R1. User Needs Assessment

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

Co-Principal Investigators

Team Members: Michael Boyce, PhD; Maurita Harris, PhD; Kara Mumma, BS/BA; Megan Nickrent, MS

Students: Maya Dye, Fatima Pantoja-Lara, Alex Moreno, Kyra Miller, 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 gearing up to launch the third phase of our user needs study exploring the everyday challenges and strategies of people aging with long-term vision, hearing, and mobility disabilities. Seeking participants nationally soon! 
  • Disability & Aging & Work Needs (DAWN): We have developed the DAWN – Identity Survey to assess how older workers with disabilities identify as an older worker and/or a person with a disability in the context of their job.  We will be gathering data nationally soon – we are currently pilot-testing the survey.  We are finalizing the materials for the DAWN interview study to explore the challenges and response strategies of workers age 50+ who have disabilities.  This study will begin data collection in late fall. 
  • Archival Analysis Program: We are partnering with a broad range of researchers to conduct their own analyses of ACCESS data for different research questions. Here is a sampling of current projects: 
    • Innovative Strategies for Managing Everyday Activity Challenges Among Adults Aging with Vision Loss 
    • Exploring Bathing Challenges among People Aging with Mobility Disabilities 
    • Wisdom in Aging with Mobility Disability 
    • Challenges with Enhanced Activities of Daily Living among People Aging with Vision Loss 
    • Exercise Challenges and Solutions among People Aging with Disabilities 

Select Publications

  • Koon, L.M., Remillard, E.T., Rogers, W.A. (2025). Understanding Everyday Challenges of Aging with Disability Through Lived Experiences, The Gerontologist, Volume 65, Issue 7, gnaf129, https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaf129 
  • 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   
  • Remillard, E.T., Koon, L.M., Mitzner, T.L., & Rogers, W.A. (2024) Everyday challenges for individuals aging with vision impairment: Technology implications. The Gerontologist, 64, 6,1-12. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad169

Project Alumni

  • Renee Alnoubani
  • Laura Barg-Walkow
  • Megan Bayles
  • Alyse Bondarowicz
  • Divya Bhookya
  • Faith Burnham
  • Amy Wing-Lam Chong
  • Patricia (Suzanne) Eastwood
  • Nicolle Guillen
  • Rebecca Goneh
  • Saahithya Gowrishankar
  • Christina Harrington
  • Jordan Hartley
  • Erin Heniff
  • Rob Kistenberg
  • Camryn Kottas
  • Gianna Kohl
  • Christopher Kovac
  • Lisa Le
  • Jennifer Lee
  • Camryn Lynn
  • Jade Marks
  • Ethan Mudd
  • Tina Nie
  • Brian Pastor
  • Kimberly Preusse
  • Widya Ramadhani
  • Ahmad Rathor
  • Haseeb Rehman
  • Shraddha Shende
  • Jenny Singleton
  • Emily Spoolstra
  • Bethanie Sharp
  • Rachel Stuck
  • Arijana Sovsic
  • Tooba Umar
  • Shreya Vellala
TechSAge RERC
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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Urbana, IL 61801
Email: techsage@illinois.edu
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