Since the first person to fashion a walking stick out of a
piece of wood, people have been using their creativity to invent things that
have helped with their mobility. As technology throughout the ages has
progressed and we have gradually developed a wealthier and more caring society,
there have been great leaps forward inventions to aid mobility and
accessibility.
The primary beneficiaries of mobility inventions are the
disabled and the elderly. By providing the means to help people who suffer from
a lack of mobility, society is increasing the quality of life for them and
their carers, as well as helping them continue to be productive members of
society. Increasing mobility via invention is more than just new technologies
however; by providing the environment on which to maintain accessibility is
also just as important. What is the point of a wheelchair when the only way up
to your office is via the stairs?
Here is our list of great inventions and developments that
have made the world a more accessible place:
Vehicles
Wheelchairs
As illness, accidents and disability have been with us since
the start of human civilization, it is hard to pinpoint when wheelchairs were
invented, though experts estimate that primitive progenitors should have
existed as far back as 2000 BC.
The first actual evidence of a wheelchair can be seen on a
Chinese graven image from 525 AD. In Europe, the earliest evidence of a
wheelchair was an artist’s work depicting King Phillip II of Spain seated in a
chair with small wheels attached. This chair included an adjustable backrest
and a foot platform but had to be pushed by one of his servants. The first
independently propelled wheelchair was invented in 1655 when a watchmaker
called Steven Farfler developed a model that allowed him to move himself via
handles attached to the front wheel.
What could be termed the modern wheelchair was invented in
1783 when Bath resident John Dawson created a chair with the characteristic two
large wheels at the back and a small one at the front. The ‘Bath’ wheelchair
proved to be very popular until the advent of the 20th century when more
comfortable designs, as well as handy folding chairs, made its use far easier
and flexible, especially when the automobile became ubiquitous.
Today, the advance of wheelchair’s designs have greatly
improved people’s lives and have produced a device that can travel very fast
under human power, as evidenced by the speed of 22 miles per hour reached by
Olympic wheelchair racers.
Electric Wheelchairs
Motorised wheelchairs were attempted as far back as the
1900s but were generally unsuccessful until Canadian inventor, George Klein,
invented an electrically powered one for injured veterans returning from the
Second World War.
Electrical wheelchairs are a great solution for people who
are unable to propel a conventional wheelchair, who may require a wheelchair
for distances or over a surface which would be fatiguing in a manual
wheelchair. They may also be employed not just by people with the usual
mobility impairments, but also by people with fatigue and cardiovascular
issues.
Mobility Scooters
Where modern wheelchairs have helped people move around
since the late 18th century, mobility scooters have transformed the lives of
the disabled and the elderly by giving them a more efficient means of
locomotion.
The mobility scooter was invented in 1968 by a plumber
called Allan R. Thieme who sought to solve the mobility problems of a member of
his family who suffered from multiple sclerosis. He built it in his garage and
came up with a yellow vehicle that could travel up to 4 miles per hour which he
named ‘The Amigo’.
Today, mobility scooters are ubiquitous across Britain, with
thousands and thousands of people enjoying the benefits that they confer.
Lifts
Wheelchair Lifts
As wheelchairs, and more importantly electric wheelchairs,
became more and more universal, buildings and vehicles have begun to reflect
this new reality. Also known as a platform lift, this piece of technology is
designed to raise a wheelchair and the person to overcome a step or a vertical
obstacle. This allows people suffering from limited mobility to move over a
barrier without suffering the indignity of getting out of their chair.
In countries where older buildings are the norm, there is
often no space for ramps or lifts to accommodate wheelchair users. This makes
wheelchair lifts a good option.
The Electric Chair For Stairs
Primarily used in people’s own homes, an electric mobility
chair allows people with limited mobility to access the upper half of their
house easily and conveniently.
Environment
Accessible Toilets
This is a type of toilet that is designed to accommodate
people with physical impairments and those with limited mobility. They differ
in having enough space to fit wheelchairs in or accommodate another person who
can offer care. These facilities also include higher toilet bowls, grab bars to
enable transfer to the toilet, as well as other additions such as easier to use
sink and taps.
Ramps
The provision of mobility vehicles to aid people with
limited mobility is severely hampered if the environment is not suited for
their operation. Thankfully, in the modern world, flat concrete surfaces are
the norm, whereas before surfaces such as cobbles would have made any wheeled
vehicle near-useless. Because of changing attitudes and legislation, all new
buildings are required to have ramps to aid to make them wheelchair accessible,
if needed.
Alfix Stairlifts
If you are looking for comprehensive stair installation and
unbeatable chairlift repairs, Alfix
Stairlifts
is the expert that you need. We support the
communities of the West Midlands, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire counties and
other surrounding regions, with our unparalleled customer service and fantastic
commitment to excellence. Our staff can offer expert advice for the best
stairlift for your domicile and provide free home visits and assessments. We
think that our record of past projects prove that we have the skills and
experience to make sure that Alfix Stairlifts is the region’s premier stairlift
company.
Alfix Stairlifts highly values developments in new
technology which is why we make every effort to ensure that our products are at
the cutting-edge of innovation. We at Alfix Stairlifts only employ the most
dedicated and helpful staff to ensure that our customers are always satisfied
with our assistance. By employing only highly trained and experienced team
members, we can make sure that our service is every bit as good as our reputation.
Over the past few decades, we are proud to say that we have developed a stellar
reputation in the industry as competent, affordable, knowledgeable and a safe
pair of hands.
We offer straight and curved chairs to seated and perched
products, with our expertly trained stairlift workers offering a top-quality
service for every client. Alfix Stairlifts has a huge and broad range of brand
new, used and rental stairlifts for all our customers. Thanks to the
independent status of our business, we aren’t biased towards certain products
which means that we only choose the best stairlifts around. We understand the
pressure and burden that failing mobility can cause and how much of an effect
can have on your quality of you or your loved one’s life.
If you would like to call us and have a chat, please
telephone us on 0800 298 8245 or emailing us via our contact page.
We also have a range
of stores across England, with outlets in Leamington, Coventry, Solihull,
Worcester, Leicester, Gloucester, Oxford, Northampton, Banbury and Redditch.
