The wheelbarrow, which was invented in China during the Second/Third Century AD, was certainly used for transporting the disabled and is probably the oldest documented evidence of chairs that are wheeled.

The first specific evidence of a wheelchair can be seen by way of an image engraved in China in AD 525. For the next thousand years or so there appears no further documentary proof until an artist drew a sketch of Phillip II of Spain seated in a chair specifically made for the purposes of disabled mobility. This chair had small wheels affixed to the end of the chair legs and also included not only a platform for the Spain King’s legs but also a backrest that could be adjusted. At the time, the wheelchair was actually named an “invalid’s chair”.

King Phillip’s wheelchair was not able to be self-propelled, which probably comes as no surprise insofar that he would have relied on the pushing abilities of one of his servants. We have to wait a further 80 years before the invention of a wheelchair that could be independently propelled. Steven Farfler, a 22 year old disabled watchmaker, built, in 1655, what seems a very stable chair which he mounted on a 3-wheeled chassis. Mr Farfler attached handles on both sides of the front wheel in order that he was able to self-propel himself.

We have to wait for another 130 years for the next major wheelchair development when, in 1783, John Dawson of Bath, (a Spa town 200 miles west of London, where many paraplegics travelled to both drink and bathe in the spa waters), invented a wheelchair that he actually named after his home town. The ‘Bath’ chair was designed with two large wheels at the rear and a smaller wheel at the front. The disabled occupant would steer the wheelchair by a stiff handle and Dawson’s ‘Bath’ chair outsold all other mobility wheelchairs for the first 30/40 years of the 19th Century. Many different versions of the ‘Bath’ chair were made and some of them even had glass fronts. The popular models included open versions and hooded examples, but in all cases they had to be either pushed or pulled by a donkey or a small horse. It has to be said that Dawson’s wheelchair was not particularly comfortable and throughout the second half of the 19th Century many wheelchair manufacturers made many improvements. Comfortability for the disabled user became the vital factor in later wheelchair models. Convertible wheelchairs with both adjustable footrests and reclining backs became the norm.

In 1869 a patent was taken out for a wheelchair which was the forerunner of the wheelchairs we know today that had large wheels at the back that could be self-propelled. This proved somewhat inconvenient when the chair ran through muddle puddles but the problem was quickly solved a few years later when a second rim with a smaller circumference was welded within the framework) with smaller wheels at the front. The wheelchairs became far less bulky and infinitely more comfortable.

By the commencement of the 20th Century many new developments had been invented, including moveable arms and footrests. In 1916, good old British engineers invented the first wheelchairs with motors although, like today, the vast majority still used manual versions.

The main problem with wheelchairs was the very fact that they were very difficult to both transport and then store until, in 1932, Harry Jennings, an engineer, came up with the wondrous idea of a folding, tubular steel version of which very little change to the ubiquitous design we now have today has been made.

Jennings built it specifically for his disabled friend, Herbert Everest, who needed a wheelchair that could easily be transported in a car. Together, in 1933, they founded Everest & Jennings, and that company became a virtual monopoly in the wheelchair industry for decades. Indeed, the US Department of Justice actually charged the company with rigging the price of wheelchairs and the case was finally settled on the doorsteps of the Court.

The main reason for changes in wheelchair design was because of the introduction of the motor car and to get the wheelchairs into the backs of the cars.

Bizarrely, electrically powered wheelchairs were generically named ‘electric chairs’ until the advertising companies quickly realised that these chairs were not of the execution variety!

The latest wheelchair innovations are, to say the least, exciting and if someone from the 18th or 19th Century could see a perfectly balanced wheelchair standing up on two wheels they wouldn’t believe their eyes. This particular chair, called the ‘I-Bot’ can not only rise up on two wheels but even if somebody tries to push it off-balance it rectifies itself. Indeed, it can hold its balance better than a human. However, the I-Bot does come with a disadvantage whereby the price is closer in feel to a luxury car (£33,000) and thus is not quite within everybody’s reach!

Undoubtedly, we can be more than sure that wheelchairs of the future will be very unlike those that are currently in production. It has been suggested that in the future there will be wheelchairs controlled by neurological impulses from the brain. Indeed, scientists in Spain are currently working on an interface which will allow users to control the wheelchairs.

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Above: Most wheelchair users would be unable to ascend the ramp in Mexico, and for someone with assistance the three steps would be a much easier route to take.

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Above: A nasty surprise is in store for any wheelchair-bound person attempting to use this ridiculous, incredibly dangerous ramp in Auckland.

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Above: Infuriating rather than dangerous, this ramp in Vancouver manages to stretch a very modest ascent over a relatively mammoth, twist-laden journey.

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Above: To ascend such a ramp must be nigh on impossible for those of average strength. To descend would be amazingly risky.

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Above: Surely another impossible ramp to navigate for any normal person.

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Above: Quite possibly the longest, steepest wheelchair ramp on earth.

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Above: Hideously selfish parking aside, the inclusion of steps at the foot of this wheelchair ramp is baffling to say the least.

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Above: Sure, some ramp is better than no ramp, but to leave three steps uncovered really does reek of laziness.

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Above: Another incredibly steep ramp that would surely be impossible to scale without assistance from a person of considerable strength.

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Personal mobility has become a byword for designer wheelchairs but disabled people have had their own standard versions of personal mobility for years; they just simply called them wheelchairs like anyone else.  And no matter what kind of hybrid design any boffin comes up with, it’s merely an imitation of the old fashioned wheelchair.

Take a look at these pimped up wheelchairs below; they’re based on the classic wheelchair shape with two big wheels on each side, the single seat in the middle and even a reclining-tilt feature. The new breed of gadget personal mobility vehicles has blurred the lines between mini-concept cars and wheelchairs but there’s no denying their roots. The only worry is wannabe wheelchair pretenders purchasing these gizmos and cutting us up on ramps and in queues…

The first of a few entries from Japanese tech and automotive giant, Toyota.

1) The i-Real

The i-Real is on its way to commercial production and is sure to be in huge demand. It features three wheels (two at the front and one at the back), and can manoeuvre naturally among pedestrians in busy areas.

It’s got a well-honed perimeter monitoring system to help keep the driver and those near the vehicle safe, emitting a sound and vibration if people are in overly close proximity.

2) The Panasonic Robot Bed

The Panasonic Robot Bed has got to be our personal favourite for the home environment. You wake up, push a button, and seconds later you find yourself upright in a mobile wheelchair.

Resembling something that the humans had in WALL-E, the Robot Bed in its converted state can navigate around the house while avoiding obstacles with ‘no need for training’, say Panasonic. The control panel is even fitted with a TV and can sync up to your other tech products so you can control them from your chair.

Expect this to be a huge hit with lazy, able-bodied geeks who can’t handle the eight-foot walk from their bed to their Xbox.

3) The TankChair

Look at this beast! No, it’s not Johnny Five from Short Circuit – it’s more like Ironside meets Top Gun. If you’re frustrated at not being able to experience the great outdoors, your problems may well be solved.

The aptly-named TankChair is described as ‘a custom off-road wheelchair that can go anywhere outdoors’ and with its rubber tracks and Optima Deep Cycle 12v batteries, we’re not surprised.

Built to conquer streams, mud, snow, sand, and gravel, the TankChair is built bespokely for every individual buyer so although there’s no pricing structure at present, we can’t imagine it’ll be cheap. But why do you need one of these? Because life is one big concrete jungle…

3) The Toyota i-Unit

Probably the most aesthetically-pleasing of the bunch, the Toyota i-Unit stole the show at a world Mobility Performance Exhibition with design inspiration stemming from a leaf that “converts sunlight into life energy, seeks to express the power of the unknown, the logic of living things and the simple beauty of waste-free functionality.” Ok.

The i-Unit is controlled using drive-by-wire technology via a joystick controller and can transform into a laid-back mode for increased speed.

Our only concern is that with the roof down, it looks scarily like some kind of cryogenic pod but that’s a small price to pay for, erm, a large price to pay – we’re talking around £10,000.

4) The Trekinetic

Several years ago, a British entrepreneur noticed a young, trendy good-looking lad in a wheelchair and was struck by the damning contrast between the fashion-conscious teenager’s appearance and the sedate, traditional design of his wheelchair.

The entrepreneur, Mike Spindle, decided to do something about this and created the Trekinetic – an all-terrain revolution from conventional manual wheelchairs that folds quickly into a 9kg state.

It is believed to be the world’s first production Monocoque wheelchair, meaning it doesn’t have a tubular metal chassis, but a strong carbon-fibre seat shell instead.

5) The Toyota i-Foot

No, it’s not Buzz Lightyear – it’s the end of our little feature and we had to finish with a bang. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Toyota i-Foot.

Dubbed the ‘world’s coolest wheelchair’ on Flickr, the i-Foot lets people on or off by bending its legs and then sets off at a white-knuckle maximum of 1mph. It’s capable of three-dimensional mobility, with the ability to navigate staircases.

At 7.74 feet tall and 441lbs, this gigantic walking egg-shell was the name on everyone’s lips at the 2006 Japanese World Expo and is yet to go into mass-production.

We’re not advising you also go for the martian-like attire but if you’ve got £20,000 knocking about, we’d love to see someone ambling down the high street in one of these.

http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/strange_vehicles/Toyota_i-unit.html

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The Disability Living Foundation (DLF) has gone to great lengths to raise awareness and ensure that disabled people are no longer faced with access issues but the problems still exist, even when critically acclaimed Roll-a-Ramp systems are available to provide wheelchair access anywhere and everywhere.

In order to truly understand the level of apathy shown by venues towards those with disabilities, a group of disabled people aged between 16 and 30 are carrying out an undercover survey of cinemas, pubs and stadiums to test accessibility for wheelchair users.

The activists from the charity Muscular Dystrophy Campaign are visiting venues all across London and will be grading facilities with star ratings, high and low, and will then name and shame those who are still failing to meet the required disability access standards.

A guide will then be produced for all disabled people informing them of wheelchair-friendly businesses and places to save them time and hassle in future.

The survey begins in the capital and then stretches far and wide across the UK in order to finally conquer problems faced by disabled people at leisure and entertainment facilities.

One of the undercover assessors said: “I love going out to gigs and art galleries with my friends, but I’ve encountered vast differences in the level of accessibility and provisions for disabled people.

“We will be rating leisure facilities in the hope that other young disabled people will know which facilities in their areas have made the most effort to include them.”

Chief executive of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Philip Butcher said: “Many people take for granted the ability to watch a film, to visit a museum or to support their local football team.

“This simply is not an option to some disabled people if leisure facilities fail to conform to the Disability Discrimination Act.”

The results of the survey, along with its recommendations, will be published on 3 December which is the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

If your business or venue needs a disability access upgrade, the easiest way to resolve this and provide for disabled customers is to purchase a Roll-a-Ramp – the only wheelchair ramp system to be advocated by the UK’s most prestigious disability training company, Equal Ability.

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