800 Section - Stepping Back Outside: Solutions to Promote Outdoor Leisure Activity for People with Lower Limb Loss

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM PT

Presenting Author/Autor expositor(s)

PD

Pegah Derakhshan, MD

Medical Resident/ PhD candidate
University of Saskatchewan/ University British Columbia
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Co-Author/Coautor(s)

WM

W. Ben Mortenson, PhD

Professor
Centre for Aging SMART, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, University of British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
AB

Andrea Bundon, PhD

Assistant Professor
School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
DL

Delphine Labbé, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States
ES

Ethan Simpson, MS

Research coordinator
Centre for Aging SMART, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
TB

Tanelle Bolt, MA

Founder
RAD Recreation Adapted Society, Invermere, BC, Canada
Invermere, British Columbia, Canada
EK

Emilee Kronbauer, MS

OT
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
SM

Shayla Medeiros, MS

OT
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
AB

Anna Braunizer, MS

Board member
RAD Recreation Adapted Society, Invermere, BC, Canada
Invermere, British Columbia, Canada

Corresponding Author/Autor a quien dirigir la corr(s)

WM

William C. Miller, PhD

Professor
British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Objectives : Outdoor recreation offers physical, psychological, and social benefits for PwLLA, but they continue to face environmental, equipment, and psychosocial barriers that limit participation. Existing literature offers limited insight into how PwLLA navigate outdoor recreation or what supports enable safe, meaningful, and sustained participation. This study explored the needs and perceptions of PwLLA as they participated in adaptive outdoor activities such as biking.

Design: A Qualitative Descriptive design with semi-structured interviews was used to capture variation in age, amputation profile, and recreation experience among purposively sampled adults with LLA. This study is part of a larger co-created project with the RAD Recreation Adapted Society and community collaborators. Interviews explored participants’ needs, and perceptions focusing on their motivations, challenges, and participation strategies. Data underwent reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: Fifteen participants were included: eight unilateral transfemoral, six unilateral transtibial, and one bilateral transtibial amputee (median age 54; 8 men). Three themes were developed to capture the complexity of outdoor participation. “Being Motivated to Engage in Outdoor Recreation” reflected personal desires, such as reconnecting with identity, physical conditioning, managing phantom or residual limb pain and improving mental well-being. “Discovering Solutions to Challenges” highlighted adaptive strategies, prosthetic considerations, pain and skin management, and the need for accessible, safe equipment and terrain. “Needing to Strategically Prepare for the Outdoors” illustrated the extensive planning required, including route scouting, device modifications, carrying backup supplies, and anticipating fatigue or weather-related risks.

Conclusion: Outdoor recreation supports independence, health, and social connection for PwLLA. Meaningful participation requires more than motivation, relying on appropriate prosthetic function, accessible environments, and careful risk planning. Clinicians can play an important role in individualized mobility planning, addressing prosthetic barriers, and working with community programs to create safe, inclusive opportunities. These findings highlight the need for adaptive recreation systems that accommodate LLA demands and support outdoor recreation participation.