Wheelchair Transportation Standards

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Winter 2021

Wheelchair Transportation Standards and the Use of Postural Supports

Bodypoint is frequently asked about the use of our products as occupant-protection devices for use in wheelchair transportation.

The short answer is that our products are not designed to be used as occupant-protection devices. If they are part of the user�s standard wheelchair configuration providing postural support, they can and should still be worn, but it must be in conjunction with a transportation-compliant seating system. This article provides a brief overview of standards and regulations that define compliant wheelchair seating systems for transportation.

Accessibility and adaptation of wheelchairs is a critical consideration for wheelchair users. A key element of accessibility is transportation. There are several variations of travel in wheelchairs, and these variations are defined by the usage of the wheelchair and the type of transportation, and each has specific safety considerations.

Configurations for wheelchairs used in transportation may include the following:

A wheelchair used as the vehicle seat with a forward-facing user as a passenger or a driver.
A wheelchair user that utilizes their chair as a seat while using public transportation (including school busses) considered �large accessible transit vehicles� (LATV) in a rear-facing seating configuration.

In the 1980�s, with recognition that more people in wheelchairs were traveling, standards for transportation of people in wheelchairs were developed to address the issues and features for the use of wheelchairs as seats in vehicles. These standards are the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) recommended practice �Wheelchair Tiedowns and Occupant Restraint Systems for Use in Motor Vehicles� (SAE JJ249) and ISO 10542, Parts 1 and 2, now revised and updated as WC18.

Later, ANSI/RESNA developed WC-19, �Wheelchairs for Use as Seats in Motor Vehicles,� to establish design and performance requirements, and associated test methods, for wheelchairs that are used as vehicle seats in transportation, including transit, school bus, over-the-road coaches, and personally licensed vehicles. The standard was adopted by several wheelchair manufacturers (including power and manual) who offer WC-19 compliant wheelchairs. These chairs are designed to meet the standard by addressing the securement of a four-point strap-type tie down system.

Subsequently, WC-20, �Wheelchair Seating Systems for Use in a Motor Vehicle� was also established by ANSI/RENSA. This standard applies specifically to seating systems of wheelchairs that are used in transportation. The standard defines a seating system as a seat, back support, and the associated attachment hardware, which may or may not include postural support devices. The most current version of WC-20 includes seating systems that may use pelvic belt anchorages but does not include shoulder/upper torso belts anchored to the seating system. Seating systems that comply with WC-20 are only intended to be used with wheelchairs that comply with WC-19.

Wheelchair users that utilize postural supports, such as hip belts and anterior/lateral truck supports, should use these while traveling in a motor vehicle, as the use of these can assist in maintaining an upright position which can improve the effectiveness of crashworthy seating system belts that comply with WC-20.

Please note that WC19 and WC20 are voluntary standards defined by ANSI/RESNA for use in the United States. Both of these standards were updated in 2017. Transportation regulations and standards in areas outside of the US may be different and defined by the specific country to which they apply. ISO 10542 is an international standard, which was last reviewed and confirmed in 2020.

To summarize: Postural Supports MUST NOT be used without a compliant seating system and may only be used in addition to a crashworthy seatbelt system as the primary occupant-protection system.

Bodypoint provides installation and usage instructions with all our products. This includes a warning that postural supports are not adequate nor compliant as occupant-protection seating equipment.

For more information on wheelchair transportation safety, please visit the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) website at wc-transportation-safety.umtri.umich.edu.

- Lori Lizotte, Bodypoint Director of US Sales

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