Wheelchair seating system for Cerebral Palsy

Free wheelchair seating system for Cerebral Palsy and less fortunate childrens.

What and Why

Hello everyone. My name is Shawkath from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

I managed to get a team who does design and fabrication a more comfortable and suitable seating system for wheelchair users especially for people with disabilities and cerebral palsy, mostly children and teenagers in Malaysia.

The team which had been producing various custom seating system for almost 10 years in Malaysia, uses local talent and knowledge in making sure that all wheelchair users get the best support they need in everyday life.

With the custom seating system, I hope that it will help every wheelchair users to be active in life, more focus in their classroom, more confident during sport tournament, comfy with a peace of mind.

As we put all of our knowledge, effort and resources to get this far, all we need now is your kind support to help us to start manufacturing the custom seating system for as many wheelchair users as possible. Free for them.

Who am I

As a team member of a small number of individual, we managed form a social enterprise.

We want to make a difference by giving what we can offer for those who are bound in wheelchair.

Our mission is to design a seating system for wheelchair own by people with disabilities.

Basically, the team and I will meet wheelchair users, listen to their problem regarding wheelchair and fix a new seating system for them.

We will also conduct inspection, repair and refurbished works, if requires so. All of this is with your kind help.

As you know, I'm Shawkath and at the moment, I’m working as an Assistance News Editor for a local malay newspaper. It’s been more than a decade since I started as a journalist.

My experience with a wheelchair begins in 2014 when my dad broke his left hip in an accident at home.

After his metal implant surgery, I purchased a standard stock wheelchair from the hospital so that dad could moves around freely in the house.

After two days using the wheelchair, dad expressed his frustration and unpleasantly sitting on the wheelchair.

The seat was too hard and uncomfortable. In the end, dad choose to sit on a pillow and finally he gave up on the wheelchair within a week.

At that time, I didn’t know anyone or have any knowledge that there are people who could change that uncomfortable suffering into something much more pleasant.

One thing that I learn that such seating system is not that cheap and it may be a burden for most of the wheelchair users, especially those who are from poor families.

About three years ago, I join a team that involves in designing work, building custom wheelchairs, conducting modification, maintenance and refurbishment work for wheelchairs.

This is one of the wheelchair that had been restored and refurbished.

This one is in the process to be restore.

Getting back to my story, along that period, I notice that a high number of people had to pay a high price to repair their wheelchair, including parents of disable childrens.

To be honest, there are a very few shops who does specialize works for wheelchair and they do charge a hefty price for spareparts or repair services.

Not all wheelchair users can afford such price. I personally want to help the less fortunate to be happy with this campaign and not for them to face hardship.

We already have the knowledge, supply chain management, experts including doctors in various government hospitals for advice plus local manpower.

But I could only do this if I have your support and generosity.

Risks and challenges

I have been collaboration with various party in Malaysia since the last 3 years to understand what are the fundamentals to create a sustainable campaign so that I can minimise the risk and help the less fortunate gain benefits.

The team and I already established partnership in which we will conduct and carry out every stage of production for the first batch of free seating system for wheelchair user.

I would say there might be some delays to production due to the unforeseen reasons or maybe we have a list of que to fullfill.

We will be dealing with multiple suppliers including material and sourcing parts and this will add complexity and might effect the delivering time.

All I need is your contribution.