Interview

Free Wheelchair Mission

Dr Don Schoendorfer is the founder and director of the Free Wheelchair Mission. He visited Bangalore to distribute about 500 free wheelchairs. He is a MIT-trained engineer who is passionate about the Free Wheelchair Mission.

Excepts from an interview with K S Narayanan of Deccan Herald

What has inspired you?

In 1977, we (my wife Laurie and I) were touring Morocco, where we saw a disabled woman dragging herself across the road like a snake. That sight pained us. It took me over quarter of a century to do what I wanted to do.

Free distribution... why?

Life would be hard anyway for the 100 million who cannot walk; it is a humiliating and dangerous existence on the ground amidst the dampness, filth and the rats. Crippled by landmines, diseases, accidents or birth defects, what these individuals need most for a chance of a better life, is simply a little mobility. Let us restore some hope and dignity in them.

Did you design the wheelchair?

Yes. There were millions of disabled men, women and children crawling. But they are not able to buy the conversational wheel chair as it cost $400. So I decided to design a wheelchair that will be cheaper and can be used across the globe including rough terrains. The idea is simple-with a cheap plastic patio: a couple of bicycle wheels, a couple of rugged casters, some bolts. It was in 1999 when I got serious about the idea and we brought four prototype wheelchairs to Chennai in February 2001.

The response?

People said that the wheelchair would be stolen, and culturally, it would be a problem to use it. They thought I was crazy.

Why did you choose India?

India is burdened with over 20 million immobile people.

What is the cost?

Initially it was about $25. But we did not realise in the beginning that the shipping charge would be expensive. Now each wheelchair costs $41.17. We have given the design to accompany in China, which is engaged in manufacturing.

How do you manage the funds?

I used the story of 1-year-old Emmanuel in Chennai who was one of the four recipients of our prototype wheelchairs. He felt he had got a chariot and that it made him more mobile. So we get wonderful stories to get more donations. That's how it is going. We also raise funds through radio calls, marathon runs, etc.

A little more about your work... Besides India, we have been distributing wheelchairs to the poor and disabled in China, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Iraq, Afghanistan, Angola, Romania, Ghana, Congo, Fiji and other countries.

Have you had any problems in these countries?

Some countries do not like the idea of disabled people, for instance, China. They hide them. Huge corruption and red-tapism in Nigeria and Mexico does not allow us to distribute it.

Are you planning to relocate the manufacturing to other places?

If we get trusting and dependable people we can always do it. The infrastructure in China is good and so far we have not come across anybody in India. If we can find someone it would be good.

Will you allow organizations to copy your design?

We encourage organisations to copy our passion. There are aspects of the design that we could patent. But doing so would hinder others from helping the disabled. We truly want to give a wheelchair to everybody who needs it. That is a huge task. We encourage anyone to help in any way.

Since you started distributing free wheelchairs, the world has see more armed conflicts.

Yes. We are giving 4000 wheelchairs in Iraq and also in Afghanistan. No citizen can justify what is happening in the government. Conflict confuses things. But more and more citizens want to help the deprived lot in these countries.

How do you distribute the wheelchair?

Anyone can visit us on our website www.frewheelchairmission.org and fill out an application. Then we assess their credibility - that they don't make profits out of this charity mission.

How many are you distributing now?

It is about one lakh. We plan to double it in the coming years.

You are distributing free wheelchairs in Bangalore. Is there any assessment of how many people in Karnataka need it?

We need a lot is what I can say.

Is distribution restricted to capital towns or the metropolis?

Governments should be interested in helping civil society (with whom we are working) to reach out to disabled people in remote corners. In Peru once the free wheelchairs come, they invite people from all over the country and distribute it.

Source: 'Mobility gives them a chance of a better life'. Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 19th January 2006.