Clearance Space Envelopes of Wheeled Mobility Device Users for Computer Workstations

Abstract

Operator clearance spaces under computer workstations and other work surfaces are necessary to ensure that seated operators have adequate space for their lower extremities in order to use the working surface without any obstruction. In this paper we present operator clearances at workstations designed to accommodate occupants of manual and powered wheelchairs (n=322). Six body dimensions critical to workstation design were used in two different methods to compute the clearance envelope dimensions. When compared with clearance space requirements for able-bodied seated operators at workstations specified in the ANSI/HFES 100-2007 standards for computer workstation design, the findings showed wheeled mobility device users required greater widths, work surface heights, and clearance depths than those specified in the standard.