Your donation gives back freedom of movement and self-confidence to 100 Romanians with mobility disabilities, by funding the renovation and donation of 100 quality wheelchairs. This project is part of Motivation`s pledge to provide 1,500 appropriate wheelchairs annually in Romania through the Wheelchair Fund initiative. In Romania, 1 in 5 persons who need a wheelchair does not have one. Every 5 years, 42-78,000 Romanians need a new wheelchair, but only 15,000 receiv one.
Home isolation is one of the most severe problems for Romanians in wheelchairs. The two main causes are the lack of mobility equipment, to help them actually leave the house, and the lack of accessibility outside the home. In Romania, eligible persons can receive one wheelchair through health insurance every 3 years. In reality, only 1 in 5 people in need actually receive one wheelchair. Those who do not, are left to fend for themselves, while those who do, seldom receive a personalized one.
MRF provides each wheelchair based on individual assessment of the user (type of disability, physical measurements, individual wheelechair maneuvering potential). The wheelchair is then prescribed and refurbished at headquarters, and delivered home to the user. One of MRF`s 17 regional teams subsequently performs home visits to ensure proper use and independent living skills development, with the help of our peer group trainers (independent wheelchair users themselves).
The project will give back freedom of movement and hope in a life of achievements to 100 persons with mobility disabilities in Romania. In the absence of a proper wheelchair, these 100 persons will remain isolated or, by using an improperly prescribed wheelchair, they will develop pressure sores or spinal deformities that can threaten their lives.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
