The impacts of physical environment towards children with cerebral palsy

• Main Authors: Halimi, Nur Halinda, Mohd Nawawi, Norwina, Aripin, Srazali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Zes Rokman Resources 2022
• Subjects: HM621 Culture; NA2542.35 Environmental aspect of architecture; NA2545.A1 Architecture and people with disabilities
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/100323/19/100323_The%20impacts%20of%20physical%20environment.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/100323/; https://www.ijcwed.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/IJCWED15.ISU-1_032.pdf

The physical environment plays an important role for all persons with disabilities from various aspects. This includes persons with cerebral palsy, a common childhood disability affecting many children worldwide. Cerebral palsy affects approximately 2 to 3 in every 1000 births globally, which is attributed to brain injury occurring either during pregnancy, birth, or early years of life. Although several studies have discussed the role of the physical environment among children with disabilities, there are limited reviews on the impact of the physical environment on children with cerebral palsy. Therefore, this article reviews previous studies regarding the impact of the physical environment on children with cerebral palsy. This review was conducted by desktop analysis from various databases as adopted by previous scholars. Specifically, accessibility, participation, functionality, and quality of life were identified as the themes encompassing the impact of the physical environment on children with cerebral palsy. A critical analysis was performed in this study, and the results would benefit both health sciences and built environment disciplines. Detailed information on the specific attributes or features in the physical environment that influence accessibility, participation, functionality, and quality of life among children with cerebral palsy were elucidated and recommended. This future study would be beneficial to stakeholders, professionals in the built environment, and medical fields, as well as caregivers who wish to create the appropriate physical environment for children with cerebral palsy.