ABSTRACT
Awareness of human anatomical limitations in designing the machinery for human use has grown very fast over the last few decades. This has led researchers to measure the physical dimensions of different people and their application of body dimensions in the design process. The process of rehabilitation has many facets depending upon the nature of disability. It is important to understand that the demands of a blind person and a paraplegic with visual ability will not be the same in respect to the mobility aid. This incongruity prevailing in rehabilitation has made it difficult to render the research work from one type of disabled person to another. The major concern in rehabilitation is to provide suitable aids for mobility and other daily living activities. The development and design of aids for the disabled require data regarding the loss of functional abilities in them and the physical dimensions. Despite scattered attempts in some specific areas, the data about the physical dimensions of the physically disabled is not sufficient (Floyd et al., 1966; Goswami et al., 1987; Nowak, 1989). This is probably due to the wide variations in the nature of disabilities encountered and the frequent need for the personalized designs of aids. However, personalized designs of aids like a wheelchair or tricycle would affect the demand and supply chain negatively and might leave many people nonrehabilitated in the end. This is a good reason for making such aids with average body dimensions in mind.
