
Elder Makes Ancestral Trip to the Amazon in a RoughRider Wheelchair!
Whirlwind was contacted last summer by Joshua Van Winkle about a wheelchair that could handle the rugged terrain of the Amazon jungle. He was planning

Alejandro Menéndez Finds Independence and Freedom with his RoughRider Wheelchair
At Whirlwind we love hearing from people whose lives have been changed by the RoughRider wheelchairs we are able to provide for them. When our

RoughRider WheelChair Assembly & Axle Positioning
All chairs sold in the US and Canada now come with Quick Release rear wheel axles. The instructions for assembling these wheels can be found

Caitlyn Meyers Overcomes Obstacles with her RoughRider in Iceland
In 2013, I was still struggling with pain and reduced strength in my legs from when a car hit me while I was crossing the

Amazon Elder with Polio Receives New RoughRider Wheelchair
We’re excited that Nenekawa Toca, an elder from the Indigenous Nationality Waorani, that lives in the Amazonian region of Ecuador has received his new RoughRider

New RoughRiders distributed by Global Mobility in DaNang, Vietnam, January 2018
New recipients of RoughRider wheelchairs distributed by one of Whirlwind’s partners, Global Mobility. In DaNang, Vietnam. January 2018! #roughrider #whirlwindwheechair #globalmobility

Freedom of Mobility on ABC7 Morning News
Freedom of Mobility done by ABC7 local San Francisco with Kristen Sze. This piece provides a great overview on Whirlwind and our project to get

PBS Frontline World – June 2009
PBS Frontline World covered Whirlwind in June 2009 in a piece called “Wheels of Change.” The story focuses on Whirlwind’s RoughRider wheelchair manufactured in Vietnam.

Video Silla De Ruedas Totem
This is a Spanish language video made in Columbia, South America, showing the Whirlwind RoughRider, known there as the TOTEM (Todo Tereno Movilidad). The riders

Whirlwind And The RoughRider
Whirlwind Wheelchair International’s all-terrain wheelchair built in developing countries for use in developing countries. The RoughRider is now available for purchase in the US and

PBS NewsHour With Jim Lehrer
PBS NewsHour covers Whirlwind Wheelchair International’s efforts to send low-cost durable wheelchairs to Haiti for amputees after the January 2010 earthquake Ralf Hotchkiss, is speaking

What Makes the RoughRider a Different Kind of Wheelchair? (Part I)
Whirlwind Wheelchair puts users in the center of the design process. As such, the RoughRider has evolved out of the most common user needs we

What Makes the RoughRider A Different Kind of Wheelchair? (Part 2)
Whirlwind Wheelchair puts users in the center of the design process. As such, the RoughRider has evolved out of the most common user needs we

Boy Scout gives back to others with help from his RoughRider
The main goal here at Whirlwind is to help people go where they want. In Will Krajewski’s case this meant going with his Boy Scout

Whirlwind Wheelchairs Brings More Joy To Camp Joy
Baylee, a camper of the youth with Spina Bifida Camp Joy program, with Paige’s Princess Foundation Fundraisers, who made the RoughRiders possible.Camp Joy is now

RoughRider User Tours the Streets of Paris and London
“My wheelchair worked marvelously in London and Paris! Thank you so much!” – Jordan Ayers. This past year, on Brent Ayers family’s trip to London and

Ugandan Priest Rides RoughRider Back to his Duties
Father Thomas outside a classroom at Sacred Heart Seminary in Mubende, Uganda. For nearly 30 years, Whirlwind has been dedicated to improving the lives of people

Push to the Finish and Whirlwind help Joe to Go, Go, Go…
According to Joe Briskey’s mom, “Joe loves to go, go, go, constantly begging to go bowling, or fishing, or out to dinner.” With the help

Sri at TEDx Ubud
Back this spring we let you know Sri Lestari was going to travel from Jakarta to Ubud on her modified motorbike for made it to TEDx Ubud.
Whirlwind Wheelchair Hosts ISO Wheelchair Working Group Meetings
Double Drum Test of an early RoughRider Whirlwind is hosting the International Organization for Standards – ISO – (wheelchairs) Working Group Meetings from June 3

Keep Your RoughRider® Well Maintained
We are in the midst of preparing a group of User Resource pages that should be up in a few weeks. But in the meantime,

I Haven’t Tipped Once in the 10 Years
Whirlwind’s co-founder, Ralf Hotchkiss was interviewed in December by San Francisco’s KGO radio. Check out the audio clip and find out why he hasn’t

Hard Work, an Indomitable Spirit, and a RoughRider
Crystal can now tend to her beloved animals, including her six horses, thanks to her new RoughRider. Getting back to doing what you used to

Back on Target and Rolling in Big Sky Country
Dennis, back in the classroom, where he teaches a Hunter Education class at a middle school in Billings, Montana. An avid hunter, Dennis Hein, 56,

“I feel so much freedom, I love it!”
Meet Brian, one of Whirlwind Wheelchair’s first US customers. Living in San Francisco, hear why Brian loves his RoughRider.

Bolivian Disabled Activists Fight for Rights
Lack of mobility is only the first of many barriers that people with disabilities have to overcome in order to be able to fully participate

FASTCOMPANY – JANUARY 2012
FastCoExist, a project of FastCompany Magazine, covers Whirlwind’s offering to US wheelchair riders who’ll access trails, gardens, and beaches like never before.

Wheelchair Assembly And Rider Training
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3ybie6ZP88 Depending on the donor’s requirements, chairs may come fully assembled in the shipping box or the chairs may require a few minutes of assembly

Haiti Project with The Walkabout Foundation
Transcription for this video: Haiti Project with The Walkabout Foundation After the devastating Haiti earthquake of 2010, many Haitians suffered severe injuries, while much of

Whirlwind Wheelchair International and the RoughRider
An introduction to Whirlwind Wheelchair International and our newest chair, the RoughRider, an all-terrain wheelchair built by and for riders in the developing world. Whirlwind

Wheels of Change by PBS Frontline/World
Transcription for this video: Wheels of Change by PBS Frontline_World Frontline covers Whirlwind Wheelchair’s poverty relief efforts in Vietnam and local partner who manufactures the

The Importance of User Choice for Cost-Effective Wheelchair Provision in Low Income Countries
by Marc Krizack, J.D., Executive Director Whirlwind Wheelchair International at San Francisco State University The limited success of free market mechanisms in wheelchair provision in
Wheelchair Riders in Control
Wheelchair Riders in Control WWI’s Model of Technology Transfer by Peter Pfaelzer, Ph.D. and Marc Krizack, J.D. This article describes Whirlwind’s design methodology from its
It’s Not About Wheelchairs
It’s Not About Wheelchairs (.pdf available here) By Marc Krizack, Whirlwind Executive Director Building an Inclusive Development Community: A Manual on Including People with Disabilities