Wheelchairs on Titanic

[Cara Ginter]

Would that be something that one would see walking down the hall? I have no knowledge of the history of wheelchairs, but I thought that may be something interesting to ask. Does anyone know the answer to this question?
Cara

 

[Dave Gittins]

I don't know of anybody using a wheelchair on Titanic but it would have been fairly feasible in first and second class, because of the provision of lifts. Wheelchairs of the period were rather hefty things, especially the kind known as Bath chair.

The main problems would have been getting on board in the first place and getting onto the open decks. High sills on the doors would have created problems, but with goodwill and muscle power things could have been achieved.

In third class things would have been much harder, because of all the stairs to be negotiated.

 

[Brian Ahern]

Didn't Mrs. Shelley and Mrs. Parrish mention a wheelchair in their account of the sinking?
One of them was ill and I'm pretty sure there was something about a wheelchair being provided.

 

[Dave Gittins]

As far as I can see, Mrs Shelley's statement only mentioned sitting in a chair for a rest before boarding a boat. She mentions being carried to a new cabin by four stewards earlier. That sounds as if she had no chair.

Maybe there's something in another source.

 

[Aly Jones]

Wheelchairs were around in Titanic's day.Harold Bride was carried off the carpathia by two men,this means carpathia did not have any wheelchairs on board, so Titanic may of had no wheelchairs on board either. After the disaster, Harold Bride was sitting in a wheelchair cause of his frost bite feet problem.

http://www.geocities.com/ancient_wonderer/brideinchair

 

[Ben Lemmon]

I doubt there were wheelchairs on board, but by today's terms, I do believe that Titanic was mostly handicap-accessible, as it did have elevators. There were likely some difficulty accessing some areas, but I do believe it was easy to get to most places easily. I would be surprised, though, if this was to attend the needs of handicapped people. As I said, I doubt there were wheelchairs on board, unless the passenger brought it with them. This scenario could be quite likely. However, since Mr. Harold Bride was not usually confined to a wheelchair, I couldn't see one being immediately accessible to him. Most disability acts were not instigated until the late 1900's. I don't think that extra wheelchairs in stores or on board liners would have been supplied as far back as 1912, but this is just my opinion. I am not sure as to the validity of it.

 

[Aly Jones]

Sorry about the link, i did test the link before i posted the link but something happend.

There were wheelchair accessible in 1912.

Try this link:

http://www.geocities.com/ancient_wonderer/pictures.html

Go to *Titanic's people* then got to *Harold Bride in Wheelchair in newyork after the sinking*.

 

[monica e. hall]

I did think they must have had a couple on board, after all people are always falling around in rough seas, breaking legs and stuff, and then there's the possibility of rich old guys having a sudden attack of gout etc.

 

[Jim Kalafus]

I don't think there were any on board, simply because of Mrs. White ending up "cabin bound" for the duration of the voyage after twisting her ankle. Had there been one, I strongly suspect she'd have demanded it.

 

[Martin Williams]

...and if she had, I bet a lot of the other first-class passengers would suddenly have developed reasons for becoming 'cabin-bound' themselves...

 

[George L. Lorton]

Had there been one maybe Mrs. Corey who was heavily pregnant might of gotten to a lifeboat quicker.

Of course it might not have made a difference anyways. By the time that lady was up and going it was too late.

 

[Michael Cundiff]

And of course, myself a 20 yr. Carpenter is aware of the building code for wheelchair openings...3'o opening, in laymans terms 36".
So if the builders were considering handicapped
suites, they would have been duly noted on the plans.

Michael Cundiff
NV, USA

 

[Aly Jones]

George.

>>Mrs. Corey who was heavily pregnant might of gotten to a lifeboat quicker. Of course it might not have made a difference anyways. By the time that lady was up and going it was too late.<<

Are you saying a heavily pregnant women died during the sinking? If so,would she survive if she had an wheelchair?

 

[George L. Lorton]

Probably not after giving it some thought but if the crew had gotten her on deck sooner and in a boat she would of. Shoot she probably didn't know what was really happening till everything started to slant in her cabin.

 

[Aly Jones]

That's real sad to here.With this kind of mishaps aboard Titanic,ships today should have wheelchairs aboard?