Abstract: Apparatus for manually propelling wheelchairs includes a drive wheel which is mountable to a wheelchair in a manner which allows frictional rolling contact with a wheelchair propulsion wheel; a two-armed hand lever which is pivotally mountable to the wheelchair so as to be manually accessible to the wheelchair occupant; and a drive mechanism, preferably including a reversible-drive ratchet, which is operably connected to the hand lever and operably attached to the drive wheel so that a wheelchair occupant may propel the wheelchair by reciprocally pivoting the hand lever. The apparatus can be supplied in kit form, and the hand lever and the drive wheel may be mounted directly to a side panel so that the apparatus may be substantially installed by securing the side panel to the wheelchair. A method for retrofitting wheelchairs in this manner is also disclosed.