Wheelchair makers working for local disabled people

Mennonite Central Committee
Saturday, 27 May 2000

CABO, Brazil -- João Severino De Santana Filho takes pride in his work. Jobs are hard to come by in northeast Brazil and nearly impossible to find for those who are disabled. João is one of five part-time workers who make wheelchairs at Rodas Alternativas, a small factory in Cabo supported by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

Rodas Alternativas was set up by Movimento dos Deficientes do Cabo (Movement of the Disabled of Cabo/MDC) four years ago to meet the needs of disabled persons in this small coastal town, 40 minutes from Recife, where MCC Brazil is based.

Rodas produces functional and sturdy wheelchairs, a commodity here, explains Filho. The chairs are not only stylish, decorated in red, but strong enough to traverse Cabo's rough hilly roads. The market is flooded with flimsy, disposable wheelchairs, notes Filho, so Rodas workers recently began renting their chairs and offering high quality crutches.

"This work brings income to those who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed," explains Greg Weston, an MCC worker who works with Rodas. Weston began working with Rodas and MDC in 1999.

MDC is a grassroots organization with more than 100 members working to guarantee public services for disabled people, educating society about disabilities, and helping to meet members' needs.

For more information, or to contact Mennonite Central Committee, see their website at: www.mcc.org