Brief
Many young people struggle to access properly fitted wheelchairs. Children grow quickly, yet chairs are expensive and often hard to adjust. Ill-fitting chairs lead to discomfort, health issues and reduced independence.
Traditional frames are difficult and costly to modify as a person grows. Repairs often require professional technicians or full replacements.
How could wheelchairs be made more adaptable for growing kids?
Meeting wheelchair athletes
I spoke with T33 Paralympic wheelchair racer Yasmin Somers to understand the differences between her everyday chair and her racing setup. She invited me to Kingsmeadow training centre, where I also met David Weir, a six-time Paralympic gold medallist.
These conversations highlighted how closely wheelchair performance and wellbeing are tied to fit, and how current approaches to customisation are slow, costly, and difficult to adapt over time.
“A wheelchair is like a pair of shoes. It needs to be customised to the body, lifestyle and
environment of its user.”
- David Weir, six time paralympic gold medallist
Research insights
Conversations at Kingsmeadow helped me understand several key problems with conventional wheelchairs:
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Proper wheelchair fit is critical for health, comfort, and mobility.
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Waiting times for suitable chairs can extend to several years.
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Custom frames are difficult to repair and often require full replacement when damaged.
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Once customised, most wheelchairs cannot be adjusted further.
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Children and young users quickly outgrow chairs, but costs and delays prevent regular refitting.
Prototyping early concepts
Initial concepts explored a single central bracket to simplify construction, but this proved too large and heavy. The design evolved into a system of smaller modular brackets that connect straight sections of tubular material at key load bearing points.
Rapid sketching and physical modelling were used to iterate on structure, weight, and ergonomics before progressing to CAD and 3D printing. The final system was prototyped as a half scale wheelchair frame to validate fit, assembly, and structural logic.
Final design concept
A modular bracket system enables wheelchair frames to be built from standard straight tubing, removing the need for specialist tube bending or welding. The approach allows frame dimensions to be adjusted quickly and affordably, improving fit while making repair and adaptation over time straightforward.
The final prototype demonstrates a fully customisable wheelchair frame with reduced cost, shorter lead times, and lower reliance on specialist infrastructure. Individual components can be replaced without scrapping the entire chair, extending lifespan and improving long term repairability.
What's next?
Further testing will validate strength, durability, and long term use. Refinement with user and clinician feedback could lead to a small set of standardised components, supporting easier manufacture, local repair, and wider access to custom fitted wheelchairs.