WHEELCHAIRS OF HOPE
“The moment you are able to give a wheelchair to a child, he is independent.” Chava Rothstein, Co-founder, Wheelchairs of Hope
ALYN Hospital’s ALYNnovation is geared toward entrepreneurs and inventors who are developing assistive technology products and solutions for children on a global scale. Their products and solutions are aimed at the international market.
ALYNnovation works with entrepreneurs and rehabilitation specialists to identify and develop innovation which has the potential to empower children with special needs throughout the world, increasing their independence and participation in society. It will then commercialize and bring these products to market, leveraging its powerful global network.
As an example, in partnership with Co-founders Pablo Caplan and Chava Rothstein from the Wheelchairs of Hope (WoH) program, ALYNnovation developed a durable, lightweight and affordable wheelchair for children with disabilities to increase mobility and empower access to primary education in rural environments without access to roads and infrastructure.
According to the World Health Organization, 75 million people globally need a wheelchair but only 10% have access to one. WoH’s commitment to “not leaving anyone behind” provides an affordable and accessible solution.
This year, State of the Heart, created this excellent video about the impact of Wheelchairs of Hope. State of the Heart is a YouTube channel that connects viewers to the stories of people, organizations and companies in Israel, making an extraordinary impact for their immediate and global surroundings
ALYNnovation has renewed its partnership with WoH to develop their second-generation wheelchair. The new wheelchair’s components will help additional children who need increased functionality that wasn’t available in the original model.
“I think that it’s the Israeli spirit that we bring to the project, to fight for an innovative solution to bring a better and more affordable product. We don’t have a hidden agenda; we just want to do for good. We do this because we believe that it’s part of our history of tikkun olam, of improving the world.” Pablo Caplan, Co-founder, Wheelchairs of Hope.
