Recommendations on Standards for the Design of Medical Diagnostic Equipment for Adults with Disabilities, Advisory Committee Final Report

18 Inch Low Height

As our discussions progressed on the low height, whether it should be 17 inches, 18 inches or 19 inches; a compromise position of 18 inches was suggested. Some individuals indicated that they would be willing to compromise, but virtually all of the subcommittee members indicated that the 17 inch low height was the most inclusive and reached a broader range of individuals using wheeled mobility devices.

During a Subcommittee conference call, Dr. Edward Steinfeld, the principal author of the Analysis of Seat Height for Wheeled Mobility Devices, stated 17 inches is the best practice as it accommodates approximately 94% of individuals using wheeled mobility devices according to their research (see above). When asked about the 18 inch as the low height, Dr. Steinfeld stated it could be a reasonable compromise since the group most affected by increasing the height would be manual wheelchair users who could accommodate a 1 inch change in vertical clearance during transfer. He also stated there is limited data on the effect of a level change as the distance (gap) between the wheeled mobility device and the piece of medical equipment increased and cautioned against speculating that height differences between the wheeled mobility device and transfer surface would be acceptable to all users.

Finally, a majority of committee members proposed a range for the low height of 17 to 19 inches rather than establishing an absolute minimum. An example of providing a range is the pool seat lift accessibility standard per ADA and ABA 2004 Guidelines Section 1009.2.4, which clearly establishes that, even with adjustable devices, a range for the highest (or in our case lowest) position is suitable and appropriate. Thus, the standard could be stated as follows: the transfer surface must lower to at least 17 inches to 19 inches and infinitely adjust to at least 25 inches above the finished floor.