Rehabilitation Living Lab in the mall

The Rehabilitation Living Lab in the mall (RehabMaLL) project is the first interdisciplinary and multi-sectorial research study aiming to explore the principal obstacles and facilitators, whether physical or psychosocial, to social participation and inclusion for persons with disabilities in a commercial mall environment. The project is conducted by the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR). It is in the process of transforming an urban shopping mall, Alexis Nihon, in downtown Montreal, into an inclusive environment for individuals of all ages, particularly for those with disabilities, to create an ecologically valid example of a societal microcosm where complex transactions and activities involving persons with and without disabilities take place year-round.

RehabMaLL brings together researchers from local and international universities working in about 15 different disciplines, including engineering and robotics, psycholinguistics, occupational therapy, psychology, and design. It also includes clinicians working in rehabilitation centers, members of community organizations dedicated to people with disabilities or the elderly, industry representatives, and our main partner, the shopping mall. It is this unique commitment and synergy among the different stakeholders in public and private settings.

RehabMaLL’s vision is to create an inclusive and enabling environment aimed at optimizing social participation and inclusion for all individuals. This vision is grounded in leading-edge research and serves as a blueprint for the creation of similar enabling environments worldwide.

Areas of work:

• Culture and Creativity (Creative Sectors)
• Education and/or Vocational Training
• Emerging Technologies (e.g. AI, AR/VR)
• Health and Well Being
• Mobility
• Rural
• Social Innovation and Inclusion