 "The Hand That Rocks the Wheelchair" was broadcast on March 6, 2011, as a part of an animated television night on Fox, and was preceded by "The Simpsons" and "Bob's Burgers", and followed by "Family Guy" creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane's spin-off, "The Cleveland Show".It was watched by 6.23 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings, despite airing simultaneously with "Desperate Housewives" on ABC, "Undercover Boss" on CBS and the season premiere of "The Celebrity Apprentice" on NBC.The episode also acquired a 3.1 rating in the 18–49 demographic, beating "The Simpsons", "Bob's Burgers" and "The Cleveland Show" in addition to significantly edging out all three shows in total viewership.