A handicap is a defect representing a decrease in or loss of ability to perform various functions, particularly those of the musculoskeletal system and sense organs. An external aid or device is essential for the mobility of a lame person. This would help him acquire more personal freedom and improve his physical functions. The number of lame people exceeds 7 million in our country. This denotes the gravity of the situation. The majority of these disabled people come from severely poor economic conditions. Hence, what they can afford to invest in and maintain as an external device is also the bare minimum.

Many parts of our man-made environment were not designed for any person at all but merely engineered down through time by new materials and methods. Architects, designers, and planners have taken advantage of the apparently unlimited ability of the human being to tolerate discomfort and inconvenience. The concept of fitting the activity of the equipment to meet the needs of the human being rather than vice versa is not very much applied anywhere, particularly in India.