Transfer Set-Up

For individuals who rely on wheeled mobility devices, performing transfers is essential to achieving independence with activities of daily living (ADL) inside and outside the home.

Long-standing accessibility standards developed by the United States Access board have established the desirable height and position of clear space for a limited number of elements where wheelchair transfers are expected. However, additional guidance is needed for transferring to elements that may require more than one transfer; vertical transfer up to or down into a new position; transfer where space for positioning one's mobility device is limited; and transfers into confined spaces.

The data we collected on transfers from a broad spectrum of community-dwelling mobility device users is being used to inform engineers, architects, and designers who design public and private spaces about how to modify the environment to enable Veterans who use wheeled mobility devices the highest degree of independence.