What It Is
Humanitarian Services, working in partnership with local organizations that serve the disabled, distributes about 40,000 wheelchairs each year in 70 countries. Those who have witnessed a disabled person receiving a wheelchair for the first time report that the joy and tears of gratitude shown by the recipient are often overwhelming.

Why It Is a Priority
Only about one percent of the roughly 100 million disabled people worldwide own or have access to a wheelchair.* Many have lost the use of one or both legs due to war, birth defects, or disease. In most developing countries, there are few social supports to help the disabled. They are highly dependent on family members for support and 24-hour care. For the adults, being without mobility often means being without work. In addition, UNESCO estimates that 98 percent of children with disabilities in developing countries are unable to attend school.

What It Does and How It Helps
For the disabled, mobility is the key to independence, education, and self-reliance. A person given the gift of mobility is freer to travel, work, and go to school. Additionally, their caretakers are also more free to spend time on other productive activities.