Studies
Research Study: Seeking Adults with Mobility Disabilities with or without Mobility Devices
Millions of Canadians have mobility disabilities and a common environmental barrier they face in the community are related to ramps. If ramps are too steep, they can cause injury or increase a person’s tiredness. To ensure ramps are not too steep, there are many codes and standards we use in Canada to guide their design. While standards provide a recommendation for a slope angle that helps make environments barrier free, there is little research that has confirmed whether what is reported in standards is safe and accessible for people with mobility disabilities. In fact, a lot of this research was done over 10 years ago, and that work rarely included a range of people with mobility disabilities such as cane or walker users.
The purpose of this project is to find the maximum slope that can be safely crossed by people with a range of mobility disabilities. This information can then be used to develop recommendations for maximum allowable slopes for ramps that will be accessible to 95% of people with mobility-related disabilities.
This study involves a single study visit (~60-90 minutes in length) at the KITE Research Institute. The study itself will consist of you completing a series of ramp trials (i.e., going up and down an inclined surface) in our simulated laboratory.
If you are interested in hearing more about this research study, please feel free to contact us at:
E. engineeringhealth@uhn.ca
T. 416-597-3422 x 7956
Research Study: Are you a Mobility Device User with Upcoming Air Travel?
Mobility aids are essential for travelers with disabilities, providing the independence needed to navigate air travel. However, these devices are often damaged during transport, particularly when placed on their side to fit through narrow cargo hold doors. Between January and September 2019, data from the U.S. shows that at least 7,747 mobility aids were mishandled, an average of 29 per day, leading to avoidable damage and stress for both passengers and airline staff.
To better understand the handling conditions mobility aids experience during air travel, this project proposes equipping selected wheelchairs with sensors and data loggers to measure orientation, impact forces, vibration levels, and environmental conditions throughout the journey. Testing would be conducted across multiple airlines, aircraft types, and routes to capture a representative dataset of real-world handling practices in Canada. These tools will help identify patterns and pinpoint specific handling stages where improvements are most needed. Addressing these issues will enhance the travel experience for passengers with disabilities by ensuring safer transport of their mobility aids.
Email our study coordinator, Amir Babazadehjoudi, at amir.babazadehjoudi@mail.utoronto.ca to learn more!
