Having recently taken part in research to create accessible footpaths out of recycled chip bark and the testing of their level of usability for wheelchair users I came to one very important conclusion. Let me firstly explain the research conditions:
Trials involved attempting to push (or be pushed) in a wheelchair through 100mm depth of varying thickness woodchip. Well, if like myself you are a wheelchair user you will already know what the result was! Yes, the front wheels simply sunk or dug in. Any forward motion was in fact impossible (with or without assistance)
In an ideal world wood chip or bark would be the best possible surface in woodland pathways, cheap to produce, convenient to acquire and very soft to fall or walk on also hardwearing, environmentally friendly and of course cheep! But unfortunately not wheelchair friendly. So what is the answer?
To find the answer we need to go back in-time (No, not Dr Who style) we need to look at the wheelchair as it was designed.