Prosthetics have been created thousands of years ago by the Egyptians. Doing their research, scientists have recently found a functionable prosthetic toe on a mummy from centuries ago. Although prosthetics were simple back then, they still helped people who weren’t fortunate to have their own limbs. Eventually Italy moved on to adopt this tactic and started to create more durable limbs out of bronze and iron around the core which was wooden. As the dark ages approached, prosthetics were made to help the men who battled in war hold their shield or sword. The hooks and peg legs were only given to the wealthy, who had enough money to get fitted for one and to have it specially made for them. During this time prosthetics were beginning to be designed to help the person function in a more efficient way. As the Renaissance movement came along, it was a rebirth for everything including prosthetics. Prosthetics flourished during this period, they were being made of iron, steel, copper, and wood. Skipping through history until the civil war, it gave a jump start to the new prosthetics of the age we’re in now. With the lost of so many limbs during this war, they decided to make something more practical and durable. At this time they were starting to make prosthetics out of materials that wasn’t as heavy, such as plastic, aluminum, and composite materials.
Although prosthetics have made a way for those who lost a limb, mobile wheelchairs have made a way for those who physically can’t walk. The very first wheelchair was made for King Phillip II of Spain, by an unknown inventor who had no idea he started something great. In the late 1700s, John Dawson, from Bath England created the “Bath” wheelchair. This wheelchair consisted of 2 large wheels and one small wheel and outsold all of the other popular wheelchairs of this time, it wasn’t until the 1800s when the “Bath” wheelchair was no longer enough.
Not only does prosthetics help people walk and gives him access to use their arms, but it gives them the abilities to do the things they never thought they could do. People are now able to participate in the olympics and do a well job in it, they can climb, swim and run races. Prosthetics have given people hope, though they’ve lost their limb and felt like they wouldn’t able to live life the same way as they were previously. Prosthetics have given the people hope to not let the lost of the limb be a setback, but a new look forward. Not just prosthetics but the new high technology wheelchairs allow people with diseases that don’t have the ability to walk to live well as well. The highly upgraded wheelchairs has given the people who don’t have to the ability to walk, an opportunity to get around easily and won’t have to rely on the support of others. When people think of technology they think of cell phones and computers, but they don’t think of all the lives technology has changed for the better.