Anthropometry of Wheeled Mobility Project: Final Report

This data depicts the amount of space required by users of wheeled mobility devices to perform a 180-degree turn. The bold dashed line in the table and figure indicates the current ADA-ABA requirement of a 152.5 cm (60 in.) space for wheeled mobility users to turn around. Findings from the Anthropometry of Wheeled Mobility Study indicate that a width of at least 130 cm (51 in.) was required for 50% of the manual wheelchair users measured in this study to perform a 90-degree turn. A width of 170 cm (67 in.) was required in order for 95% of manual wheelchair and power chair users to complete the turn, with 95% of scooter users needing a width of at least 210 cm (83 in.) These data are based on measurements of wheeled mobility users performing 180-degree turns in a dead-end hallway, built with mock walls. The end wall and a second wall of the hallway was fixed. The other side of the hallway had a moveable wall. The hallway width was incrementally increased until a user could enter the space, turn around, and exit the space successfully. The minimum space required to perform a complete 180-degree turn within moving or knocking down any of the walls was recorded. Use of multiple short turns was allowed in contrast to a single continuous turn.