Bringing Mobility to Children in Need
The Wheelchair of Hope is specially designed and developed for children in need of mobility. The vision of this product is to empower users from early childhood by granting mobility, providing accessibility to education, self-confidence, independence, and hope for the new generation.
Development for the Developing World
Like every wheelchair, the product had to comply with a variety of guidelines and regulations, and provide proper fit and postural support. The use case for this chair, though, demanded a unique design. Aimed for the developing world, the wheelchair needed to be robust and rugged, able to ride “off-road” and not only on paved surfaces. This target market also demanded that the product be inexpensive and simple to use.
An Affordable Wheelchair Solution
The Wheelchair of Hope resulted from a balance of innovation and human-centered design. The product is designed ergonomically to meet the needs of children ages 5 to 9, and durably to successfully navigate complicated terrains. The final product is made extremely affordable by cutting costs across the board; the main chair component’s structure is optimized and is made from lightweight plastic, and the chair parts are designed to be stacked and shipped pre-assembly to save space and shipping fees. Plastic-metal interfaces, the usage of only standard production technologies, and safe assembly with simple tools enable the product to be manufactured and assembled with ease worldwide. The wheelchair was unveiled at a UN assembly in front of various UNICEF representatives, gathering many compliments and high interest, and has since empowered over 5,000 children in 6 continents.
