Exploring Information Needs for Tracking to Support Using Wheelchairs in Everyday Life

Past research on wheelchair user tracking technologies has emphasized physical activity support, upper body pain alleviation, and accessibility mapping. However, little is known about what information users consider important in tracking to support their daily use of wheelchairs. To address this gap, we took a holistic view through an online survey (53 responses) and discovered the overall need to track beyond accessibility and physical activities, including a keen interest in monitoring ‘wheelchair health’, social causes, and concerns regarding data accountability for policy change. Our study contributes by delineating the unmet information needs in wheelchair tracking and advocating for more research interests to develop and design tracking tools in Human-Computer Interactions (HCI) that enrich the everyday experiences of wheelchair users.