JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

People with disabilities (PWD) experience numerous barriers to being physically active such as transportation issues, lack of trained exercise professionals who understand disability, and facility access. The use of a virtual exercise platform may provide an alternative and limit certain barriers.

Objective:

The aim of this project was to evaluate user interaction (effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction), strengths and weaknesses of the user interface, and user experience with a virtual exercise platform.

Methods:

Participants were recruited from a community fitness facility that offers programs for PWD. Inclusion criteria were age 18+ years, fluent in English, and availability of internet access. Features of the virtual exercise platform included articles, pre-recorded videos, live Zoom classes, online class registration, weekly progress tracking, incentives, and surveys. A one-on-one Zoom session was scheduled with each participant during which they completed certain tasks: 1) create an account/login, 2) register for class, 3) join class, 4) add to calendar, 5) complete surveys. As participants completed tasks, quantitative (time on task, task success, rate of task completion, number of errors by users which determined task difficulty) and qualitative observations were made. The “concurrent think-aloud” method was encouraged by the moderator to gauge participant’s thoughts as they worked through testing. Participants also completed the System Usability Scale (SUS) and Questionnaire for User Interface Satisfaction (QUIS).

Results:

Five PWD (3 male, 2 female), ages 36-78 years (x̄ = 54), with education levels from high school to PhD were recruited. Devices used for testing included laptop (3), Chromebook (1), and desktop (1). All participants completed tasks #1 and #2 without errors but could not complete task #4. One participant completed #5 with difficulty, another completed task #3 with difficulty. Average time to complete each task was: 1) 82 sec (55-110), 2) 11 sec (4-21), 3) 9 sec (5-27), and 5) 922 sec (841-958). The mean SUS score was 86.5/100 and mean user QUIS score was 8.1/10. Qualitative observations indicated that the system was simple, user-friendly, and accessible.

Conclusions:

PWD reported high usability and user satisfaction with the online exercise platform and the system appears to be an efficient and effective physical activity option.