Development and testing of a client specific wheelchair mobility outcome measure

Wheelchairs that don’t fit properly can cause discomfort, medical complications and limit people from getting around. Despite the fact that more than 150,000 Canadians rely on wheelchairs as their primary means of mobility, research in this area is often overlooked. While working as an occupational therapist in a long-term care facility, Dr. Bill Miller recognized the lack of tools for assessing and measuring people’s ability to function in wheelchairs, and is now developing a specific tool for this purpose. He hopes the tool will ultimately improve quality of life for wheelchair users. In the longer term his goal is to be a leader in mobility disability research, with a special focus on issues pertaining to older adults who use wheelchairs.