R1. User Needs Assessment for People Aging with Long-Term Disabilities

Co-Principal Investigators
Team Members: Maurita Harris, PhD (consultant); Kara Mumma, BS/BA; Megan Nickrent, MS
Students: Maya Dye, Nicolle Guillen, Kyra Miller, Fatima Pantoja-Lara, Bethanie Sharp, Amy Ni
Partners: Association for Late Deafened Adults, ClarkLindsey, CJE SeniorLife, CRIS Healthy Aging, CVI Atlanta, Illinois Center for Transition & Work; Illinois Dept on Aging; NARIC; National Federation of the Blind, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, Chicago Lighthouse, National MS Society; Three Rivers’ Native American Independent Living Project
People aging with long-term disabilities are likely to experience challenges performing everyday activities. Technology holds great potential to help people aging with disability overcome barriers where they live, work, and play and ultimately enhance their quality of life. A comprehensive understanding of their user needs is crucial to drive effective technology innovation. 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 representative sample of people. Specifically, we are engaging a range people with disabilities about their everyday challenges and assessing the needs of those with long-term disabilities still in the workforce. This project will provide the groundwork to drive new research and guide the design of new technologies for this understudied population.



Current Activities
- Aging Concerns, Challenges, and Everyday Solution Strategies (ACCESS) study: We are conducting interviews with Subject Matter Experts who have direct experience engaging people from underrepresented populations in aging or disability research or advocacy groups. These findings will directly inform the next phase of ACCESS.
- Disability & Aging & Work Needs (DAWN): We are conducting a literature review regarding older workers and volunteers with disabilities to identify what is known and research gaps. We are also preparing an SME interview with people who have personal or professional experience with older adults with disabilities in the workforce. In addition, we are conducting an archival analysis of ACCESS data for people who reported volunteering or working challenges.
- Archival Analysis Program: We have updated our procedures for enabling a broad range of researchers to explore the ACCESS date for different research questions. Here is a sampling of current projects:
- Discovering the Patterns of Daily Living Activities Among Older Adults with Disabilities: A Computational Grounded Theory Approach
- Wisdom in Aging with Mobility Disability
- Communication Challenges and Strategies for Late-Deafened Older Adults
- Innovative Strategies for Managing Everyday Activity Challenges Among Adults Aging with Vision Loss
- Exploring Bathing Challenges among People Aging with Mobility Disabilities
Select Publications
- Harris, M.T., & Rogers, W.A. (2024). Social participation challenges and response strategies identified by adults aging with a disability. Journal of Elder Policy, 3, 95-109. https://doi.org/10.1002/jey2.12013
- Khamzina, M., & Rogers, W. A. (2025). Subjective successful aging in the presence of disability. The Gerontologist, 65. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnae087
- Kohl, G., Heniff, E. M., Dye, M. E., & Rogers, W. A. (2025). Communication challenges and response strategies of late-deafened older adults. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 133, 105821–105821. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2025.105821
Project Alumni
- Gianna Kohl
- Tooba Umar
- Haseeb Rehman
- Camryn Lynn
- Bethanie Sharp
- Laura Barg-Walkow
- Megan Bayles
- Divya Bhookya
- Faith Burnham
- Alyse Bondarowicz
- Patricia (Suzanne) Eastwood
- Rebecca Goneh
- Saahithya Gowrishankar
- Camryn Kottas
- Erin Heniff
- Christina Harrington
- Jordan Hartley
- Erin Heniff
- Rob Kistenberg
- Christopher Kovac
- Lisa Le
- Jennifer Lee
- Jade Marks
- Ethan Mudd
- Tina Nie
- Brian Pastor
- Kimberly Preusse
- Ahmad Rathor
- Arijana Sovsic
- Shraddha Shende
- Jenny Singleton
- Emily Spoolstra
- Rachel Stuck
- Shreya Vellala
- Amy Wing-Lam Chong
- Renee Alnoubani
- Widya Ramadhani
