Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale

The Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS) measures how an assistive device affects a user's quality of life, not whether they are satisfied with it or what it lets them physically do. Developed by Jeffrey Jutai and Hy Day, the 26-item self-report scale captures the device's perceived effect across three dimensions: competence (feelings of efficacy and usefulness), adaptability (willingness to try new things and take part), and self-esteem (emotional well-being and confidence). Each item is rated on a bipolar scale from a strong decrease to a strong increase, so the instrument registers whether a device improves, leaves unchanged, or harms the user's psychosocial functioning — a distinctively quality-of-life-oriented assistive-technology outcome.