A wheelchair is a device that provides mobility and postural support for individuals who have difficulty walking due to injury, illness, or disability. The history of this aid spans centuries, making it difficult to pinpoint a single “first” invention, as the concept of wheeled assistance evolved over time. Early designs served primarily as transport chairs pushed by attendants, gradually giving way to the self-propelled models that define modern independence.
Wheeled Mobility Before the Wheelchair
The foundational concept of a chair combined with wheels for transport predates the recognized European invention by thousands of years. Evidence of wheeled furniture for the infirm exists in ancient records from various civilizations. For example, stone inscriptions from ancient China and Greece suggest the use of wheeled furniture as early as the sixth century BC, though the exact function remains debated.
In China, early wheeled apparatuses, which sometimes resembled wheelbarrows, were used for moving both people and heavy goods. A distinction between a general transport device and a chair specifically designed for people with mobility issues did not become clear until around 525 AD, when images of wheeled chairs for carrying people appeared in Chinese art. The ancient Greeks also had specialized wheeled items, with a record from around 530–525 BC showing a person lying on a wheeled table or bed. These early devices were large, non-specialized, and required an attendant or animal to move them, distinguishing them from the personal, modern wheelchair.
The 17th Century Invention
The first documented wheeled chair in Europe was created in 1595 for King Philip II of Spain, who suffered from severe gout. This piece of equipment was elaborate, featuring plush upholstery, armrests, and footrests, but it had four small wheels that required a servant to push it. Because it lacked a mechanism for the user to propel themselves, this chair functioned more like a luxurious transport chair rather than a true wheelchair.
The invention considered the first self-propelled wheelchair emerged in 1655, designed by Stephan Farffler, a German watchmaker who was paraplegic. Farffler used his mechanical expertise to build a mobility device that allowed him to move without assistance. His design was based on a three-wheel chassis and utilized a system of cranks and cogwheels to power the front wheel.
Farffler’s invention marked a significant turning point because it was the first device to offer personal independence to the user, moving beyond the attendant-pushed models of the time. Although it structurally resembled a handcycle more than a modern wheelchair, its self-propulsion feature made it the true precursor to the contemporary design.
Evolution of Modern Designs
Following Farffler’s innovation, the design of mobility aids continued to progress into the 18th and 19th centuries. A major step toward standardization was the invention of the “Bath Chair,” developed by John Dawson in Bath, England, in 1783. This carriage featured two large wheels and a smaller front wheel, and while it could be steered by the occupant, it still required an attendant to push it due to its weight and design.
The next revolutionary change arrived in 1933 with the invention of the folding, tubular steel wheelchair. This design was created by American mechanical engineers Herbert Everest and Harry Jennings. Everest, who had been paralyzed in a mining accident, sought a chair that was lighter, more practical, and easy to transport.
Their resulting design featured the now-iconic “X-brace” frame, which allowed the chair to collapse for storage and transport, a feature that remains standard in manual wheelchairs today. This lightweight, foldable model transformed the device from a cumbersome piece of furniture into a truly portable aid, making Everest and Jennings the first mass-market manufacturers of the modern wheelchair.