Pedestrians’ social empathy and interaction with wheelchair users: The impact of user gestures and mobility aid design in a pilot study

Wheelchair users (WUs) experience various accessibility challenges in public spaces, which may lead them to seek assistance from pedestrians in difficult situations. In this context, understanding the factors influencing pedestrians' empathy and interaction with WUs facilitates their social interactions in challenging urban situations. This study examines how WUs’ body gestures and wheelchair design characteristics (WDCs) impact pedestrian perception and interaction. A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted with 52 participants in two phases: (1) a questionnaire assessing willingness to engage with WUs exhibiting independent or help-seeking gestures, and (2) evaluating four wheelchair types—from conventional to advanced—using key semantic descriptors of appearance and social perception. Findings revealed no significant relationship between age, gender, and willingness to interact across the two gesture conditions (p > 0.05), except for a significant association between age and willingness to interact with users of advanced powered wheelchairs in the help-seeking gesture condition (p = 0.027). Also, pedestrians' willingness to interact was significantly higher when WUs exhibited help-seeking gestures compared to independence gestures (p < 0.001). WDCs influenced pedestrian perceptions more strongly when WUs displayed independence (86.3 %) than help-seeking gestures (50 %). Moreover, analysis of semantic evaluations revealed distinct perceptual dimensions for advanced manual and powered wheelchairs, with three principal components identified for each, offering valuable insights for developing wheelchairs with greater social polish. This study highlights that both WDC and user gestures significantly affect pedestrian interaction, with the masking effect of help gestures on WDCs being a key finding. Additionally, advanced WDCs signify WUs' independence, helping reduce negative social stereotypes among pedestrians. • Help-seeking gestures prompt social interaction; independence gesture highlights the design impact on social perception. • As Age increases, pedestrians' willingness to show social empathy and interact with mobility aid users also increases. • Advanced and conventional wheelchair designs follow distinct semantic patterns; advanced ones stand out in social aspects. • Low social empathy ratings for the advanced wheelchairs may imply perceived independence or design-driven social distance. • PCA, capturing the first three components, shows distinct attitudes toward advanced manual and powered wheelchair designs.