Knowledge Utilization and ADA Technical Assistance Information

Using a knowledge utilization framework in a mixed method design, the study evaluated how and why consumers and professionals used rehabilitation related technical assistance (TA) information. Brief interviews were conducted with 326 users of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) information center. Narrative data were reduced via content analysis into dichotomous themes (e.g., needed legal clarification, working on policy changes) and statistically modeled using latent class cluster analysis methods. Four "market segments" of users were identified: persons with a disability seeking an accommodation, professionals involved in structural design, other providers of TA, and those who sought out services based on credibility. Study implications are described in terms of looking beyond labels in identifying consumer needs, and the need to better understand the processes by which users translate information into outcomes.