Every push counts: Huawei’s smartwatch opens a new chapter for wheelchair users

Smartwatches have quietly woven themselves into the rhythm of our daily lives. They nudge us to stand when we’ve sat too long, remind us to rest when our days run late, and track every step we take towards better health. For many people, they have become part coach, part health monitor, part motivator. But what happens when your movement isn’t measured in steps?

For many wheelchair users around the world, traditional fitness trackers have never told the full story. Pushes on a wheel don’t show up on a step counter. The progress and determination of wheelchair users too often went unrecorded, not because it wasn’t there, but because the technology wasn’t built to see it.

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That began to change with a simple question. During a visit to Huawei’s headquarters in China, Majid Rashed, President of the Asian Paralympic Committee, asked why not include a wheelchair mode to Huawei’s smartwatches. The idea was as straightforward as it was powerful, and it set Huawei’s engineers on a journey to reimagine how movement could be tracked.

Months of study and testing followed. Engineers examined the rhythm of wheelchair propulsion, the push of and pressure on the rims, as well as the rotations of the wheels. They built algorithms capable of distinguishing between everyday arm gestures and real propulsion, combining inertial sensors and artificial intelligence to capture activity with accuracy and nuance along with pressure and torque sensing measuring the effort behind each movement. Out of that work came Wheelchair Mode, making its debut on the Huawei Watch GT 6 Series at GITEX Global 2025.

Reflecting on the milestone, Majid Rashed noted: “What impressed me most was not just the technology itself, but the way Huawei embraced the idea with genuine care. Wheelchair Mode is more than a feature; it’s a message to People of Determination that their needs matter, and that innovation can truly belong to everyone.”

For wheelchair users, the feature offers something many have never had before: the ability to see their performance reflected back in relevant and empowering ways. Distance, speed, and effort are no longer invisible. Progress can now be tracked, health monitored, and achievements celebrated.

This new mode sits on the foundation of the Huawei Watch GT 6’s broader capabilities - a watch designed for long battery life up to 21 days, everyday durability, sleek design, advanced TruSense health monitoring that monitors cardiovascular health and emotional wellbeing, and safety features like fall detection and emergency alerts. By combining that foundation with Wheelchair Mode, Huawei has created a companion built with inclusivity at its core.

This launch is also part of a bigger story. Through its TECH4ALL initiative, Huawei has been steadily working to expand accessibility, introducing innovations such as the “Trouble-free Hearing” app, which uses AI to generate real-time subtitles and support sign language interpretation. Its smartphones and tablets also include accessibility features designed to make life easier for people with hearing or visual impairments. Wheelchair Mode is a continuation of this vision: building a future where technology is designed to belong to everyone.

For more than 65 million wheelchair users worldwide, this innovation is overdue. Every push forward tells a story of resilience and strength. Now, with Wheelchair Mode, those stories can be counted, celebrated, and shared. At GITEX Global 2025, when Huawei officially unveils the Huawei Watch GT 6 Series with this new feature, it won’t just be another product launch. It marks a significant leap toward creating a more inclusive future for smart health.