ISO 7176-22 and GB/T 18029.22-2024: Wheelchair Set-Up Procedures Before Testing

Most wheelchairs let you adjust seat width, seat depth, backrest angle, foot supports and rear wheel position. Set the same chair up differently and the results of static stability, brake and strength tests can change a lot. ISO 7176-22, and GB/T 18029.22-2024, which adopts it identically, define how a wheelchair is equipped, adjusted and loaded before it is tested. Below: how the two standards relate, what each of the four steps covers and what to record, how other parts call up Part 22, which parameters to state in a test request, and the accreditation scope of SUNGO's Hefei laboratory.

Key points

• GB/T 18029.22-2024 is an identical adoption of ISO 7176-22:2014. According to China's national standards information platform and National Standard Announcement No. 14 of 2024, GB/T 18029.22-2024 was published on 29 June 2024 and took effect on 1 October 2024. It fully replaces GB/T 18029.22-2009, which was an identical adoption of ISO 7176-22:2000 and was withdrawn on 1 October 2024.
• Part 22 prepares the wheelchair for testing; it has no pass/fail criteria of its own. It specifies a set-up procedure for adjustable wheelchairs that takes the manufacturer's instructions into account. A note in the ISO scope says that where another part of ISO 7176 has specific adjustment requirements, that part takes precedence.
• The procedure can be read as four steps: wheelchair configuration (6.1), wheelchair adjustment (6.2), final adjustments (clause 7) and loading of the wheelchair (clause 8). Clause 9 covers records, and ISO Annex B is titled "Record of the actual equipment, adjustments and loading settings".
• Spell out the set-up parameters in your test request. If seat width, seat depth, backrest angle, seat plane angle, foot supports, rear wheel fore-aft position and their adjustment ranges are not specified, the laboratory decides the settings from the manual and the standard, and the report covers only the settings tested (some parts, such as static stability, themselves specify several configurations).
• At SUNGO, this work is done by the Hefei laboratory. The four items for ISO 7176-22:2014 and GB/T 18029.22-2024 are listed in the CNAS scope (L24279) and the CMA schedule (260015342945) of Hefei SUNGO Medical Technology Co., Ltd. ISO 7176-22 and GB/T 18029.22 are also listed as complete standards, with no edition year, in its IAS scope (TL-1119); confirm the edition with the laboratory before an IAS report is issued against a specific edition. The report type follows your request.

The standards and their scope

ISO 7176-22:2014

ISO 7176-22:2014, Wheelchairs — Part 22: Set-up procedures, is the second edition, published in September 2014 to replace the 2000 first edition; its foreword states that all clauses were technically revised. The ISO website shows it was reviewed and confirmed in 2025 and remains current.

According to its scope, Part 22 specifies a set-up procedure used in preparing adjustable wheelchairs for testing, taking the manufacturer's instructions into account. It applies to manual and electric wheelchairs (including scooters) intended for indoor and/or outdoor mobility. A note to the scope adds that where another part of ISO 7176 has specific requirements for adjusting the wheelchair, that part takes precedence.

The introduction explains why the standard exists. Many wheelchairs have adjustable or optional features whose settings can significantly affect results under different wheelchair test standards; a common set-up procedure makes results comparable between wheelchairs and between laboratories. It also notes that if a wheelchair is configured in a specific way, some clauses of Part 22 might not apply.

Only two documents are normatively referenced: ISO 7176-11 (test dummies) and ISO 7176-26 (vocabulary). The US FDA Recognized Consensus Standards database lists ISO 7176-22:2014 as recognition number 16-198 (complete standard).

GB/T 18029.22-2024

The Chinese standard is managed by the national technical committee on rehabilitation and special equipment for persons with disabilities (TC148). Key facts for the two Chinese editions (sources: the national standards information platform, the national standards full-text disclosure system, and National Standard Announcement No. 14 of 2024):

The same announcement also published GB/T 18029.1-2024 (determination of static stability) and GB/T 18029.8-2024 (requirements and test methods for static, impact and fatigue strengths), both effective on 1 October 2024. Since the two Chinese editions adopt the 2000 and 2014 ISO editions respectively, the update follows the technical revision in ISO 7176-22:2014; for clause-by-clause differences, compare the two texts. China's full-text disclosure system does not offer online reading of this adopted standard; obtain the text through official channels.

The US counterpart: RESNA WC-1 Section 22

Section 22 of ANSI/RESNA WC-1:2019 is also a set-up procedure (FDA recognition number 16-223). Its FDA database summary says it gives methods for use where there are no manufacturer's instructions for setting the wheelchair adjustments, and that another section with specific adjustment requirements takes precedence. ANSI/RESNA WC-1 is listed as a complete standard, with no edition year, in the Hefei laboratory's IAS scope (TL-1119); confirm the edition with the laboratory before an IAS report is issued. WC-1 and WC-2 are covered in a separate article.

How Part 22 is organized

The table below lists the main clauses from the ISO 7176-22:2014 table of contents. Wording in GB/T 18029.22-2024 follows the Chinese text.

How clause 5 defines the set-up levels, and when the Annex C reference values apply, should be checked against the standard itself. Annex D deals with choosing test specimens and what one specimen can represent; that is model-coverage rationale, discussed in a separate article.

The four steps: what each covers and what to record

The Hefei laboratory's CNAS scope (L24279) lists Part 22 as four test items, matching the four steps. For each step: what the standard covers (from the clause headings; the detailed rules are in the standard itself) and what to record in practice.

Step 1: Wheelchair configuration (6.1)

This step decides which components and options are fitted to the test wheelchair; the ISO heading is "Wheelchair equipment". Many models offer a choice of backrests, foot supports, armrests, wheels and anti-tip devices. Whether an option is fitted, and which one, sets the starting point for adjustment.

What to record: model, variant and specimen number; components and options actually fitted (name and specification); options not fitted; the edition of the user manual used.

Step 2: Wheelchair adjustment (6.2)

Clause 6.2 deals separately with wheelchairs with and without handrims and has its own subclause on electrical equipment: batteries, position of the control device, operator adjustable electrical settings and adjustable electrical control devices. It ends with other adjustable components. The procedure takes the manufacturer's instructions into account, and ISO Annex C gives reference set-up values.

What to record: the actual setting of every adjustable component (position, angle or dimension); for powered wheelchairs, the battery type, the controller mounting position and the value of each programmable parameter; which settings came from the manufacturer's instructions and which were set by the rules of the standard.

Step 3: Final adjustments (clause 7)

Clause 7 comes after adjustment and before loading. It covers the final adjustments made before testing; the specific items are defined in the standard itself.

What to record: the actual state once final adjustments are complete, and in particular any setting that differs from the step 2 record, with the new value.

Step 4: Loading of the wheelchair (clause 8)

Clause 8 covers loading with a test dummy or a human test occupant, and accessories that contribute to the rated load; the requirements for the test dummies themselves are in ISO 7176-11.

What to record: loading method (dummy or human occupant), dummy specification and mass, securement method, and any accessories counted in the rated load.

Records: clause 9 and Annex B

Clause 9 covers records. Annex B is titled "Record of the actual equipment, adjustments and loading settings", which maps directly onto the configuration, adjustment and loading steps above. It shows the state in which the test data were obtained, and you will need it to argue whether other configurations are covered or to compare results between laboratories. When you receive a report, check that the recorded settings match your submission documents and user manual.

How other parts call up Part 22

Part 22 is rarely used on its own; the test parts of the series call it up. The table below uses three parts in the editions listed in the Hefei scope, based on the tables of contents and normative references published on the ISO website:

This shows two ways Part 22 is used. A part may list Part 22 as a normative reference (where in the text it is invoked should be checked against that part). Or a part may specify its own configurations, such as the most and least stable configurations for static stability; under the note to the Part 22 scope, the individual part then takes precedence. A wheelchair tested to several parts may therefore be set up in more than one way, and each part's records must state the set-up actually used. For the corresponding Chinese parts, such as GB/T 18029.1-2024 and GB/T 18029.8-2024, check the Chinese text. The test methods themselves are outside the scope of this article.

Set-up parameters to specify in your test request

The Part 22 procedure takes the manufacturer's instructions into account. The more specific the user manual and test request are about adjustment, the less the laboratory has to decide on its own. If information is missing, the laboratory decides the settings from the manual and the standard, and the report covers only the settings tested (apart from parts, such as static stability, that specify several configurations). If these differ from the configuration your submission or customer needs, retesting may be needed. We suggest stating at least the following:

Methods for measuring seat width, effective seat depth, backrest angle, seat plane angle and similar dimensions and angles are in ISO 7176-7 (measurement of seating and wheel dimensions). Which configurations to test, and how to cover a product family with a limited number of specimens, is a matter of model-coverage rationale and test sequencing, discussed in a separate article.

Accreditation scope

The table reproduces the rows relating to Part 22 from the CNAS scope (L24279), the CMA schedule (260015342945) and the IAS scope (TL-1119) of Hefei SUNGO Medical Technology Co., Ltd. Item names are translated from the Chinese documents. The CNAS rows give clause numbers; the CMA schedule lists the same four items without them. No row states a limitation.

Where SUNGO does this work and under which accreditation

• Laboratory: Hefei SUNGO Medical Technology Co., Ltd., an independent legal entity, with its laboratory in Zipeng Town, Feixi County, Hefei, Anhui Province. The scope of Shanghai SUNGO Medical Technology Co., Ltd. does not include wheelchair standards.
• CNAS reports: the four items are in the CNAS scope (L24279), for GB/T 18029.22-2024 and ISO 7176-22:2014.
• CMA reports: the four items are in the CMA schedule (260015342945). CMA covers only the items in the schedule and is valid only within the People's Republic of China.
• IAS reports: ISO 7176-22 and GB/T 18029.22 are complete standards in the IAS scope (TL-1119), with no edition year; confirm the edition with the laboratory before an IAS report is issued.
• Together with the parts that call it up: ISO 7176-1:2014, ISO 7176-3:2012, ISO 7176-8:2014, GB/T 18029.1-2024 and GB/T 18029.8-2024 are also in the Hefei CNAS scope and CMA schedule, and ISO 7176-1, -3, -8 and GB/T 18029.1 and .8 are listed as complete standards in the IAS scope (no edition year; confirm the edition before a report is issued). The specific items and clauses for each part are as listed in the scope documents.
• Acceptance of reports: whether a regulator or customer accepts a given report is their decision. Before testing, confirm with them which standard edition and which accreditation mark they require.

Preparing your samples and documents

• The user manual or adjustment instructions, giving the method, range and factory setting for every adjustable component. Part 22 takes the manufacturer's instructions into account, so this is the basis for set-up.
• A list of options, marking which ones are to be fitted to the test specimen.
• Any adjustment tools supplied with the wheelchair. ISO 7176-8 defines "operator adjustable" as adjustable without tools, or with tools supplied with the wheelchair.
• For powered wheelchairs: batteries and charger, and instructions for controller settings; if parameters are set with a programmer, provide the method or the tool.
• The manufacturer's stated maximum occupant mass.
• A test request stating the parts and editions to be tested (ISO, GB/T or other), the report type needed (CNAS, CMA or IAS), and any configuration that must be tested.
• The number of specimens depends on the parts and the request; confirm it with the laboratory in advance.

FAQ

Does Part 22 have its own pass/fail criteria?

Judging by the ISO 7176-22:2014 table of contents, it consists of test apparatus, set-up levels, preparation of the test wheelchair, final adjustments, loading and records, with no requirements clause. It ensures that the tested part's results are obtained in a clearly defined, traceable set-up.

Can an old report based on GB/T 18029.22-2009 still be used?

The 2009 edition was withdrawn on 1 October 2024 and fully replaced by the 2024 edition. Whether an older report is accepted is up to the reviewing authority or your customer; new requests should use the current 2024 edition or ISO 7176-22:2014.

Can testing to ISO 7176-22:2014 be covered by a CMA report?

Yes. The Hefei CMA schedule lists the four items for both ISO 7176-22:2014 and GB/T 18029.22-2024, but a CMA report is valid only within the People's Republic of China.

Are powered wheelchair controller settings part of the set-up?

Yes. Judging by the table of contents, clause 6.2 has a separate subclause on electrical equipment, with headings for batteries, the position of the control device, operator adjustable electrical settings and adjustable electrical control devices; which parameters are covered and how they are set is defined in the standard itself. Please provide the factory settings and adjustment methods for these parameters.

If SUNGO can set a wheelchair up to Part 22, can it test to every part of ISO 7176?

No. Part 22 is only the preparation step for the part being tested; whether a part can be tested depends on whether that part itself is in the accreditation scope. ISO 7176-19 (wheelchairs for use as seats in motor vehicles), for example, is not in the accreditation scope of either SUNGO laboratory (Shanghai or Hefei).

If you need a wheelchair set up to ISO 7176-22 or GB/T 18029.22-2024, or want to check how to describe a configuration in your test request, send us the model, the user manual (including adjustment instructions), the list of options, the parts and editions to be tested and the report type you need through our contact page for a quotation. Our testing services for wheelchairs and other mobility aids are described on the wheelchair testing page.