Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

A quantitative methodology for assessment of wheelchair controllability

  • SUNY Buffalo

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Changes in wheeled mobility user demographics and technologies over the past 30 years show the need for design guidelines for accessibility to persons with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs. A key component is wheelchair maneuverability, which determines the clear space needed for travel in the environment. Previous studies have applied rating scales to assess the difficulty when wheelchair users maneuver in a built environment. These need to be complemented by direct maneuverability measurements. Having wheelchair users perform self-paced control tasks, for both lateral and longitudinal tasks is a potential method to meet the requirement. This study validated a methodology of measuring the steering controllability and start/stop controllability of wheelchairs so that further studies can apply this methodology to evaluate either environmental or wheelchair designs. The same speed/accuracy relationships were found for wheelchair users as had been found earlier for a variety of vehicles.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 50th Annual Meeting, HFES 2006
Pages1204-1207
Number of pages4
StatePublished - 2006
Event50th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, HFES 2006 - San Francisco, CA, United States
Duration: Oct 16 2006Oct 20 2006

Publication series

NameProceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
ISSN (Print)1071-1813

Conference

Conference50th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, HFES 2006
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Francisco, CA
Period10/16/0610/20/06

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A quantitative methodology for assessment of wheelchair controllability'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this