Influences of aircraft seat adaptations on wheelchair user perceptions when transferring into and out of the seat: A pilot study
Résumé
Aircraft seat accessibility for wheelchair users is very complicated. The distance between two seats is very small which creates accommodation deficiencies. Improving air travel experience, and more specifically egress and ingress of aircraft seat could be associated with development of some adaptations. An experimental study was made to propose three removal adaptations on aircraft seat and to collect perceptions of wheelchair users. According to the results the adaptation the most appreciate was when surfaces of the boarding chair and of the aircraft seat were fixed at the same level. The results of this study give perspectives for further researches on the impact of some adaptations which could be provided on aircraft seat. Results might also be used to design products and service to improve sitting transfer.