Design of Soft Ankle Support (Sas) for Children With Ankle Instability
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to implement a user-centered design process to develop the SAS, a soft ankle support garment to serve as a supplemental solution for children with mild to moderate ankle weakness who use AFOs. The Functional, Expressive, Aesthetic, Accessibility (FEA2) consumer needs model was used to guide the design process in order to develop a wearable that could meet the broad needs of end-users. This study developed the SAS to serve as a supplemental solution for children who use AFOs due to mild to moderate ankle weakness. Participants perceived the SAS as being similar to or better than their existing orthotic solution. This study serves as an example of how user-centered design efforts can be used to develop improved rehabilitation devices for people with disabilities.
Keywords: Soft Ankle Support (SAS), Ankle-foot-orthotics (AFO), Wearable Device, Pediatric, User-centered design
How to Cite:
Civil, D. A., Li, B., Cunha, A. B., Orlando, J. & Lobo, M., (2022) “Design of Soft Ankle Support (Sas) for Children With Ankle Instability”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13290
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