Recording Manual Wheelchair Usage Patterns in Community Settings: A Pilot Study

Annmarie R. Kelleher, MS, OTR/L, ATP^1-2; Shirley G. Fitzgerald, PhD^1-2; Michelle L. Tolerico, MS^1-2 ; Rory A. Cooper, PhD^1-2

Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh¹

Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System²

ABSTRACT:

It is important to identify wheelchair usage patterns of community dwelling manual wheelchair users to develop realistic methods of standardized testing as well as produce useful guidelines for wheelchair selection. This three month, longitudinal study collected pilot wheelchair usage data via a datalogger data from 11 community dwelling adult manual wheelchair users. The results obtained revealed that the average ultralightweight manual wheelchair user traveled 3,009.83 ± 2,044.62 meters at an average speed of .75 ± .15 meters per second per day over the three month time period.

KEYWORDS:

Wheelchair, Datalogger, Speed, Distance

AUTHOR:

Annmarie Kelleher , MS , OTR/L, ATP
Human Engineering Research Laboratories
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
7180 Highland Drive , 151R1-H
Pittsburgh , PA 15206
412-365-4850
kellehera@herlpitt.org