Domains of wheelchair users' socio-emotional experiences: Design insights from a scoping review

Physical accessibility is not the only concern for wheelchair users (WUs); they also face barriers to social presence, such as challenges in social engagement and negative stereotypes. Identifying key domains in the literature that impact their social and emotional experiences is essential to addressing these issues.

This scoping review sought to explore the key domains of WUs' socio-emotional experiences, as a foundation for providing design-oriented insights to enhance their social presence.

A literature search was conducted using the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases, along with a manual search of three relevant journals. Articles in English, based on original empirical studies that focused on the socio-emotional experiences of adult WUs (>18), were included.

Of the 48 articles included, most were from Canada (n = 11), Sweden (n = 9), the U.S. (n = 7), and the U.K. (n = 6), with limited studies from other countries. Among the six domains explored, Independence & Autonomy (26 %) was the most frequently reported, while Self-Identity & Body Image (9 %) and Social Stigma & Discrimination (5 %) were the least. Three interconnected themes emerged to guide design insights: Theme I - Foundations: Autonomy & Control, Theme II - Connections: Social Participation & Support, and Theme III - Reflection: Self- & Social-Identity.

While independence and agency are key concerns, little research has focused on perceptual issues like self- and social-identity, often highlighted in the media. This area can be refined by recognizing the crucial role of design in aesthetically shaping WUs' social representation in public settings.