Developing Countries’ Third Wheel
Author:
Dana NadalskyMentors:
- Mike Grimshaw, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Marymount College
- Stephen Koletty, Professor of Geochronology, Marymount College
According to the World Health Organization it is estimated that 1 out of every 300 people are physically disabled in developing countries, about 20 million people. This presentation examines the living conditions of the physically disabled in developing countries and their continuing unmet needs. While there have been studies of the needs of the physically disabled in the third world, this researches specifically focuses on the conditions in Liberia and Haiti, and the international effects to meet the needs of their disabled. I begin by examining the past relief efforts and what the physically handicapped now need for a secure future in these countries. My particular concern is with understanding the logistics of international relief specific to the physically disabled. For this purpose, I have studied the case of the nonprofit Free Wheelchair Mission, and how they manufacture, transport and deliver durable wheelchairs for the disabled in developing countries.