INVENTION 4: Wheelchair
The earliest records of chairs on wheels
appeared in ancient engravings in China and
Greece, but a game-changing wheelchair
was invented about 100 years ago ...
Herbert asked fellow engineer Harold
Jennings to help him design a wheelchair
that would change how people with physical
disabilities travelled.
Herbert Everest, an engineer, was injured
in an accident and could no longer walk.
His heavy wooden wheelchair was hard to
get around in. He decided to do something
about it.
Today, wheelchairs
come in many different
forms. There are chairs
designed for sports,
powered by batteries
and even controlled by
brain waves!
The invention and
evolution of the
wheelchair has
helped millions
of people get
around.
Inventions
are always being
improved. Which
inventions would
you improve? Email
us your ideas at
chickadee@owlkids.com.
The pair invented a chair that
was lightweight and foldable.
It could fit in the trunk of a
car, which made it easier for
wheelchair users to travel.
