My adventures in the Innowalk

Pickering, Dawn ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4779-5616 2024. My adventures in the Innowalk. Cardiff: Cardiff University.

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Abstract

This storybook “My adventures in the Innowalk” is aimed as an accessible research output for the participants and their families. It aims to give ‘voice’ to those whose voices are often overlooked. The ten children and young people’s own words are placed in “italics”. They chose a different name to protect their identity, their ages stated were at the point of data collection. Whilst a small number of books are printed for the participant’s benefit, this illustrated storybook has also been created in a shorter version as an audio storybook. In this way, the research data has been co-produced in a format for the children and young people to understand. This storybook came about from data that was collected during a research study funded by the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists in 2022. This study observed ten children and young people using the Innowalk Pro at a special school in Wales, for evidence of their well-being. The Innowalk is a robotic device, that supports standing and cycling for non-ambulant people. The three observations of each participant were mapped onto a new well-being scale. The domains of this well-being scale include calmness, comfort, creativity, energy, engagement and joy. This was also supported by interviews and a diary, written by the children or their parents. The children’s specific age at the time of the study is stated. Their stories are presented from the youngest to the eldest, to describe and promote their well-being experiences of the Innowalk. The funding for this story book came from the Baily Thomas Charitable Trust in 2023. This enabled a graphic illustrator to be employed and Alison Howard was recruited for this task. Alison and I have worked in tandem to develop each illustration, based on the raw data, and some additional photographs, which the parents provided, to authenticate the illustrations. It has been a joy to work on this book, as an accessible research output. This contribution to knowledge about disabled children’s well-being is unique and forms part of disabled children’s social justice, as their voices deserve to be heard.

Item Type:	Book
Book Type:	Authored Book
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Healthcare Sciences
Subjects:	R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics > RJ101 Child Health. Child health services
Additional Information:	Alison Howard, illustrator.
Publisher:	Cardiff University
Funders:	Baily Thomas Charitable trust
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	22 July 2024
Last Modified:	15 Aug 2024 08:48
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/170633

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