Report

Expert users’ perceptions of racing wheelchair design and set up

using a qualitative research design to engage directly with expert users (e.g. elite wheelchair racers, their coaches and the manufacturers of racing chairs) and discuss their perceptions of how different aspects of chair design and configuration impact upon athletic performance.

Lead academic:
Professor Vicky Tolfrey
Additional academics:
Dr Andrea Bundon, Dr Barry Mason
Funder:
The Peter Harrison Foundation

There is a substantial gap in our understanding of how athletes, their coaches and the manufacturers of racing chairs interpret, adopt, implement, modify or reject research pertaining to wheelchair racing.

Methods

  • 12 expert users which represented United Kingdom (6), Austria (1), Australia (2), Canada (1) and the Netherlands (1).
  • The sample comprised of 5 current athletes, 4 coaches (including 2 former athletes) and 2 wheelchair manufacturers.
  • A semi-structured interviewing method was adopted to allow the exploration of topics identified a priori by the research team while still providing opportunities for participants to raise new subjects that they felt should also be included.
  • Topics included: the components of racing chairs (bearings, compensators, footrest, frame, push rims, seat, steering, tires and wheels), aspects related to the setup of the chair (fit and positioning of athlete in chair), and the processes involved in selecting, ordering, being fitted for and/or manufacturing a new chair. Gloves, though not strictly related to chair design were also included because they were deemed integral to the interface between the athlete and the racing chair.

Main findings and applications

  • Through interviews and other qualitative methods, expert users are able to comment on the practicality of implementing certain evidence-based recommendations.
  • For instance, an athlete raised the issue that while athletes in the T51 class might benefit from the lightness of quad spoke wheels, many used disc wheels because of the danger of catching their hands between the gaps in quad spokes.
  • Expert users can play a crucial role in identifying future areas for research.
  • This was seen when coaches and manufacturers raised the issue of tyre pressures on a Mondotrack surface.

In short, by engaging with expert users to identify research questions and by drawing on qualitative research designs, we can ensure that our research agendas are aligned with the immediate needs of the populations they are intended to benefit thus enhancing the probability that our research findings will have impact.

Reference

  • Bundon, A., Mason, B. and Goosey-Tolfrey, V.L. (in press, 2016). Expert users’ perceptions of racing wheelchair design and set up: The knowns, unknowns and next steps. Adapted of Physical Activity Quarterly. DOI: 10.1123/apaq.2016-0073