Wheelchair Mobility Survey
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Urban ‘dis’ability: bicycle infrastructure as an enabler of mobility for wheelchair users
IRAS ID
162001
Contact name
Benedict Waterson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Research summary
As the population of the UK and other countries ages, the number of people requiring the use of powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters is increasing. This increase has potentially important implications for transport planners, who will need to take into account more and more the transport requirements for those using these personal mobility devices (PMDs). Findings by others indicate that those using PMDs often encounter physical barriers to their movement, such as poorly designed or maintained pavements, lack of pavements, and obstacles blocking pavements. Furthermore, poor pavement surfaces can also result in physical pain and fatigue for PMD users. These problems with the built environment are usually linked to the "social model" of disability (rather than the medical model).
Casual observation of PMD users in the Netherlands has indicated that many choose to use the excellent bicycle paths that exist there, which are smooth, level, free from obstructions, and usually separated from traffic. An original study from Canada indicated that PMD users there almost always chose to use a bicycle path over the pavement when one was available. Therefore, this study will seek to determine whether PMD users in the UK find difficulty in using pavements, what their preferred travel mode(s) are, and whether they have used any bicycle paths in their own city. These results will be compared with answers given to similar questions in the Netherlands, to ascertain which features of the built environment are causing the most problems, and whether an urban environment that features bicycle infrastructure has mobility benefits for PMD users.
The study will consist of questionnaires distributed to individuals who use the NHS wheelchair service (in Reading and Hull, most likely). Users become participants by way of completing and returning the questionnaire. The research is funded with student MSc research allowance.REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/WM/1111
Date of REC Opinion
20 Aug 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion