Pedestrian pathway characteristics and their implications on wheelchair users

Individuals who use wheelchairs (WCs) frequently navigate over pathways with obstacles (e.g., bumps or curb descents) or terrain that is extremely rough. Surface characteristics such as roughness can have an effect on comfort and variables associated with bodily injury. Understanding these relationships can be helpful to ensure safe and comfortable access to all public and private pathways. This article reviews existing research related to the topics of surface roughness effects on WC user's bodies, surface roughness measurement techniques, and design guidelines and exposure limits that attempt to ensure pathways are safe and passable. These findings are discussed along with opportunities to improve them. Using a broad literature search, it was found that several measurement and analysis techniques exist to characterize surface roughness related to automobile roadways, but they have not been systematically applied to WC use over pedestrian pathways. The roughness measurement approach that appears most relevant and adaptable for sidewalks are rolling profilers. Commercially available devices could be recalibrated or adapted to measure pedestrian pathways. IRI and ride-quality analysis techniques appear most relevant and could also be adapted. Any analysis technique that uses profiles of surfaces should focus on frequencies and wavelengths that are most applicable to WC riders.