Customised wheelchair unit for special people set up

Wheelchairs will be offered free or at lowest possible price.

MULTAN: Youngsters with disabilities set up a customised wheelchair unit, which is the first unit of its kind in the country with an aim to facilitate special people for their outdoor movements.

Earlier, in Pakistan, only patient wheelchairs were available and special people had to import active wheelchairs from different countries.

Special people could operate customised or active wheelchairs by themselves without assistance of others for their outdoor movement.



Society for Special Persons chairperson Zahida Hameed said a group of seven special youngsters namely Rana Arif, Abdur Rehman, Asif, Adnan, Fahad Bilal and two others set up mechanical unit with the financial assistance of Punjab Welfare Trust for Disabled (PWTD) at Walliatabad Colony.

Zahida said the unit had completed nearly 50 chairs. There wa s need to set up such a unit as customised chairs were not available in the country and only rich families could afford these chairs, she said. However, the local unit would offer wheelchairs free or at cheapest possible prices, she maintained.

She said that wheelchairs were being manufactured on orders, while installation of mechanical unit was also a source of employment for the skilled special people.



She pointed out the special people would find wheelchairs matching to their body structure as the mechanics would adjust frames, cushions and seat size with regard to particular body size of needy persons.

Similarly, these chairs were also cost effective as one chair was being manufactured in almost Rs8,000 to Rs10,000 only.

Zahida Hameed said that customized wheelchair unit was a blessing for outdoor movements of special people. In the past, they had to seek assistance of family members for this purpose. The customised wheelchairs were the basic and integral part of accessibility campaign, she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2017.