Whirlwind 2011 Annual Newsletter

Please download and read Whirlwind's 2011 NewsLetter.  You'll find stories about progress in the Dominican Republic, Georgia, and across the world. This has been one of our best year yet in our efforts to serve wheelchair riders.  Thanks again to all our donors and partners for the critical roles you play.  Please consider making a special holiday donation.  Extra funds are required in this period of rapid growth.  Thank you for doing what you can.

Ralf in Nicaragua

Whirlwind Founder and Chief Engineer Ralf Hotchkiss spent most of the summer in Chinandega, Nicaragua working on, among other things, the “thorny” issue of flat-free tires. Above is a photo of Ralf at work. When traveling, Ralf rides a standard RoughRider off the assembly line and interacts with a diverse group of people with disabilities who trust him well enough to give brutally honest product feedback they might hesitate to share with a foreign donor. By spending at least a quarter of each year in the developing world, Ralf helps ensure that Whirlwind’s designs always meet the real needs of developing world riders.

Responsible Wheelchair Provision

Most people think that providing a wheelchair is a simple matter of buying one and giving it away.  But in order to avoid harm to the user and give the user the greatest degree of independence and mobility, wheelchair provision needs to include a whole series of steps starting with an initial screening and assessment and ending with a proper fitting and adjustment.  In many cases, follow up soon after provision is also necessary.

Proper provision is important to Whirlwind because it significantly increases the benefit to wheelchair riders, our reason for existence.  We do our best to see to it that our chairs are provided in accordance with the World Health Organization’s Guidelines On The Provision Of Manual Wheelchairs In Less-Resourced Settings. 

Although thousands of wheelchair riders the world over love our RoughRider^® model, there are many people for whom it is not the best option.  In fact, no wheelchair is good for every rider.  A variety of wheelchair products is important.  Every recipient of a wheelchair first needs to be assessed to determine what type and model of wheelchair is appropriate considering their disability, lifestyle, and environment. 

A properly fit wheelchair is as important, usually more important, than a properly fit pair of shoes.  For example, shoes that are too big are hard to walk in; shoes that are too small or too narrow can hurt and cause blisters.  If you want a pair of sneakers but get lumberjack boots instead, it could be hard to play sports.  A wheelchair that is too wide can make it impossible for the user to get through narrow doorways, be difficult to push, and in short order can cause shoulder injuries from the user having to push in an awkward position.  A chair that is too narrow can tip over sideways on a side slope. A chair with too tall a back can impede the rider’s ability to push the hand rims.   A chair with too short a back can provide insufficient support, be uncomfortable, and lead to long term scoliosis (curvature of the spine).  And a wheelchair without a proper cushion can cause a pressure sore in a paralyzed rider’s buttocks that can easily lead to life threatening infection.

The outcome of a wheelchair project is most likely to be successful if people experienced in wheelchair service are involved. There is no substitute for partnering with skilled therapists and seating specialists, and highly experienced users. At the same time, Whirlwind recognizes that in some cases wheelchairs are purchased for riders by organizations that do not have access to clinicians or seating specialists or highly experienced users in the remote locations where the RoughRiders will be distributed.  In that case, we offer educational resources designed to inform wheelchair providers with an introduction to the basic concepts.  With basic training, providers can serve many riders.  Wheelchair users who have limited sensation due to spinal cord injuries and other more complex disabilities require special services and training on pressure management.  All RoughRider^® users should have no severe contractures, good head control and the ability to maintain a sitting position.  For more complex seating situations, we recommend that you contact Whirlwind for a referral to a local organization with expertise in wheelchair fitting for complex seating needs.  It is our goal that by working with skilled providers, each wheelchair rider can receive a wheelchair that is appropriate for his or her needs as well as the education needed to use the wheelchair safely and optimally.

For more information on Whirlwind's products please visit our Large Volume Orders page or Request a Price Quote.

Summer 2011 NewsNotes

Wheelchair Assembly And Rider Training

Depending on the donor’s requirements, chairs may come fully assembled in the shipping box or the chairs may require a few minutes of assembly using basic tools.  Tool kits for assembly are available and can be shipped along with the wheelchairs from the factory.  Simple assembly instructions on paper and video are also provided with each order.  Shipping chairs with the wheels off allows more chairs to be packed into the shipping container so that more individuals can be served.  Other than attachment of the rear wheels, the following adjustments are required for each chair: seatback height, seat depth, footrest position, rear wheel axle position, and brake position.  The RoughRider^® has several features, including tension adjustable backrest and adjustable back angle, which allow skilled therapists to achieve custom positioning for riders.

Each Whirlwind chair comes with a 60-page RoughRider^® User Manual which gives instructions on assembly, adjustment, and use.  These instructions are for the wheelchair provider and for the wheelchair rider.  It is important to invest time with each wheelchair rider to help him or her understand all the features and adjustments on the wheelchair.  The life of the chair can be extended significantly by giving the user some training in basic maintenance such as how to repair a flat tire and how to grease moving parts.

Training wheelchair users to learn to use their chairs is necessary so theyLisa, a therapist from New Zealand, assists Patrice as she learns to maneuver around muddy holes in Haiti, 2010 can get the most mobility benefit.  Learning to ride the chair with the rear wheels in the most forward position that the rider can handle comfortably will make the chair much easier to push. Basic skills like braking using the hand rims, zigzagging through obstacles, and hand rim pushing techniques for hill climbing are critical.  Wheelchair users who gain more advanced skills like descending curbs and crossing over tree roots will have much more confidence and mobility.  For the rider’s safety, learning some skills requires the help of an encouraging partner who is ready to catch the rider if he or she tips over.  Riders may have significant obstacles in their daily use environment such as stairs at the entrance to their home which will require special skills.  Many of these skills are explained in the RoughRider^® User Manual.

Learning to push a wheelchair up a ramp is tough! Patrice and Lisa celebrate after a lot of effort and a big success.Helping a wheelchair rider to modify the home environment is important.  Typically, homes are set up for the convenience of walking people.  For riders this can mean challenges like objects being out of reach or doorways too narrow to pass through.  A wheelchair access problem often seems insurmountable to a new rider, but with some creativity and advice from experienced wheelchair riders or rehabilitation professionals, many barriers can be removed.  Often it is only a matter of figuring out how to rearrange furniture, but it can also include repositioning of light switches and even using ropes and pulleys to help the user open or close a door.  These and other simple, low-cost “tricks” can be key to a newly disabled person’s rehabilitation.  

Onsite training of professionals and paraprofessionals is key to establishing and maintaining a sustainable infrastructure for wheelchair services. Knowledgeable people are required for good wheelchair services like assessment, fitting, rider training, and repair.  Passing on this critical knowledge requires a commitment to capacity building so that local people can solve their own problems in the long run.  This is especially important for donors who would like to ensure that riders will be able to get their chairs serviced and maintained in good condition for years of active use.  This capacity building approach is a core value for Whirlwind.  We are available to consult with you on capacity building, provision training, and all other aspects of wheelchair provision.  With each order, we budget a generous amount of time to help donors solve problems related to each project.  We also offer on-site training, more extensive consulting, and services related to establishing local wheelchair production for additional fees.  The Whirlwind team has decades of experience.  We look forward to discussing a project with you.  Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

For more information on Whirlwind's products please visit our Large Volume Orders page or Request a Price Quote.