I believe that the intent of this episode was to raise awareness of people in wheelchairs. The episode was only the ninth of the first season, and it tackled some rather serious issues regarding individuals with disabilities. The same episode also introduced two characters to the series who both have Down syndrome.The title of the episode was "Wheels". In an attempt to attend a regional singing competition, Artie was not able to ride on the bus because it was not wheelchair accessible. This spurred Mr. Scheuster, Glee vocal coach/teacher, to raise the funds - via Glee bake sale - to purchase a wheelchair accessible van. In adding to the awareness of accessibility, Mr. Scheuster also challenges the Glee club to spend a few hours in a wheelchair to experience, on a small scale, what Artie experiences on a daily basis. Among other things, Artie struggles with the lack of ramp access in the school. It is important to keep in mind that the show is billed as a comedy. While humor was provided by Artie's fellow Glee club members using wheelchairs, in my opinion, the message was strong and clearly in support of people with disabilities and breaking stereotypes in the media.
The show ended with the full cast performing a rousing wheelchair rendition of "Proud Mary", featuring Artie as lead singer in the performance. The video can be viewed below. Click here to read actor Kevin McHale's reaction to the critics of the show.
