Wheelcon: Overview

Versions of the WheelCon Include:

  • Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual Wheelchair Users – French
  • Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual Wheelchair Users – Short Form
  • Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Power Wheelchair Users Version 2
  • Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Power Wheelchair Users – French
  • Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Caregivers

 

Type of Administration:

Generally self-administered. If respondent has poor vision, the tester may read the items to the respondent and record their answers. If respondent has writing difficulties, the respondent should independently read the items and inform the tester of their confidence level. The tester then records the answers.

 

Time to Administer:

It takes a mean of 21.7 minutes (standard deviation ± 7.3) to complete the WheelCon-M.

 

Response Scale:

0% (not confident) to 100 % (completely confident)

 

Scoring:

A mean total score is derived by summing the ratings for each item and dividing by the total number of items.

 

Interpretation:

The possible total mean score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores representing higher confidence with wheelchair use. Initial comparative scores for the WheelCon-M, version 2.1 are from a sample of 83 Canadian community dwelling individuals who used a manual wheelchair as their primary means of mobility.

 

Relevant References:

  1. Rushton PW, Miller WC, Kirby RL, Eng JJ, Yip J. Development and content validation of the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale: a mixed-methods study. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol 2011; 6:57-66.
  2. Rushton PW, Miller WC, Kirby RL, Eng JJ. Measure for the assessment of confidence with manual wheelchair use (WheelCon-M) version 2.1: Reliability and validity. J Rehabil Med 2013; 45:61-67.
  3. Rushton PW, Routhier F, Miller WC. Measurement properties of the WheelCon for powered wheelchair users. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 2018 Oct 3;13(7):614-9.
  4. Rushton PW, Smith E, Miller WC, Vaughan K. Measuring wheelchair confidence among power wheelchair users: an adaptation of the WheelCon-M using focus groups and a think aloud process. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 2017 Jan 2;12(1):39-46.
  5. Sakakibara BM, Miller WC, Rushton PW, Polgar JM. Rasch analyses of the wheelchair use confidence scale for power wheelchair users. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2018 Jan 1;99(1):17-25.
  6. Sakakibara BM, Miller WC, Rushton PW. Rasch analyses of the wheelchair use confidence scale. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation. 2015 Jun 1;96(6):1036-44.
  7. Dib T, Burrola-Mendez Y, Brûlé-Ouimette L, Fung KH, Lecavalier M, Rushton PW. The French-Canadian WheelCon for manual wheelchair users: paediatric adaptation and preliminary evaluation of its measurement properties. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2024 Apr 9;46(8):1630-9.
  8. Sarsak HI, Rushton PW. The Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale (WheelCon): Arabic translation, adaptation, and validation. Assistive Technology. 2024 Dec 15:1-6.4
  9. Berardi A, De Santis R, Tofani M, Márquez MA, Santilli V, Rushton PW, Mollica R, Galeoto G. The Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale: Italian translation, adaptation, and validation of the short form. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 2018 Aug 18;13(6):575-80.
  10. Sol ME, Bloemen MA, Verschuren O, Rushton PW, Visser-Meily JM, de Groot JF. Wheelchair Mobility Confidence Scale for Dutch youth using a manual wheelchair. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 2020 Aug 17;15(6):684-91.

 

See how the WheelCon works: