A design of a drinking fountain for wheelchair users.

• Main Authors: Ang, Ashlan Grey A., Espiritu, Joseph M., Yu, Eric Steven C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2000
• Subjects: Drinking fountains; People with disabilities; Drinking water > Purification > Equipment and supplies; Ergonomics; Industrial Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/10197
• Institution: De La Salle University

Accommodating the machine to man is the main concern of ergonomics. It is ideal that the design of machines, tools and equipment should be able to accommodate mostly of its target. Aside from designing for the majority, it is also important to make design considerations for the physically challenged people. They to have their own needs and thus should also be considered when machines or equipment are designed. Designing machines that can accommodate the physically challenged people will greatly help them especially in their work and in their basic needs such as quenching their thirst. The anthropometric measurements of the wheelchair users were used as the basis for the dimensioning of the drinking fountain made in this study. Moreover, the bending angles of the wheelchair users were also used in order to find the best height for the spout of the drinking fountain. This study also considered the four classifications of wheelchair users according to their degree of disability. Different alternatives were formulated in designing a drinking fountain for the wheelchair users. From the three alternatives, the alternative with a photo-sensor was chosen. The drinking fountain was validated in Tahanang Walang Hagdanan. The wheelchair users were asked to test the proposed drinking faountain if they could drink well, and if they could reach the water trajectory. Their bending angles were also observed to see whether they are stressing their back excessively. Through the validation, the drinking fountain has successfully accommodated the wheelchair users. Moreover, the third and a fraction of the fourth degree wheelchair users, who were also considered in the scope of this study, were also accommodated by the drinking fountain. The installation of the photo-sensor to the drinking fountain enhances its performance.