Exss, K.; Trebilcock, M.; Wegertseder-Martínez, P.; Schiavon, S. and Zhang, H. (2026) Personal comfort systems for adults with intellectual disabilities. Buildings & Cities, 7(1), pp. 523-540. ISSN 2632-6655
Abstract
This study examines how personal comfort systems (PCS) support thermal adaptation among adults with intellectual disabilities living in energy-poor households in Chile. Participants (n = 8) in two identical social-housing units completed two in-home field campaigns: winter (June–August 2023; 10 weeks) and summer (December 2023–March 2024; 14 weeks). The study combined an adapted daily point-in-time thermal comfort questionnaire, continuous indoor dry-bulb temperature monitoring (15 min), and pre-/ post-season interviews. Indoor conditions frequently fell outside reference comfort thresholds (92.6% of winter temperatures < 21.5°C; 64.1% of summer temperatures > 26°C). Using participant-level paired comparisons with thermal preference 'No change' as a comfort proxy, PCS use showed no systematic winter increase (median Δ = −0.014; p = 0.944) but a consistent summer increase (median Δ = 0.126; p = 0.014). Interview accounts indicated that PCS supported everyday adaptation, while operability and access constraints sometimes limited independent use. Findings highlight the potential of inclusive PCS to improve perceived comfort under summer heat stress, alongside the need for complementary building-level measures to reduce thermal exposure in vulnerable housing. POLICY RELEVANCE This research offers insights for housing, energy, and disability policy: • Current indoor temperatures in vulnerable housing can fail to meet thermal comfort standards, exacerbating energy poverty among people with intellectual disabilities. • PCS can support autonomy and thermal adaptation, but must be accessible, usable, and tailored to diverse cognitive profiles. • Policies promoting energy equity should incorporate adaptive and personalized technologies alongside improvements in housing infrastructure. • Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial to develop inclusive thermal solutions that bridge health, housing, and disability sectors.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Chile; energy poverty; environmental control; intellectual disability; personal comfort systems; thermal comfort |
| Index terms: | interdisciplinary collaboration, adaptation, questionnaire, housing, winter, household, environmental control, exposure, thermal comfort, interview, summer, poverty, monitoring, intellectual disability, disability, comfort, thermal preference, heat stress, Chile, indoor temperature |
| Subjects: | climate science, environmental health, occupational health and safety management, environmental science, construction type, research design and methodology, data collection methods, demography, health conditions and diseases, sociology, Geography, public and environmental health, user focus, control systems, environmental engineering |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Site Management, Geographical Context, Ethics, Health and Safety, Design Practice, Sustainability, Urban Studies, Construction Technology |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
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