HISTORY129 - Personal Mobility Aids
About a year ago, Pat and I moved to a retirement community, where many of our new friends and neighbors use personal mobility aids like the one shown below. It’s impressive how they “get around” and can maintain a full lifestyle. I thought it would be interesting to research and write about the history of the various mobility aid devices that they are using so successfully. After a short introduction, I will discuss the history of personal mobility aids in four time periods: Pre-17 th Century: Ancient & Early Personal Mobility Aids, 17 th - 19 th Centuries: Self-Propulsion & Comfort, 20 th Century: Variety, Practicality & Power, and 21 st Century: Smart Technology & Advanced Mobility . I will close with a look at the future of personal mobility aids. As usual, I will list my principal sources at the end. Introduction A personal mobility aid helps people get around safely, assisting people with impaired movement. ...