While California is known for its earthquakes, it is also an epicenter for mobility charity work, housing three of the top wheelchair foundations addressing the global need for wheelchairs.  However, while addressing the need for wheelchairs throughout developing countries is a commonality, the approaches that the three foundations take toward solving global mobility need is markedly different, from bulk drop-shipments of hospital-type wheelchairs, to establishing local manufacturing, to using western techniques to train the global community in rehab technology.  While all three approaches have merit, is any one more effective than the others, and how do the approaches truly affect the communities that they strive to serve? The Wheelchair Foundation, based in Blackhawk, California, was founded by Ken Behring, real estate developer of many affluent, planned communities throughout the U.S.  Over his 35 years of real-estate success, Behring has dedicated himself to philanthropy, including starting the Wheelchair Foundation in 1999.  After witnessing first-hand the global need for mobility, from Algeria to Venezuela, Behring donated a million dollars to start the foundation.  To date, through posh celebrity-endorsed fundraisers and donations, the Wheelchair Foundation has delivered almost 350,000 wheelchairs, with an annual operating budget in the millions of dollars. However, is donating wheelchairs by the tens-of-thousands to developing countries truly as socially responsible as it seems?   Some say, no.  In his 2003 article, "It's Not About Wheelchairs," Mark Krizack wrote, "If one of the goals of international aid organizations is to develop sustainable programs, that is, to help people to help themselves, then free imports of used wheelchairs from the U.S. defeats that purpose in an important way: it undermines the development of local wheelchair manufacture. If any foreign company, in any other industry, sold its products below cost in another country, it would be accused of unfair competition and dumping, in violation of international trade agreements. Yet we applaud the free distribution of wheelchairs that cost a lot to refurbish, ship, and distribute, even if these costs are hidden because they are paid for through donations, volunteer labor, and 100% subsidized shipping." Further, with so many complexities in sustained mobility - from proper fit to long-term durability - it's difficult for philanthropic organizations to fully meet the needs of end-users who receive donated wheelchairs.  A shiny 18x18 steel-framed chair with swing-away legrests and plastic mag wheels may seem wonderful in the moment to both the donator and the recipient; however, if the chair's not the right size, or not adaptable to a region's terrain, with no long-term service, it isn't affective mobility.  And, unfortunately, the wheelchairs of choice for many such donations are of the lowest cost, "hospital-type" chairs, resulting in providing unsustainable bulk goods rather than long-term mobility solutions. Whirlwind Wheelchair International strives to address these concerns through social understanding, providing the skills needed in local communities to meet their own mobility needs.  Based out of San Francisco State University, Whirlwind is an intellectual and engineering practice that designs wheelchairs and evolves manufacturing systems for developing countries.  Whereas other organizations donate wheelchairs, Whirlwind has taught localities in 45 countries how to manufacture wheelchairs that are fully integrated within their communities, from wheelchair fitting, to manufacturing, to long-term support.  The results are profound, with the creation of local wheelchair manufacturers - many employing those with disabilities - contributing to their economies, and creating appropriate, sustainable mobility.  To use an appropriate saying, Whirlwind doesn't give a man a fish; rather, Whirlwind teaches him the skills to fish.

If the Wheelchair Foundation is about giving, and Whirlwind Wheelchair International is about teaching, then Wheels for Humanity resides somewhere in-between.  Founded in 1996, North Hollywood's Wheels for Humanity has donated over 21,000 refurbished wheelchairs to the global community. What makes Wheels for Humanity different from other wheelchair donation groups is that it is staffed by skilled therapists and rehab technologists who strive to fit each user with appropriate mobility, and they train people in receiving communities on how to maintain the wheelchairs long-term. Wheels for Humanity, then, doesn't merely donate chairs, they also ensure that each user's mobility needs are met and maintained.   When looking at the three wheelchair foundations, all of their approaches differ, from bulk donations, to setting up manufacturing, to ensuring that refurbished products find the right placement.  And, it's these differing approaches that leaves one wondering which is the most appropriate means toward addressing the global need for wheelchairs? Certainly, long-term, culturally-involved mobility solutions are the most productive efforts, as with those by Whirlwind Wheelchair International and Wheels for Humanity.  However, does the seemingly lack of awareness toward true mobility needs by organizations like the Wheelchair Foundation void the efforts of its volunteers, supporters, and mission?   Of course not, as sustenance is just as important in the short-term as in the long-term, and some mobility is better then none.  In fact, the Wheelchair Foundation's work may prove as the most expedient way to mobility for many.  If one asserts that every day without mobility of any kind is a day lost, then bulk shipments like those of the Wheelchair Foundation prove a meaningful stopgap solution for the global need for wheelchairs. In an ideal world, there would be enough money, training, and infrastructure to manufacture, distribute, and maintain wheelchairs in all localities.  Such an ideal world has yet to come; however, the Wheelchair Foundation, Whirlwind Wheelchair International, and Wheels for Humanity are doing their parts to make a difference, ultimately aiding the global community and individuals, alike.