FAQS

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Find out what keeps our wheels turning

Wheelchairs for Kids’ vision is to create a world where every child who needs a wheelchair can get one, in turn providing each child with a profoundly improved quality of life through access to education, through better health outcomes and social connections, all those basic building blocks of a life that we take for granted.

Our current production rate is on average 300 wheelchairs per month operating year, however, the workshop has the capacity to manufacture many more wheelchairs than it currently does and is only limited by our financial ability to purchase the materials and components to build the wheelchairs. Our current mission is to secure enough funding so that we can substantially increase production.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least 10 million children worldwide are in dire need of a wheelchair but cannot afford one. Some disability experts claim the number could be as high as 6% of the population of developing countries. The number in Angola is 20% of the population of 12 million people. Other “landmine” countries such as Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bosnia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and Mozambique have extremely high physical disability rates. Find out more about the global need for wheelchairs.

Wheelchairs for Kids produces on average 340 wheelchairs every month. In total, we’ve donated more over 54,000 wheelchairs since 1998 to 90 locations across the globe—from Mongolia to Zimbabwe. Find out more about our impact or view list of recipient countries.

Yes, if needed. Wheelchairs for Kids partner with a number of regional health organisations, including Port Hedland’s PATCHES Paediatrics to provide rough terrain wheelchairs in difficult to access places. So far, our chairs have reached as far as the Pilbara and Alice Springs, bringing mobility and freedom to all corners of Australia. Find out more about our Indigenous impact.

We distribute wheelchairs worldwide through a network of reputable organisations that have ongoing humanitarian relief missions in the countries to which we distribute wheelchairs. Our distributors, who have a vast local network of health professionals and are attuned to the needs of their communities, handle all aspects of the importation and distribution of the wheelchairs to children.

Wheelchairs for Kids’ wheelchairs are manufactured by our team of expertly trained volunteers at workshop in Wangara, Perth, overseen by our Workshop Manager. We follow a stringent manufacturing process, from cutting, drilling and shaping the aluminium to fitting the brakes and back rest, to rigorous testing to ensure each wheelchair complies with World Health Organization guidelines. Find out more about manufacturing process.

From the hilltribe villages of Myanmar to the desert terrain of Morocco, our wheelchairs are purpose-designed to suit all geographies – opening up a level of mobility and accessibility that would be impossible with a regular wheelchair.

Robust and easy to assemble, our wheelchairs are adjustable to the child’s size and feature puncture proof wheels for rough terrain and include postural support, head rest, harness, waterproof cushion, tray, tool kit, plus a knee rug, and a knitted toy.

We are committed to ensuring our wheelchairs support children with varying needs, including those with cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. To address this, we conduct comprehensive research, development and field testing with physio and occupational therapists. Read more about our Research and Development program.

Wheelchairs For Kids is a volunteer-based organisation. We simply couldn’t achieve our mission without the generous sponsorship, donations and in-kind support from numerous individuals, communities, corporate partners and government organisations. Importantly, our support from Scarborough Rotary, other Rotary Clubs and the Christian Brothers ensures our profile in the national and international community is far reaching. Find out more about our funding or how to donate.

Wheelchairs For Kids Ltd is a company limited by guarantee and registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission on 30 January 2020.

It is also registered with the Australian Charities and Not For Profits Commission as a Public Benevolent Institution as well as being endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Tax Concession Charity and Deductible Gift recipient.

Accordingly, donors making donations over $2.00  are entitled to receive a tax deduction.

Make a fully-tax deductible donation

To date, we have helped to transform the lives of some 50,000 children with disabilities around the world – lifting them off the ground and toward a brighter future. But we can’t do this without your support. Your donation will go directly towards the heart of our mission: ensuring we can continue manufacturing and distributing wheelchairs to children living with disabilities around the world. Find out about becoming a donor or making a bequest.

Become a corporate partner

With various customisable partnership opportunities on offer, including monthly giving or workplace giving, corporate partners contribute to our Growth Development Fund, a new pathway that will enable us to build our local capacity—including building, human resources, research and development, enabling us to continue helping thousands of vulnerable children and communities around the world. Become a corporate partner today.

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