Publications

• Consumer Publications
• Peer Reviewed Journal Articles/Periodicals
• Book/Book Chapters
• Proceedings of Meetings and Symposia
• Technical/Research Reports
• Dissertations/Theses

Consumer Publications

New! Guidelines for Use of Secondary Postural Support Devices by Wheelchair Users During Travel in Motor Vehicles (2007). Document available as a PDF (450 MB)

• A link to the Exceptional Parent Magazine website You can go to the EP website and search for these titles to get an official reprint. You can also search the EP website for additional resources and information. Please acknowledge the source of the following PDF versions of these magazine articles as you share them.
  • A Front-Row Seat at a Wheelchair Crash Test by Jan Carter Hollingsworth. March 2007. (204K PDF)
  • Using a Wheelchair as a Seat in a Motor Vehicle: An Overview of Wheelchair Transportation Safety and Related Standards by Larry Schneider. April 2007. (297K PDF)
  • Getting the Right Wheelchair for Travel: A WC19 Compliant Wheelchair by Miriam Manary, Doug Hobson & Larry Schneider. May 2007. (185K PDF)
  • Riding to School in a Wheelchair by Mary Ellen Buning, Sue Shutrump & Miriam Manary. July 2007. (2.9MB PDF)
  • Teens in Transition to Community Transportation by Mary Ellen Buning, Sue Fuhrman & Sue Shutrump. September 2007. (4.3MB PDF)
  • The Role of Parents and Caregivers in Providing Safe Transportation for Occupants Seated in Wheelchairs. by Larry Schneider, Miriam Manary & Gina Bertocci
  • Peering into a Crystal Ball: What's the Future for Wheelchair-Seated Travel? by Linda vanRoosmalen & Doug Hobson.

Transporting Students with Disabilities - Impact survey for WC19 wheelchairs coming in 2009. (2006) Vol. 17, No. 18, October 17, p.2.

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles/Periodicals

Characteristics of motor vehicle transportation use and related adverse events among persons who use wheelchairs.  Fitzgerald SG, Songer TJ, Rotko KA & Karg PE. Accepted for publication.

Occupant restraint preferences of wheelchair occupants traveling in motor vehicles. vanRoosmalen, L; Lutgendorf, M & Manary, MA. Accepted for publication.

Development of voluntary equipment standards for transportation safety of wheelchair users. Schneider, LW; Hobson, DA & Bertocci, GE. Accepted for publication.

Identifying safety issues for wheelchair-seated occupants through in-depth crash investigations. Schneider, LW; Moore, JL & MacWilliams, JB. Accepted for publication.

Patterns of wheelchair response and seating-system failures in frontal-impact sled tests. Manary, MA; Woodruff, LM; Bertocci, GE & Schneider, LW. Accepted for publication.

Riding a bus while seated in a wheelchair: Attitudes, behavior and knowledge of safety practices. Buning, ME; Getchell, CA; Bertocci, GE & Fitzgerald SG. (2007). Assistive Technology. 19(4): 166-179.

Development and validation of a frontal impact 6-yr-old wheelchair seated occupant computer model. Ha, DR; Bertocci GE & Jategaonkar R. (2007). Assistive Technology. 19(4): 223-238.

Injury risk of a 6-year-old wheelchair seated occupant in a frontal motor vehicle impact: Sled testing analysis. Ha, DR & Bertocci, GE. (2007). Medical Engineering & Physics. 29(7): 729-38. Epub 2007 Jan 23.

Towards the next generation of wheelchair securement: Development of an industry standard for a universal docking interface geometry. Hobson, DA; vanRoosmalen L & Schneider, LW. (2007). Assistive Technology. 19(4): 210-222.

Wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system issues in the real world and virtual world: Combining qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Wolf, P; vanRoosmalen, L & Bertocci, GE. (2007). Assistive Technology. 19(4) 188-198.

Pilot study of safety belt usability for vehicle occupants seated in wheelchairs (2005). vanRoosmalen, L; Reed, MP & Bertocci, GE. Assistive Technology, Vol.17:23-36.

A pilot study of a method for assessing the reach capability of wheelchair users for safety belt design. Reed, M & vanRoosmalen, L. (2005). Applied Ergonomics Vol. 36(5): 523-528.

The injury risk to wheelchair occupants using motor vehicle transportation. Songer, TJ; Fitzgerald, SG & Rotko, KA. (2004). Annual Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, Vol. 48:115-129.

Wheelchair caster loading during frontal impact. Bertocci, GE & vanRoosmalen, L. (2003). Assistive Technology, Vol. 15:105-112.

• http://www.vard.org/jour/03/40/2/Contents.html
• Abstract Only
• Full Document
• PDF file of full document

The effects of wheelchair-seating stiffness and energy absorption on occupant frontal impact kinematics and submarining risk using computer simulation. Bertocci, GE; Souza, AL & Szobota, S. (2003). Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, Vol. 40(2): 125-130.

Appropriate protection for wheelchair riders on public transit buses. Shaw, G & Gillispie, T. (2003). Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, Jul/Aug, Vol. 40(4): 309-320.

Preliminary evaluation of wheelchair occupant restraint system usage in motor vehicles. vanRoosmalen, L; Bertocci, GE; Hobson, DA & Karg, PE. (2002). Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, Vol. 39(1):83-93.

Evaluation of wheelchair sling seat and sling back crashworthiness. Ha, DR; Bertocci, GE; Karg, PE & Deemer, E. (2002). Medical Engineering & Physics, Vol. 24: 441-448.

Wheelchairs used as seats in motor vehicles: Seat loading in frontal impact testing. Bertocci, GE; Manary, MA & Ha, DR. (2001). Medical Engineering & Physics, Vol. 23: 679-685.

Wheelchair integrated occupant restraints: Feasibility in frontal impact. vanRoosmalen L, Bertocci GE, Ha DR & Karg PE. (2001). Medical Engineering & Physics, Vol. 23:697-698.

Books/Book Chapters

Wheelchair transportation safety. Karg, PE; Bertocci, GE; van Roosmalen, L; Hobson, DA & Furui T. (2007). In An Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering. Cooper, R; Ohnabe, H & Hobson, DA (Eds.) London: Taylor and Francis Group; p. 187-209.

Wheelchair transportation safety. (2005). Bertocci GE. In Therapeutic Interventions for Patients with Spinal Cord Injuries, Druin, E & Sisto, SA (Eds). Philadelphia: Elseveir Science.

Wheelchairs, wheelchair tiedowns, and occupant restraints for improved safety and crash protection. (2005) Schneider LW & Manary MA. In Driver Rehabilitation and Community Mobility Principles and Practices. Pellerito, JM (Ed). Philadelphia: Elsevier Press; pp. 357-372.

Manual wheelchair seating and mobility. (2003). Buning, ME & Schmeler, MR. In Willard & Spackman’s Occupational Therapy, 10th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

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Proceedings of Meetings and Symposia

Effect of manual wheelchair caster stiffness and energy absorption on wheelchair-occupant kinematics during a frontal impact using computer simulation. Dsouza, R; Bertocci, GE & vanRoosmalen, L. (2007). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Phoenix, AZ, 2007.

Wheelchair rider incidents on public transit buses: A 4-year retrospective review of metropolitan transit agency records. Frost, KA & Bertocci, GE. (2007). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Phoenix, AZ.

Effect of wheelchair headrest use during rear impact on pediatric head and neck injury risk outcomes. Fuhrman, SI; Karg, PE & Bertocci, GE. (2007). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Phoenix, AZ.

Crashworthiness of forward-facing wheelchairs under rear impact conditions. Manary, MA; Bezaire, BA; Bertocci, GE; Salipur Z & Schneider, LW. (2007). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Phoenix, AZ.

Wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system loading associated with an adult manual ANSI WC19 transit wheelchair with a seated 50th percentile ATD exposed to rear impact. Salipur, Z; Bertocci, GE; Manary, MA & Ritchie, NL. (2007). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Phoenix, AZ.

User centered design of a wheelchair-anchored safety restraint. vanRoosmalen, L & Sellers, J. (2007). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Phoenix, AZ.

Characterization of pediatric wheelchair kinematics and WTORs loading during rear impact. Fuhrman, SI; Karg, PE & Bertocci, GE. (2006). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.

Use and performance of occupant restraint systems for wheelchair users in real-world crashes. Klinich, KD; Moore, JL; Manary, MA & Schneider, LW. (2006). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.

Design and testing of a prototype wheelchair-integrated, five-point occupant restraint system for children who remain seated in wheelchairs when traveling in motor vehicles. Manary, MA; Whalen, JM; Ritchie, NL & Schneider, LW. (2006). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.

Validation of a surrogate wheelchair base for evaluation of wheelchair seating system crashworthiness. Ritchie, NL; Manary, MA; Bertocci, GE & Schneider, LW. (2006). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.

Examination of wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint systems (WTORs): Use and effect on motor vehicle related injuries. Rotko, KA; Karg, PE; Songer, TJ & Fitzgerald, SG. (2006). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.

Prescription patterns of secondary postural support devices and concerns related to their use during vehicle transportation. Fuhrman, SI; Buning, ME & Karg, PE. (2005). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.

Development of manual pediatric transit wheelchair design guidelines using computer simulation. Ha, DR; Bertocci, GE & Jategaonkar, R.  (2005). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.

Wheelchair and crash dummy response in far-side lateral impacts. Manary, MA & Schneider, LW. (2005). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.

Injury of wheelchair users as a result of loading and unloading from a motor vehicle. Rotko, KA; Songer, TJ; Fitzgerald, SG & Karg, PE. (2005). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.

Characteristics of injury events among wheelchair users in motor vehicle transport. Songer, TJ; Fitzgerald, SG & Rotko, KA. (2005). Annual Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine.

Design criteria for a wheelchair integrated pelvic restraint device. Urankar, SA & vanRoosmalen, L.  (2005). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.

Real-world wheelchair transportation safety: A study of wheelchair user attitudes, knowledge, and behavior when riding fixed-route transportation. Armstrong, CM & Buning, ME. (2004). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Orlando, FL.

Transportation characteristics for individuals who use wheelchairs. Fitzgerald S, Songer TJ & Rotko KA.  (2004). 50^th Annual American Paraplegia Society Conference, Las Vegas, NV, September .

Development and validation of a frontal impact 6 year-old wheelchair-seated occupant computer model. Ha, DR; Bertocci, GE & Jategaonkar, R. (2004). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Orlando, FL.

Wheelchair seatback loads and deflections in rear impacts. Manary, MA & Schneider, LW. (2004). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Orlando, FL.

Characteristics of wheelchair users and associated motor vehicle transportation usage. Rotko, KA; Songer, TJ; Fitzgerald, SG & Karg PE. (2004). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Orlando, FL.

Injury risk to wheelchair occupants using motor vehicle transportation. Songer, TJ; Fitzgerald, SG & Rotko, KA.  (2004). Annual Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, Key Biscayne, FL. October.

Safety belt usability and reach capability of wheelchair users. vanRoosmalen, L; Reed, MP & Bertocci, GE. (2004). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Orlando, FL.

User preferences on wheelchair integrated restraint design. Armstrong, CM; vanRoosmalen, L; Manary, MA & Bertocci, GE. (2003). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, June.

Incidence of motor vehicle accidents in individuals who use wheelchairs. Fitzgerald, SG & Songer, TJ. (2003). Proceedings International Seating Symposium, Orlando, Florida, March.

Computer simulation of a frontal impact wheelchair-seated 6 year old. Ha, DR; Jategaonkar, R & Bertocci, GE.  (2003). MADYMO User's Meeting of the America's, Troy, MI, October 1.

An investigation of manual wheelchair seat pan and seat back loading associated with various wheelchair design parameters using computer crash simulation. Ha, DR & Bertocci, GE. (2003). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, June.

Patterns of wheelchair response and seating-system failures in frontal-impact sled tests. Manary, MA; Woodruff, L; Bertocci, GE, & Schneider, LW. (2003). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, June.

Characteristics of motor vehicle transportation use by wheelchair riders. Rotko, KA; Songer, TJ; Fitzgerald, SG & Karg, PE. (2003). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, June.

Development of voluntary standards for improved transportation safety of wheelchair-seated occupants. Schneider, LW; Hobson, DA & Bertocci, GE. (2003). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, June.

Investigation of motor-vehicle crashes involving wheelchair-seated occupants. Schneider, LW; Moore, J & MacWilliams, J. (2003). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, June.

Appropriate crash protection for wheelchair riders on large public transit buses. Shaw, G. (2003). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, June.

Development of a pendulum impact tester to evaluate wheelchair caster crashworthiness. Tharakeshwarappa, N; vanRoosmalen, L; Bertocci, GE; Duncan, J; Guo, SF & Cooper, RA. (2003). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, June.

Effect of universal docking interface geometry (UDIG) placement on wheelchair and occupant kinematics. vanRoosmalen, L; Reeves, S & Hobson, DA. (2003). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, June.

Wheelchair caster loading during frontal motor vehicle impact. vanRoosmalen, L & Bertocci, GE. (2003). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, June.

Occupant restraint preferences from adult and pediatric wheelchair users. vanRoosmalen, L; Manary, MA & Armstrong, CM. (2003).  Proceedings International Seating Symposium, Orlando, FL.

Wheelchair and occupant kinematics during 'low-g' turning and braking. vanRoosmalen, L; Bertocci, GE & Herring, D. (2003). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA, June.

Issues related to the location of a universal interface for automated wheelchair securement. vanRoosmalen, L & Hobson, DA. (2002). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Minneapolis, MN, June.

Wheelchair tiedown loads and occupant restraint loads associated with various occupant sizes in frontal impact testing. Ha, DR & Bertocci, GE. (2002). RESNA Annual Conference Proceedings, Minneapolis, MN, June.

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Technical/Research Reports

State of the science in wheelchair transportation safety: Final report. Karg, PE & Buning, ME, (Eds). Pittsburgh: RERC on Wheelchair Transportation Safety, 2005.

1. Barriers to the development, marketing, purchase, and proper use of transit-safety technologies. Schneider, LW; Manary, MA, & Buning, ME. (2005). White paper written for the RERC on Wheelchair Transportation Safety Workshop, January 17.
2. Wheelchair seating systems for use in transportation. Bertocci, GE; Karg, PE & Fuhrman, SI. (2005). White paper written for the RERC on Wheelchair Transportation Safety Workshop, January 17.
3. Problem-solving the next generation of wheelchair securement for use in public transport vehicles. Hobson, DA. (2005). White paper written for the RERC on Wheelchair Transportation Safety Workshop, January 17.
4. Looking toward future wheelchair transportation: What should be our vision and how do we realize it? vanRoosmalen, L & Hobson, DA. (2005). White paper written for the RERC on Wheelchair Transportation Safety Workshop, January 17.

Development of a universal auto-docking wheelchair securement system: Phase II - final report from University of Pittsburgh and Kinedyne Corporation, Hobson, D. (2005).

A new database of child anthropometry and seated posture for automotive safety applications. Reed, MP; Ebert, SM; Manary, MA; Klinich, KD  & Schneider, LW. (2005). SAE Technical paper 2005-01-1837.  SAE International, Warrendale, PA. 

Doctoral Dissertations and Master’s Theses 

Pediatric wheelchair transportation safety: transit manual wheelchair design guidelines and injury risk of 6-year old children in a frontal motor vehicle impact. Ha, DongRan. (2004). University of Pittsburgh, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences [PhD]. Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology.

Wheelchair securement and occupant restraints: a cross-sectional analysis of use and effect on motor vehicle related injuries. Rotko, KA.  (2005). University of Pittsburgh, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences [Masters] Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology.