critical technology needs among a larger and more diverse sample of people. This project will provide the groundwork to drive new research and guide the design of new smart technologies, including those being developed in other TechSAge projects.
Project Status
- We developed a new TechSAge Tool: Conducting Research with Adults Aging with Sensory and Mobility Disabilities.
- We are collecting data for the second phase of the Aging Concerns, Challenges, and Everyday Solution Strategies (ACCESS) study. We are focusing on new target populations with long-term disabilities, including: multiple sclerosis, late deafened, and vision loss due to macular degeneration and glaucoma. Click to see flyers.
- Check out the poster on the ACCESS Study Poster presented at the 2022 TechSAge State of the Science conference.

- Advice from Others: Hear advice from participants in the Aging Concerns, Challenges, and Everyday Solution Strategies (ACCESS) study on dealing with challenges related to aging with disability.
Select Publications
Ramadhani, W., & Rogers, W. A. (2022). Understanding home activities challenges of older adults aging with long-term mobility disabilities: Recommendations for home environment design. Journal of Aging and Environment. https://doi.org/10.1080/26892618.2022.2092929
Nie, Q., & Rogers, W. A. (2022). Understanding Health Self-Management Challenges and Needs for Older Adults with and without Mobility and Sensory Disabilities. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care, 11(1), 32–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/2327857922111006
Remillard, E.T., Campbell, M.L., Koon, L.M., Rogers, W.A. (2022) Transportation Challenges for Persons Aging with Mobility Disability: Qualitative Insights and Policy Implications. Disability and Health Journal, 5(1), Supplement. Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101209
Gudur, R., McDonagh, D., Harris, M. T., & Rogers, W. A. (2020). Design as a catalyst: A pedagogical framework. 22nd International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education. Denmark. https://doi.org/10.35199/EPDE.2020.42
Gudur, R. R., McDonagh, D., T. Harris, M., & A. Rogers, W. (2020). Sparks of innovation: transforming challenges into opportunities. In K. Christer, C. Craig, & P. Chamberlain (Eds.), Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Design4Health 2020 (1), 162-169. Sheffield Hallam University. https://research.shu.ac.uk/design4health/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/D4H-Proceedings-2020-Vol-1-Final.pdf#page=162
Nie, Q., Koon, L.M., Khamzina, M., Rogers, W.A. (2020). Understanding Exercise Challenges and Barriers for Older Adults with Mobility Disabilities. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting. 64(1): 1297-1301. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1071181320641308
Rogers, W. A., Ramadhani, W. A., Harris, M. T. (2020). Defining aging in place: The intersectionality of space, person, and time. Innovation in Aging, 4, 1–11 https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa036
Koon, L.M., Remillard, E. T., Mitzner, T. L., & Rogers, W. A. (2020). Aging Concerns, Challenges, and Everyday Solution Strategies (ACCESS) for adults aging with a long-term mobility disability. Disability & Health Journal, 13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.100936
Remillard, E. T., Griffiths, P. C., Mitzner, T. L., Sanford, J. A., Jones, B. D., & Rogers, W. A. (2020). The TechSAge Minimum Battery: A Multidimensional and Holistic Assessment of Individuals Aging with Long-Term Disabilities. Disability and Health Journal, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2019.100884
Bixter, M., Blocker, K., Prakash, A. Mitzner, T. L., & Rogers, W. A. (2019). Understanding the use and non-use of social communication technologies by older adults: A qualitative test and extension of the UTAUT model. Gerontechnology, 18, 70-88. https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2019.18.2.002.00
Singleton, J. L., Remillard, E. T., Mitzner, T. L., & Rogers, W. A. (2019). Everyday technology use among older deaf adults. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 14(4), 325-332. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2018.1447609
Remillard, E. T., Mitzner, T L., Singleton, J. L., & Rogers, W. A. (2018). A qualitative approach to understanding user needs for aging with disability. Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Universal Accessibility in the Internet of Things and Smart Environments (SMART ACCESSIBILITY 2018), 18-22. 978-1-61208-622-4
Preusse, K. C., Gonzalez, E. T., Singleton, J. L., Mitzner, T. L., & Rogers, W. A. (2016). Understanding The Needs of Individuals Aging with Impairment. International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 4(2), 144-168. 10.1504/IJHFE.2016.082246
Harrington, C. N., Mitzner, T. L., & Rogers, W. A. (2015). Understanding the role of technology for meeting the support needs of older adults in the USA with functional limitations. Gerontechnology, 14, 21-31. 10.4017/gt.2015.14.1.004.00
Project Alumni
Laura Barg-Walkow, Ph.D., Faith Burnham, Alyse Bondarowicz, B.S., Patricia (Suzanne) Eastwood, B.S., Christina Harrington, Ph.D., Rebecca Goneh, Saahithya Gowrishankar, B.A., Maurita Harris, M.S., Jordan Hartley, MPH, Rob Kistenberg, M.S., Christopher Kovac, B.S., Lisa Le, B.A., Jennifer Lee, B.S., Jade Marks, Tina Nie, Ph.D., Brian Pastor, M.S., Kimberly Preusse, M.S., Ahmad Rathor, B.S., Arijana Sovsic, Emily Spoolstra, Rachel Stuck, Ph.D., Shreya Vellala, Amy Wing-Lam Chong, M.S., Renee Alnoubani, & Widya Ramadhani, M. Arch.