Whirlwind Wheelchair International: Bringing Wheelchairs to Haitian Disabled

A unique wheelchair company is raising funds to donate wheelchairs to Haiti. Whirlwind Wheelchair International specializes in building wheelchairs designed for use in developing nations. These chairs are rugged, and able to stand up to challenging terrain such as rocky, sandy, muddy, or debris-strewn roads - the type of many of the roads in Haiti since this month's massive earthquake.

Whirlwind Wheelchair International, a program of the Center for Community and Civic Engagement, was formed in San Francisco in 1989 by Peter Pfaelzer, a professor at San Francisco State University and Ralf Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss, an engineer and wheelchair designer, was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident. His inspiration for designing wheelchairs arose from his efforts to design a better wheelchair for himself. Soon he began designing wheelchairs for others.

In response to the rapidly growing number of people with disabilities as a result of this disaster, Whirlwind Wheelchair International launched Wheelchairs for Haiti. They hope to be able to send chairs from their factory in Mexico to Haitians with disabilities that have no other way of getting around. Thousands of people have had limbs amputated either from being crushed while trapped in buildings, or in an effort to save their lives. Some have been paralyzed due to brain or spinal cord injuries. These specially designed wheelchairs offer mobility and independence for people with disabilities.

There is another aspect of this project that offers hope for Haitians. Whirlwind Wheelchair International trains wheelchair users in developing nations to build light, sturdy, affordable chairs from local materials on hand. They help with building factories and marketing the wheelchairs. To date, Whirlwind's technology has been brought to countries in Africa, Asia, Central America, and the Middle East. Perhaps when there is better infrastructure in Haiti, Whirlwind can establish a factory there, providing jobs for people with disabilities. In time, more factories owned and controlled by people with disabilities could be built in other parts of Haiti utilizing this business model.

Whirlwind does even more for people with disabilities. It has partnered with several organizations to make life better for everyone with disabilities. Whirlwind staff helped to start the first independent living center in Russia, and strongly supports the independent living concept. Perhaps Whirlwind can partner with Haitians with disabilities to create an independent living center there, giving them control over their lives, and hope for the future.

Source:

http://www.whirlwindwheelchair.org/index.htm