Video Report To Donors: Haitians Receive RoughRiders

 

Our team visited in May to deliver our first shipment of 350 RoughRiders. We saw that the roads are among the most inaccessible we have seen anywhere in the world; piles of debris, rough unpaved streets, rocks and mud - a nightmare environment for most wheelchair riders.

The Walkabout Foundation teamed up with Whirlwind’s donors to cover the costs of this first shipment.

And, several other organizations and many individuals are funding future shipments.

Our hearts went out to many of the people we met. Young Vladimir, who you will meet in the video, lost his mother in the earthquake and was injured in his own bedroom. We met several young newly disabled women with beautiful voices who were unable to travel to church to sing. The general public perception of people with disabilities is poor, and the resources available to them are scarce. We are optimistic that these new wheelchair riders will be champions who change the status quo and demonstrate in their RoughRiders that wheelchair riders can be active participants in the community.

To support children with disabilities, Whirlwind is preparing to test our new Supportive Kid’s Chair in Haiti. According to disability experts from Handicap International and from our own observations we know that there is a great need for a good children’s chair because there are virtually no chairs for children with cerebral palsy available in Haiti today. Our chair is designed to be stable so that kids can play and self-propel safely. It has Whirlwind’s characteristic aesthetic curves and is designed for rugged use.

You can be a part of this breakthrough project for some of Haiti’s most vulnerable children. Your donation will help fund the final development, manufacture, shipment, fitting, custom adjustment, and product feedback for the chairs in the trial. Please consider spreading the word to your friends. We need your support and help from your friends.

Donations to Whirlwind are tax-deductible. For more information please visit our About page.