Partners and Awards
We could not be successful without the support and collaboration of many organizations and individuals around the world. Our Corporate Sponsors greatly increase our impact through financial contributions and pro bono professional assistance. We see Whirlwind’s small size as an advantage because we are pressed to depend on our Field Partners for local knowledge and expertise. We owe our partners a great debt of gratitude. Of the Whirlwind wheelchairs in use today, the vast majority were purchased by churches, NGOs, governments, and other Donor Purchasers. Along the way we’ve had several Awards and Press Coverage.
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Featured Corporate SponsorsProto Labs presented Whirlwind with their Cool Idea! Award in late 2011. The award gave Whirlwind access to Proto Lab's prototyping and short-run production services. Protolabs created the plastic mud guards for the new model RoughRider. Read more here. |
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Featured Donor PurchaserWalkabout Foundation is a non-profit organization that focuses on funding research to find a cure for paralysis and donating wheelchairs to people in need around the world. Walkabout has donated the Whirlwind RoughRider in many developing countries. |
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Featured Award and Press CoverageWhirlwind was honored in August to receive the 2011 Chapman University Albert Schweitzer Award of Excellence. The award is given annually to an organization that exemplifies the life of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, who was a Nobel prize winning philosopher and medical missionary in Africa in the early 20th Century. |
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Featured Field PartnerUCP Wheels for Humanity (UCPW) provides mobility to children and adults with disabilities in developing countries. Since 1996, UCPW has changed the lives of over 53,000 people in over 70 countries by providing wheelchairs and ambulatory aid, recipient and caregiver training, and the expertise of world-class international seating specialists who individually custom fit recipients to wheelchairs. Recently, UCPW (along with USAID) established a vibrant program in Indonesia. This ground-breaking program is comprised of Indonesian staff members – many of whom are wheelchair users themselves – and offers wheelchairs and professional wheelchair services to children across Indonesia. In addition, staff members provide training, education and empowerment to wheelchair recipients and caregivers as well as advocating for human rights with local and national government. For more information about our programs, please go to More Field Partners. |