Space Requirements for Wheeled Mobility - University at Buffalo ...

ConclusionsThe increasing prevalence of wheeled mobility device users, the trends towardslarger and heavier devices and research findings in anthropometry in othercountries imply that the current space requirements for wheeled mobilityaccessibility in the U.S. need to be re-evaluated. The current research plans are agood start but more thought must be given to how to expand the plan. Suchexpansion will require partnering with other sponsors in the U.S. and ideally inother countries as well. International cooperation may be extremely important overthe long term to ensure that the full range of research needs is met.It is likely that a combination of basic anthropometric research, experimental trials,field observations, ethnographic studies and computer aided design analysis areneeded to provide the necessary information about the physical size, function, andpriorities of user groups for the development of effective design standards.Digital human modeling may be extremely useful in design but difficult to apply tostandards development because the individuals not modeled may unknowingly beexcluded by the design. One effective application area for digital modeling may bein the evaluation of specific standards including the comparison of alternatives.More discussion is needed to determine exactly how digital human modeling andother simulation techniques can be used to inform standards development.Space Requirements for Wheeled Mobility 40