Home and Community Environment Instrument – HACE
A self-report questionnaire that assesses the physical and social environment of people with disabilities, measuring environmental barriers and facilitators.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Home and Community Environment Instrument – HACE was developed by Keysor, J., Jette, A., & Haley, S. (2005). It is designed to measure Environmental barriers and facilitators for people with disabilities. The scale is intended for use with Individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 36 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Home mobility, Community mobility, Basic mobility devices, Communication devices, Transportation factors, Attitudes.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Home mobility | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 | 9 |
| Community mobility | 10,11,12,13,14 | 5 |
| Basic mobility devices | 15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23 | 9 |
| Communication devices | 24,25,26,27 | 4 |
| Transportation factors | 28,29,30,31,32 | 5 |
| Attitudes | 33,34,35,36 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: yes = Yes, no = No, a_lot = A lot, some = Some, not_at_all = Not at all, strongly_agree = Strongly agree, agree = Agree, neither = Neither agree nor disagree, disagree = Disagree, strongly_disagree = Strongly disagree.
The scale includes 3 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Scores are calculated per domain. Higher scores generally indicate a more positive situation (fewer barriers), except where noted.: 0 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Reliable and valid (specific alpha coefficients not provided in text).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.