> ABOUT
> BEST VALUE
> OUR APPROACH
> HISTORY
> WHEELCHAIR SAFETY
> STAFF
> FAQS

Whirlwind Wheelchair International is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities in the developing world while promoting sustainable local economic development in the process. We work to make it possible for every person in the developing world who needs a wheelchair to obtain one that will lead to maximum personal independence and integration into society. By giving wheelchair riders a central role in all aspects of our designs and projects we ensure that our chairs are appropriate for their real lives in their real environments. For thirty years in over 40 countries we have focused on producing durable, low-cost, and highly functional wheelchairs. These chairs give riders the reliable and functional mobility they need to reach their full potential. Our active adult wheelchair design, the RoughRider is used by 25,000 riders traveling over every terrain imaginable from muddy village paths to rough pot-holed urban streets.

In partnership with our wheelchair buyers, Whirlwind provided 3,000 RoughRiders in 2008 and 3,500 in 2009. These chairs were produced through our network of regional, quality-certified manufacturers, which currently can produce 12,000 RoughRidersTM per year. Small wheelchair shops across the developing world produced many more Whirlwind chairs under our public domain licensing program.

Whirlwind headquarters is located on the San Francisco State University campus as part of the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement. Whirlwind is a tax-deductible 501(3)(c) non-profit operating under the umbrella of the University Corporation San Francisco State.

The World Health Organization estimates that 1 out of every 300 people, or 20 million people, in the developing world need a good wheelchair and does not have one. [WHO Wheelchair Guidelines, 2008] At Whirlwind, we define a "good wheelchair" as safe, durable, locally repairable, and highly useable for the rider. Without durability, breakdowns can interrupt activities like staying in school and getting to work. Because riders may be able to own only a single chair, they need an all-purpose chair. An all-purpose wheelchair is functional for many activities such as crossing over tree roots or broken pavement, reaching down to floor level to care for small children, allowing elbow room to do work tasks, and folding for easy transport in cars and public transportation.