Children's use of manual mobility - Pilot study

Assistive Technology is often costly to provide, particularly if the time and frustration costs are considered when the appropriate technology is not prescribed or delivered. A number of studies have evaluated how adults have used their wheelchairs in day to day activities, and this project has begun to explore how young people use their manual wheelchairs over a three month period. This study uses an unobtrusive hockey puck size logger that is fitted to a rear wheel on the chair. Combined with responses provided by the user or their family, we are seeking to demonstrate the impact that wheeled mobility has on users. Preliminary data has also highlighted the distance users travel and movement patterns not much different from ambulatory counterparts. It is hoped that factors that influence successful outcomes in manual wheeled mobility will emerge from the study and parallel work in other centres.

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