The social and technological history of wheelchairs

This article presents some early findings from research commissioned by the UK Economic and Social Research Council on the social history and technological development of wheelchairs during the 20th century. The goal here is not to provide a definitive history of wheelchairs, but rather to further an understanding of wheelchair innovation through historical analysis. In providing an insight into the history of wheelchair developments, the article aims to draw attention to the idea that innovation is not simply a technical matter, but that technological artefacts are closely entwined with the social, political and historical conditions of their making.