Who's Carrying the Baby?

Abstract

Parents who are wheelchair users face the practical problem of manoeuvring a wheelchair at the same time as pushing a pushchair. The Bath Institute of Medical Engineering (BIME) has designed a pushchair to attach to a manual wheelchair. This paper describes the rationale behind the project and how disabled parents have been integral to the design process. The process and findings of the evaluation programme are reported.

Evaluation is important to designers to understand the outcomes of their work. ‘It's as simple as needing to know whether assistive technology works’ (Smith 1998, p20). This process also provides insights to occupational therapists to guide them in their professional judgements about whether an equipment solution can meet user requirements.