A Brief History of the Electric Wheelchair

In the 1950s, the electric-powered wheelchair was invented by George Johann Klein, the Canadian inventor who is considered as the most productive in the 20th century. He came up with the electric wheelchair, which was meant for injured World War II veterans, while he was with the National Research Council of Canada. His other noteworthy inventions are the ZEEP nuclear reactor, the Canadarm, the Weasel all terrain vehicle, and the microsurgical staple gun.

In a gesture to demonstrate the commitment of the Canada to help disabled individuals all over the world, the first successfully working electric wheelchair was given to the government of the United States in 1955. Fifty years later, in Ottawa, during the official launch of Dr. Klein’s biography, the chair was repatriated. The Canada Science and Technology Museum now has it on display.

The influx of World War II veterans who had been disabled by battle injuries brought about the development of the electric wheelchair, which has been called Canada’s Great Invention. The National Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Paraplegic Association, and Canada’s Department of Veteran Affairs collaborated to develop a functional electric motor propelled wheelchair that would help the disabled veterans return to a semblance of normal life.

Dr. Klein, with the help of other scientists, engineers, medical practitioners, and patients, originated the concept of the electric wheelchair in response to a need for devices by which quadriplegics could move around independently. John Counsel, founder of the Canadian Paraplegic Association, had earlier lobbied the Canadian Government for the mass purchase of manual wheelchairs which helped a significant number of paraplegics. It fell to Dr. Klein to come up with a way to provide mobility for quadriplegics.

For his work on the electric wheelchair and other notable inventions, Dr. Klein was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1968. Born on August 15, 1904 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, he was inducted to the Canadian Science and Technology Museum Hall of Fame in 1995, after he died at the age of 88 years in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on November 4, 1992.

Variants of the electric wheelchair, such as rear, centre, front wheel and four wheel drives are now available. This kind of wheelchair has been customized in response to the different needs of patients. The mobility and independence that the chair makes possible perpetuates the memory of Dr. Klein in the minds of the people so benefited. This is in addition to the legacy of his other inventions.

Now also prescribed for patients with cardiovascular disorders, the electric-powered wheelchair was originally meant for quadriplegics and invalids who can not self-propel a manual wheelchair due to certain disabilities. It can be a portable chair or a full featured “rehab” chair. Some have separate chargers and others have on-board chargers. There are models that are designed for outdoor use, indoor use, or both.

The electric wheelchair helps its occupant perform certain motions and activities, which would not have been possible otherwise, through functional movements like tilt, recline, leg elevation, and seat elevation, among others. These movements, along with the chair’s direction and speed, are controlled by the use of a joystick or some other kind of device such as a chin control or a puff/sip scanner.