Researchers at Canada‘s Carleton University have unveiled A Wheelchair History of Disability in Canada, a virtual exhibit that explores the historical relationships between assistive technology, society, medical and rehabilitation professionals, and wheelchair users themselves.

“Old wheelchairs tell extraordinary stories about the people who used them, made them and lived around them,” says Dominique Marshall, chair of the Department of History at Carleton University. “We hope the website will generate as many questions and surprises as we shared during the year of the making of this project.”

The unique exhibit takes visitors through the extensive archives of the Canada Museum of Science and Technology back to the 1700s when the first crude sedan style wheelchairs were used through the changes brought by the World War II era and into the modern times of sporting and athletic style chairs.

A key component of the project is interactive input from the disability community and other visitors to the site. Researchers are especially interested in the audience’s comments on where the largest change has come as it’s related to the evolution of the wheelchair.