Power Wheelchairs
Power wheelchairs are chairs with wheels that are moved by using a joystick. They offer many advantages for disabled people. They fit almost anywhere and they turn in a second. They have helped thousands of disabled people increase their mobility and feel better about their lives.
No one actually knows when the first wheelchairs were invented, and their place and time of invention is still s a matter of controversy. There are many countries that claim having invented wheelchairs, like Canada, the United States, Greece, and China.
The oldest existing pictures of wheelchairs come from China, and date from the 6 th century. It is amazing that they existed back then and yet survived for such a long time. There is also a picture of a wheelchair from Ancient Egypt. In Europe, there are records that show that in the 16 th century, King Philip of Spain owned a rolling chair whereas around the year 1700, King Louis XIV of France used a wheeled transport. It wasn’t until the 18 th century that ancient wheelchairs came to look like our modern versions, with two large front wheels and a caser in the back.
Credit should also go to Ernest and Jennings for the invention of the first folding wheelchairs. They were maybe the first ones to manufacture wheelchairs in a big production scale. Though they sold at first just a basic model, it was still it was a marvel for its first time users. The same company developed the first power wheelchairs in the 1950s.
Soon, more imaginative and aggressive companies came up with newer models, mainly the more powerful, less cumbersome power wheelchairs that made the Ernest and Jennings models look like prehistoric ones. In the late 1900’s innovation continued, and new and custom made power wheelchairs were manufactured in order to suit each and every individuals needs. More lightweight power wheelchairs with microprocessor controls showed up in the 1980s.
Recent models of power wheelchairs are much more versatile, but a bit expensive. One of the most recent ones is the Ibot. The company claims that nobody can push you around in a Ibot but instead it has to be worn. Even if someone tries to push it off balance, it still holds its ground, which is a big advantage for disabled people.
There are many types of power wheelchairs like folding, lightweight power wheelchairs, lightweight power-assisted wheelchairs, non-folding, stand-up power wheelchairs, outdoor power wheelchairs, combined indoor-outdoor power wheelchair, etc. All this just means more choices for improving the lives of disabled people.
