Folding Wheelchairs

While wheelchairs have been around for hundreds of years in some form or fashion, folding wheelchairs date back less than a century. The history of the folding wheelchair only goes back as far as 1933, developed later than the first motorized wheelchair, which was designed in 1918. The first folding wheelchair was developed by Ernest Jennings and Harry Everett. Since then, folding wheelchairs and their accessories have become prominent in the medical equipment industry.

The use of a folding frame wheel chair is preferable for many because they are easily stored in smaller spaces. A folding wheelchair can easily pack into the backseat of a car or in the trunk, allowing for easy toting and portability. Over time, the old manual folding wheel chairs have evolved into a superbly designed piece of equipment that is not only helpful but also simple to use. A lightweight folding wheelchair means that even those with limited strength can tote them around, and it offers the disabled individual using the chair a little less resistance when self propelling because there is less weight to push forward.

A folding frame wheelchair is a useful tool when it comes time to leave the house and go out. While powered wheelchairs may be more convenient, you don’t have to worry about any kind of special lift or storage for a folding wheel chair. While there are innovative designs now like a folding power wheel chair, these are not commonplace and can be a bit costly.

Luckily, there are also newly designed pediatric folding wheelchair models, which now allow the portability of a chair that actually fits the needs of your child when out in public. In the past, it was necessary to use an adult sized folding model to carry along, with the pediatric model remaining at home. This made getting around difficult for a child too small to fill the chair or to reach the wheels.

The Quickie folding manual wheelchair is one of the best selling such chairs, with a light weight that makes it convenient to carry along and several additional features that can be added, such as folding baskets for wheelchairs or a folding wheelchair vent tray.

Folding wheelchairs have come a long way since their invention in 1933, and all of the current innovative designs have improved the lifestyle of millions of disabled individuals worldwide, and research and design will continue to build on these designs.