logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
29m 55s

Who invented wheelchair basketball?

American Public Media
About this episode
Less than a hundred years ago, wheelchairs were big clunky wooden chairs that couldn’t even fit through most doorways.  But in the 1930s, a pair of engineers dreamed up a  new kind of wheelchair that would change the lives of wheelchair-users dramatically. In fact, some of them invented a new sport that would become a worldwide sensation: wheelchair basketba ... Show More
Up next
May 13
How did soccer start?
Soccer is the most popular sport on the planet. But how did it get its start? And why do some people call it “soccer”, while others call it “football?” Hear the answers to these questions as Joy and co-host Brooke learn about the history of the sport, plus the story of the first ... Show More
27m 7s
May 6
Bird poop facials and toilet masks: Skin care of the past
There are so many trends in skin care, from fun-shaped pimple patches to Korean sheet masks. They might seem like the latest fad, but did you know some of these beauty treatments have been around for hundreds of years? Join Joy and co-host Roop as they look back through skin care ... Show More
26m 52s
Apr 29
Why did it take so long for the U.S. to pick its national anthem?
It’s super common for a country to have a national anthem. That’s an official song that is sung at special events and is supposed to bring people together. The United States of America’s anthem is called The Star Spangled Banner. But it took a long time, and a lot of contests, to ... Show More
30m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2016
The Yin and Yang of Basketball
<p>In 1891, a physical education teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts invented the game we would come to know as basketball. In setting the height of the baskets, he inadvertently created a design problem that would not be resolved for decades to come. The … <a href="http://99pe ... Show More
19m 17s
Nov 2020
Disability History special
<p>We look back at the fight for disability rights in the UK and India in the 1990s, plus the remarkable life of Helen Keller as told by her great niece, how a Rwandan Paralympic volleyball team made history, and the invention of the iconic disability vehicle, the Invacar. And w ... Show More
50m 24s
Mar 2024
The History of Human Mobility: The Story of the Inventions That Changed the Way We Move
On this episode of Our American Stories, Miles C. Collier – founder of the Revs Institute – tells the story of inventions that took us from our own legs to wheels, horses, bikes and cars. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ou ... Show More
38m 16s
May 2023
Wheelchair rugby
<p>Kim Chakanetsa talks to two Paralympic wheelchair rugby players from UK and Denmark about competing at the top level in this mixed-gender, adrenaline-filled, high-impact sport – that used to be known as murderball.</p><p>Kylie Grimes is an Paralympic gold medallist, competing ... Show More
27m 51s
Feb 2022
The life-changing power of assistive technologies | Jane Velkovski
"This chair is my legs -- this chair is my life," says accessibility champion Jane Velkovski, who uses a wheelchair after being diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). With clarity and poise, he shares how his first motorized wheelchair empowered him with independence and a ... Show More
13m 46s
Dec 2021
The life-changing power of assistive technologies | Jane Velkovski
"This chair is my legs -- this chair is my life," says accessibility champion Jane Velkovski, who uses a wheelchair after being diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). With clarity and poise, he shares how his first motorized wheelchair empowered him with independence and a ... Show More
13m 23s
Mar 2019
Wings Of Angelz: “and accessibility for all”
This weeks guests are the incredible women spear-heading the Wings Of Angelz initiative. We talk to Shibu about her history and her journey from being a vibrant young girl, to having to deal with being on a wheelchair in her teenage years, to becoming the face of wheelchair acces ... Show More
1h 5m
Sep 2023
The Road to Modern Basketball, Part Two: How Dribbling Became A Thing
As James Naismith's new sport became increasingly popular, more and more people looked for ways to evolve, adjust, or flat-out change Naismith's original rules. In the second part of this series, Ben, Noel and Max explore how basketball continued to change over time -- and how so ... Show More
50m 19s
Feb 2022
S1E136 - Kapow's Power of Invention: Braille
Today's inventory was the one of the coolest inventors of his era. He overcame all of the odds to change the world! Tune in to find out how Louis Braille changed the world for the better! 
9m 51s
Mar 2022
The life-changing power of assistive technologies | Jane Velkovski
"This chair is my legs -- this chair is my life," says accessibility champion Jane Velkovski, who uses a wheelchair after being diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). With clarity and poise, he shares how his first motorized wheelchair empowered him with independence and a ... Show More
13m 46s