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Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative

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Volume 18, No. 1 - Winter 2010

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Wheelchair Measurement Guide

Marvin Williams, ATP, RET
AT Specialist
New Castle County

DATI receives many inquiries from people looking for wheelchairs and a lot of people listing wheelchairs on the AT Exchange. It is always best to get a proper wheelchair fitting from a professional who takes the necessary measurements and determines the type of chair supports best for the user. Knowing that this may not always be possible, however, we’re presenting a measurement guide that can used to obtain the best fit possible without a formal wheelchair fitting. This guide is applicable to both manual and power wheelchairs.

A line drawing of a human figure, from overhead, in a sitting position with lines illustrating where to measure for proper hip width.

A line drawing of a human figure, from the side, in a sitting position with lines illustrating where to measure for proper knee-to-back length, back height, and knee-to-heel length.

A line drawing of a manual wheelchair, from the side, with lines illustrating where to measure for proper knee-to back length, back height, and knee-to-floor length.

A line drawing of a manual wheelchair, from the front, with lines illustrating where to measure for proper hip width, back height, and knee-to-back length.

 

Let’s take a look at measuring the person who will be using the wheelchair. There are three critical measurements—hip width, seat depth, and knee to heel length—when seeking the best fit for a wheelchair. The hip width, designated by “A” in the picture at right, provides the minimum width for a wheelchair, but the chair should be about two inches wider than the hip width. In this picture you can see how that measurement should be taken. The person seeking a wheelchair should be seated on a solid surface without sides. This allows the person taking the measurement to obtain an accurate hip width.

Next, with the individual still sitting on a solid surface, measure the seat depth from behind the person’s knee to his/her back, as depicted by the letter “B” in the next picture. The back height (C) is good to know; however, it’s not as important as the other measurements. The letter “D” illustrates the third critical measurement—knee-to-heel length. This will give you an idea of how far the seat of the wheelchair should be from the footrest.

Of course, if you have a wheelchair that was professionally fitted to you, and your body size and function hasn’t substantially changed since that fitting, then it may be just as easy for you to measure your chair. The process is the same as above with regards to seat width and depth, as well as seat height from the footrest. The images of the chair are presented for your reference.

So, if you are in the market for a manual or power wheelchair without the benefit of a professional wheelchair fitting, please take these critical measurements, and don’t forget to take your tape measure when you go wheelchair hunting!

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