This Wheelchair for the Developing World Is Made From Bicycle Parts

Life isn’t easy for people with mobility issues living in the developing world: Wheelchairs are expensive, and what little equipment is available is seldom ideal for rural areas. A new type of chair recently highlighted by inhabitat aims to tackle both problems with a durable, cost-efficient design.

The SafariSeat is an open source wheelchair constructed from bicycle parts currently raising money through Kickstarter. Because it’s made from materials that are easily accessible in places like East Africa, communities can assemble the chairs locally at a lower cost than buying a conventional wheelchair elsewhere.

The chair is the first project from the social enterprise Uji, and accessibility is a major part of their mission. They plan to distribute picture instruction manuals so that anyone who speaks any language can assemble a SafariSeat with ease. Ultimately, Uji aims to set up local wheelchair-building workshops that would provide work to members of the community.

According to their Kickstarter page, 98 percent of disabled adolescents in developing countries don’t attend school. In order to introduce their product to Kenya, the team needs to raise $36,889 in funds by November 16.

[h/t Inhabitat]

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