Free Wheelchair Mission Custom Wheelchair

Free Wheelchair Mission is a humanitarian, faith-based nonprofit that designs and manufactures cost-efficient, durable wheelchairs for individuals living with a disability in under-resourced countries. Each wheelchair costs $96, raised through donations, to manufacture and ship to its destination country. Wheelchairs are imported by the container (488-510 boxed kits) by approved partner organizations that then store, assemble, fit, and distribute individual units to people living with disabilities in their respective regions. The wheels are designed to handle rugged terrain, utilizing the strength of mountain bike tires. All component pieces can be assembled directly onto the main steel frame according to a set of easy- to-follow instructions, which are included with every kit.

Free Wheelchair Mission Founder and President Don Schoendorfer, Ph.D. holds engineering degrees from both Columbia University and MIT. After seeing the need for mobility solutions while traveling in Northern Africa, Don began researching disability in developing countries and soon developed a cost-efficient and durable wheelchair, building 100 prototypes in his garage. He and his late wife,Laurie,founded Free Wheelchair Mission in 2001 in an effort to distribute these wheelchairs worldwide. Interested organizations can contact Free Wheelchair Mission and apply to become a distribution partner.

Publicly available: No
Countries where available: https://www.freewheelchairmission.org/where-we-work/ Price (USD): 96