Wheelchairs of Hope

Market Suggested Retail Price

$100.00

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Wheelchairs of Hope, Hospitals/Institutions including Alyn Hospital in Jerusalem and Beit Issie Shapiro in Ra’anana.  

Manufacturing/Building Method

The chair is manufactured by in China by Sharp Manufacturing and distributed by Wheelchairs of Hope, based in Israel. The original seat prototype was made on a 3D printer. The seats are made of plastic.

Intellectural Property Type

Patent Protected

User Provision Model

Wheelchairs of Hope distributes chairs to hospitals and other institutions providing care to disabled children. These institutions distribute the chairs to the children & families.

Distributions to Date Status

250 wheelchairs have been distributed in Israel and Palestine. 100 have been sent to institutions in Vietnam.  Chairs were delivered in Peru and Tajikistan. In 2018, 50 wheelchairs were sent to South Africa and more are heading to Argentina.

Design Specifications

The seat of the wheelchair is made out of plastic and designed specifically to provide the proper support for a child. The frame components are a mix of metal and plastic. The chair can be completely disassembled so it can be shipped. A safety belt and cushion are included with the chair.

Technical Support

Technical support can be found in this manual as well as by contacting the manufacturer.

Replacement Components

Some common replacement components are included with the original package. For other components users need to contact the manufacturer. Expert advisors note that specific information and validation on this product's maintenance requirements is not available. For products intended to be used by individuals with minimal technical knowledge, maintenance directions are essential.

Lifecycle

Unknown.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

The manufacture claims their product meets the following targets:

• Provide proper fit and postural support
• Light weight
• Attractive and kid-friendly appearance
• Can be shipped and assembled on site
• "Maintenance-free" 
• Rugged enough to handle a variety of terrain such as dirt roads

Vetted Performance Status

The chairs were tested by the manufacturer and rehabilitation staff at Alyn hospital. Beit Issie Shapiro, an Israeli non profit which aims to help the disabled, also participated in the testing process. The chair was also tested by CBC Centre for Testing and Certification in Poland. This group tested the static stability, fatigue, and disengaging force among other things (summarized here: 125 2016 E1 Summary) according to ISO and EN standards. Expert advisors note that although conventional mechanical testing has been performed, testing to validate performance of wheelchair on uneven terrain is not currently available.

Safety

The chair is safe for children weighing less than 40kg (88lbs). There is an anti-tip piece that needs to be secured if the wheelchair is tipped while driven. The manufacturer suggests checking the security of the bolts weekly. Brakes should be activated whenever the occupant is getting in or out of the chair.

Complementary Technical Systems

The chair was designed so that if additional pieces such as a neck support were need, these could be accommodated.

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

This product complies WHO guidelines, ISO 7176, EN 12183, and has the CE mark in Europe.