Wheeled Mobility Use on Accessible Fixed-Route Transit: A Field Study in Environmental Docility

Abstract

Multiple field studies provide qualitative accounts of usability barriers experienced by users of wheeled mobility devices on public transit. This study aimed to examine these usability barriers from the theoretical perspective of Environmental Docility by quantifying the relationship between functional capabilities of wheeled mobility device users and ingress–egress performance on accessible fixed-route transit vehicles in an urban setting. Twenty-eight wheeled mobility users each completed three trips on a predetermined route through the local public transit system. Ingress and egress times, user-reported usability ratings and open-ended comments were analyzed. Regression analyses indicated significant interactions between age and minimum parallel-park length on ingress and egress times. Specifically, lower functional capability reflected in older age and less maneuvering ability predicted decreased performance (longer ingress–egress times), indicating less adaptability to environmental demands and agreement with the Environmental Docility Hypothesis. Usability ratings and comments revealed difficulty with negotiating access ramps and turning maneuvers in the vehicle interior and in proximity to other passengers. Despite compliance with accessibility standards, current design of transit vehicles present substantial usability barriers for wheeled mobility users. Environmental Docility provides a theoretical basis to identifying modifiable factors related to person and environment for improving usability of public transit for people aging and/or with mobility impairments.

Manual Wheelchair Movement Performance Differences Between Older Adults with Earlier- and Later-in-Life Incidence

“…Minimum clearance parallel park. Previous findings suggest the minimum parallel park clearance may predict MWC control (Lim et al, 2021). Parallel blocks formed a space with an initial clearance of 2cm (combined forward and rearward) from the measured occupied depth for each participant.…”

Environmental Intervention Evaluation to Support Motor Planning of Wheelchair Movements: A Pilot Study

“…Baseline maneuverability: Since it is anticipated that multiple participants will use their personal MWC during movement trials, a means of measuring baseline maneuverability was required. The minimum clearance parallel park test was selected given its use in literature with accessibility and inclusive transportation mobility research (Lim et al, 2021;Tabattanon et al, 2020). One experimenter set up two parallel panels at a distance of the participant's occupied depth plus 5cm while another researcher continued with anthropometry measurements.…”