ABSTRACT
The Building Design Standards Committee for the Physically Handicapped, Architectural Institute of Japan, has classified how buildings obstruct the physically handicapped. Physical disabilities are classified further by the type and extent of impairment. The classifications may facilitate the design and planning for the physically disabled. The resultant classification is suggested as a standard for the design of products and spaces for the physically disabled. In this classification, the upper limbs, trunk and lower limbs are divided into three levels of disability. When a helper is needed to use a wheelchair, the workload of this second user is as relevant to wheelchair design as that of the physically handicapped person. Based on the findings described, wheel diameter of the compact wheelchair was set at 20 inches, the wheelchair was designed to fold in height, width and length. Disability characteristics may be classified by using a 6 by 6 matrix to facilitate the design of products and buildings for the physically disabled.
