International Society of Wheelchair Professionals - ISWP

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International Society of Wheelchair Professionals - ISWP

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Join our contact list: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/?sm=p4eKMRukDL92ns53bNIC3A%3d%3d

ISWP's mission is to serve as a global resource for wheelchair service standards and provision through advocacy, education, standards, evidence-based practice, innovation and a platform for information exchange. ISWP’s broad goals are to improve the quality of life of wheelchair users around the world by ensuring they receive high-quality wheelchairs through appropriate provision. Our activities are aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disability, the World Health Organizations’ (WHO) Disability Action Plan, the WHO Guidelines on the Provision of Manual Wheelchairs in Less Resourced Settings, and the WHO’s Wheelchair Services Training Packages. We have four broad activities to strengthen the wheelchair sector:
1) Raise awareness of the need for high quality wheelchairs and related services.
2) Build wheelchair services capacity globally.
3) Set and promote product and service standards.
4) Coordinate the global wheelchair sector.

10/20/2026

⏰ Don’t miss it! Our Responsible Wheelchair Donation toolkit launches on Thursday .

Join wheelchair users, donors, recipient organisations and assistive technology experts as we explore the opportunities, challenges and practical steps involved in responsible donation.

Two sessions, to suit different time zones:

🕗 8:00 am UK | 9:00 am CEST
🕑 2:00 pm UK | 3:00 pm CEST

📅 Thursday 22 October 2026

✅ Free. Register now to receive your Zoom link.

🔗 https://iswp.org/responsible-wheelchair-donation-toolkit/

Please share with colleagues and partners who are involved in donating, receiving or providing wheelchairs. 🙌

10/16/2026

Donating wheelchairs isn’t simply good or bad. It’s about getting the right wheelchair to the right person, through the right service. 💚

ISWP’s new responsible wheelchair donation toolkit moves beyond the debate about whether donations are good or bad. It offers a practical framework to make sure donations are appropriate, effective and part of local wheelchair provision systems.

Inside the toolkit:

📌 ISWP’s position and eight core principles on donated wheelchairs
📌 The risks of inappropriate donation, and how to avoid them
📌 Minimum requirements for acceptable donations
📌 Practical guidance for before, during and after donation
📌 Case studies from Thailand, Romania and Lebanon
📌 Practical tools, including a donor decision guide, a service partner readiness guide and a wheelchair screening checklist

It considers the different perspectives and responsibilities of wheelchair users, donors and recipient organisations, so that every donation strengthens services rather than bypassing them.

Be among the first to explore it at our launch webinar. 👇

📅 Thursday 22 October 2026
🕗 8:00 am UK | 9:00 am CEST
🕑 2:00 pm UK | 3:00 pm CEST

✅ Free. Registration required.

🔗 https://iswp.org/responsible-wheelchair-donation-toolkit/

10/14/2026

What makes a wheelchair donation a good donation? 🤔

Wheelchair donations can transform lives, but only when they respond to real needs and are supported by appropriate wheelchair services within a national system. When they don’t, they can cause harm, create waste and leave wheelchair users and local services carrying the cost.

So what does responsible wheelchair donation look like in practice?

Join ISWP on Thursday 22 October for the launch of our new toolkit to support the ethical, safe and effective donation of new and used wheelchairs. 🦽

Hear from wheelchair users, donors, recipient organisations and international assistive technology experts as they share real experiences and practical lessons.

This is one conversation you won’t want to miss.

📅 Thursday 22 October 2026
🕗 Session 1: 8:00 am UK | 9:00 am CEST
🕑 Session 2: 2:00 pm UK | 3:00 pm CEST

✅ Free to attend. Registration required.

🔗 Register here: https://iswp.org/responsible-wheelchair-donation-toolkit/

10/09/2026

ISWP's resources were proudly showcased at the 2026 China Care & Rehabilitation EXPO (CR EXPO) in Beijing, held in September, sharing our work with the Chinese assistive technology community.

Thank you to the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) for extending the invitation and making our participation possible, and to the Expo organisers for creating space for international organisations to share their work.

Sharing knowledge across borders helps more people access the right wheelchair and the right support.

10/08/2026

We’re excited to share that we now have 1 449 individuals around the world certified at the Basic, Intermediate, or Trainer level. 👏🏻

Recently, we collaborated with Bethany Kids (Kenya), Wheelchair Project (Thailand), and the Spinal Cord Centre (Nepal) together with SESOBEL to deliver Basic level Wheelchair Training and Certifications at basic level in each country.

Thank you to our partners for helping more people access the right wheelchair and the right support.

Ability meets mobility.

10/07/2026

"An appropriate wheelchair is not simply one that fits the body. It is one that allows the person using it to remain the person making decisions about where to go, how to participate and how to live."

These are the words of Massimo Lorusso from Milan, Italy, who shared his perspective as a wheelchair user for our community.

Appropriate wheelchair provision starts with listening to the people who live in their wheelchairs every day. Thank you, Massimo, for sharing your voice with us.

📍 Massimo Lorusso, Milan, Italy
Lorusso

Ability meets mobility.

09/29/2026

We're proud to have delivered the first phase of
the Developing Sustainable Wheelchair Provision Education and Training in Nepal project: the WHO Wheelchair Service Training Programme, delivered in partnership with ISWP, SESOBEL, the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC) Nepal, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the University of Limerick.

In September 2026, 12 rehabilitation professionals were trained at the Basic Level and at the Intermediate Level.

Together, we're strengthening knowledge, building local capacity, and empowering health and social care professionals to deliver
appropriate wheelchair services that promote dignity, independence, and participation.

This is just the beginning of a sustainable, in country training programme that will support wheelchair users across Nepal.

From training to transformation: building a future where every wheelchair user can access the right wheelchair and the right support.

Ability meets mobility.

09/28/2026

Thank you, Numotion, for your generous grant in support of our mission!

Every day, Numotion helps people get the complex rehab technology they need, so it means a great deal to have their support behind our work training providers, advancing certification, and strengthening wheelchair service provision in communities around the world.

Grants like this move us closer to a world where appropriate wheelchair provision is the standard, not the exception.

Thank you for believing in this work.

Ability meets mobility.

Numotion

09/21/2026

In Their Words: Ramma Inam 🔊

Ramma Inam is a Consultant Occupational Therapist in Pakistan with over 14 years of professional experience.

As a mentee in our mentorship programme, here's what she had to say:
"The programme has strengthened my clinical reasoning, increased my confidence in applying evidence-based practice, and enhanced my approach to person-centred wheelchair service provision."

ISWP’s mentorship programme pair mentees with experienced mentors across the wheelchair sector. Stories like Ramma's are what our mentorship programme is all about.

If you're looking for a mentor, reach out to us to find out more!

Ability meets mobility.

09/17/2026

For over a decade, the ISWP community has been working together to strengthen wheelchair provision around the world.

But the true impact isn't found in numbers alone.
It's found in the provider who gained new skills. The organisation that trained a new workforce. The wheelchair user who gained independence. The family whose daily life changed for the better.

These are the stories that inspire action.

If you've been part of the ISWP community, as a wheelchair user, provider, trainer, organisation, or partner, we'd love to hear from you!

🎥 Record a 20-30 second video
📸 Share a photo
✍️ Write a short story

Send your story to [email protected] or tag ISWP on social media.

For more info:https://iswp.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ISWP-Share-your-impact-story-.pdf

Together, we can show why appropriate wheelchair provision matters and why investing in people, training, and systems changes lives.

Address

6425 Penn Avenue, Ste 402
Pittsburgh, PA
15206

Website

http://linktr.ee/ISWPorg

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