EZ Lite Cruiser has released an infographic that visualizes the history, figures, fun facts, and the future of wheelchair usage.

Historical Facts

***The earliest records of wheeled chairs occur in Chinese art, at around 525 CE.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelchair

***The first wheelchair patent was issued in the United States in 1869, the same year the first plastic was patented by John Wesley Hyatt
http://inventors.about.com/od/wstartinventions/a/wheelchair.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1869_in_the_United_States

***First motorized wheelchair was manufactured in London in 1916
http://inventors.about.com/od/wstartinventions/a/wheelchair.htm

***Harry Jennings and his disabled friend Herbert Everest, both mechanical engineers, invented the first lightweight, steel,
collapsible wheelchair in 1933. Everest had broken his back in a mining accident.
Everest and Jennings were the first company to mass-produce wheelchairs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelchair


Facts and Figures

***According to the US Census Bureau, there is an estimated 3.6 Million wheelchair users (15 years or older), and the numbers grow daily.
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/pdf/cb14ff-15_ada.pdf

***1.825 Million wheelchair users in the US are 65 or older
http://www.walkingisoverrated.org/2014/11/wheelchair-fun-facts/

***By 2035, 1.1 Billion people globally (13% of the world's population) will be 65 or older
http://www.walkingisoverrated.org/2014/11/wheelchair-fun-facts/


Random Fun Facts

***Top 5 Cities in the United States for Wheelchair Living According to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, in ranked order:
1. Seattle, Washington
2. Albuquerque, New Mexico
3. Reno, Nevada
4. Denver, Colorado
5. Portland, Oregon
http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.mtKZKgMWKwG/b.6150343/k.F282/Top_20_Most_Livable_US_Cities_for_Wheelchair_Users.htm

***New York City's MTA buses are ALL wheelchair accessible

***Nearly 50% of people use a wheelchair temporarily or post surgically.
http://www.walkingisoverrated.org/2014/11/wheelchair-fun-facts/

The global electric wheelchair market is estimated to witness robust growth through 2025.
North America region led the market in 2014 in terms of highest demand.
In US, the government provides medical insurance to people over the age of 65,
which helps the increasing elderly population to get medical facilities at subsidized rates.
http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/electric-wheelchair-market