WID's International Program launched a 3-year project in the Republic of Georgia in partnership with Whirlwind Wheelchair International (WWI) and the Coalition for Independent Living in Georgia, along with their regional member organizations, the Association of Disabled Women and Mothers of Disabled Children in Zugdidi and the Association of Gori Disabled Club, to set up a sustainable wheelchair production and repair facility in Tbilisi in 2009. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the project will also establish a postural support seating and cushion service; networked wheelchair sales, distribution and repair businesses in Gori and Zugdidi; a mobility, self-care, and advocacy skills training system for men and women who use wheelchairs; and business and advocacy networks between disability communities in Georgia. The project will also conduct advocacy, public education, and community accessibility barrier removal activities in Tbilisi, Gori and Zugdidi. Most of the factory workers and advocacy team members are people with disabilities, and almost all are wheelchair users.

 The factory workers started training to construct wheelchairs in November 2009. The factory will begin producing an adult model of the Whirlwind RoughRider™ indoor-outdoor wheelchair within six months and will eventually produce other assistive mobility devices for Georgian wheelchair users. Pressure relieving wheelchair cushions will be made by the Association of Gori Disabled Club. The project will produce a minimum of 1,000 low-cost, high-quality wheelchairs, and local professionals at the Children’s Center for Rehabilitation will be trained in adaptive seating and will fit and produce supported seating for children who use wheelchairs.

 The first training seminar for the advocacy teams was conducted in October 2009. During the project, the advocacy teams will conduct peer support groups, disability awareness and community access/barrier-removal trainings and roundtables and regional mobility and self-help skills camps for wheelchair users and persons with mobility impairments. The teams will also work to increase public awareness via organizing disability film exhibitions, national media competitions to recognize the best feature story on community accessibility for wheelchair users and barrier removal activities, and poster competitions for the best design for building accessible communities; improve access to key public buildings by identifying and removing barriers; educate NGO staff, media professionals, teachers, government officials, lawyers, and architects about the need to improve community access and other barrier-removal issues; and establish resource libraries on improving access and removing barriers for wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments. The teams will produce a public education video that will be shown at film exhibitions and on Georgian national television as well as a radio public service announcement on community accessibility and a barrier-free environment for broadcast on local radio stations. The project will also host National Forums on Community Accessibility for government officials and lawmakers, professionals, media, and persons with mobility impairments and their families on issues and lessons learned in Georgia and to discuss strategies for implementation of legislation promoting community accessibility for wheelchair users.