BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF DISABLED PERSONS ORGANIZATIONS TO SHAPE GOVERNMENT POLICY ON PROCUREMENT & PROVISION OF WHEELCHAIRS
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
From 2009-2014, Whirlwind, working in partnership with the World Institute On Disability (WID) and the Coalition for Independent Living (CIL) in the Republic of Georgia, providing technical assistance in the development of a sustainable RoughRider wheelchair production and repair facility. This project also included the development of postural support seating and cushions service, mobility, self-care, and advocacy skills training system for wheelchair users, conducted advocacy, public education, and community accessibility barrier removal activities. The majority of CIL factory workers and advocacy team members are wheelchair users. Since the creation of this wheelchair factory, CIL has produced and distributed more than 2,500 low-cost, high-quality Whirlwind RoughRider indoor-outdoor wheelchairs.
Whirlwind collaborated with CIL by participating as a technical consultant in a 4 year, $5 million grant by USAID to increase rehabilitation services in the Republic of Georgia. Our collaboration with CIL also included using their Roughrider factory to develop our next wheelchair prototype with the expert assistance of Levan Talakhadze as our wheelchair engineer consultant.