That’s the call from Lidia Pretorius, veteran disability inclusion consultant as she supports a growing movement challenging how wheelchairs and mobility devices are designed, donated,nand delivered across Africa. Amid growing calls for systemic change, Pretorius advocates co-creating a world where every child can move freely, by cultivating partnerships that support local design and the manufacture of appropriate wheelchairs. Her message? Well-meaning charity is not enough: It’s time for dignity, design justice, and African-led systems that centre the lived experiences of people with disabilities. When high-income countries bypass local knowledge and capacity in the name of charity, they don’t just miss the mark, they actively harm the very systems we need to build. This is particularly true when it comes to wheelchair provision, where a mismatch between product and context can have lifelong negative consequences. Instead of short-term charity,experts are calling for donors in high-income countries, governments, NGOs, philanthropists, and multilateral agencies, to invest in well informed ethical, system-aligned giving.
This means:
● Partnering with local manufacturers to strengthen homegrown supply chains,
● Funding long-term service provision, not one-off product drops,
● Investing in training for local rehabilitation and technical personnel,
● Ensuring meaningful participation of people with disabilities in design and delivery, and Following WHO guidelines and ISO standards to ensure safe, appropriate provision.
“When we go out, I fear that she will fall,” said Malibu Solomon, a mother of a movement impaired child, who expressed that due to her daughter being faced with cerebral palsy, epilepsy as well as having a dislocated hip, mobility is one of their greatest challenges. “I need assistance with the seating of my daughter, because she’s not sitting properly in the wheelchair…and I can’t go out with my child, anywhere,” she added. This is due to having to rely on an inappropriate mobility device. Dr. Vic McKinney, a South African disability scholar and wheelchair user, and Alexander Kamadu, Executive Director of the International Society of Wheelchair Professionals (ISWP) shared these sentiments in a powerful conversation on this topic. Together, they lay bare the everyday consequences of inappropriate donations and offer a bold alternative rooted in local capacity and sustainability.
“For years, I felt my life was not worth living,” reflects McKinney, who became quadriplegic after a road accident at 19. “Only through time, the right wheelchair, and real support did I start to imagine a future for myself.” Now a postdoctoral researcher and long-time disability rights advocate, McKinney is calling for a complete shift in how assistive technology is viewed, not as charity, but as a human right. Kamadu, also a longtime advocate for people with mobility impairments, shared these sentiments, pointing out that most donated wheelchairs in low-income countries are either low-cost transporter chairs or second hand used equipment from abroad, often arriving without spare parts or local servicing support. “They’re not designed for the terrain, for the user’s needs, or for the long haul,” he says. “In trying to help, we may actually be doing harm.” The right wheelchair isn’t just a seat, it’s a key to independence, education, employment, and participation. But when children are forced to wait months for devices that no longer fit by the time they arrive, or when adults are sidelined because their chairs break down on gravel roads, that opportunity is lost.
Adding to the discourse, Lidia Pretorius brings the conversation full circle by highlighting the systems-level shift that must occur. “We graduate engineers, architects, and health workers who know nothing about disability,” she says. “That has to change, starting with what we teach in lecture halls and schools.” For her, inclusion is not a checkbox, it’s a framework for innovation, design, and accountability. “We cannot keep relying on imported solutions that don’t fit our people or our realities,” she says. “We must build systems that value local expertise and invest in long-term care.” The voices of McKinney, Kamadu, and Pretorius form part of a broader campaign calling for urgent reform in the assistive technology sector, starting with how wheelchairs are produced, distributed, and maintained. Backed by the Uhambo Foundation, the campaign has been focused on raising awareness and driving engagement with a view to shift the narrative from “better than nothing” to fit for purpose. At its heart, says Kamadu, “This is not about equipment. It’s about equity.” To create true equality we need systemic change that will enable the provision of appropriate mobility devices for the people, especially children, who are in dire need of them. It’s time to support locally made, environmentally suited devices. To learn more about how to support African-led solutions to mobility inclusion, and to hear the full conversation, follow the campaign online: https://shonaquipse.org.za/
Ends.
Media Enquiries:
Anneke Burns
Publicist
+27 71 423 0079
anneke@abpr.co.za
Lurinda Prinsloo
Team lead: Partnership Development and Fundraising
Lurinda@ShonaquipSE.org.za
See complete press kit here.
About Shonaquip Social Enterprise:
Shonaquip Social Enterprise is a hybrid social enterprise working to create inclusive, barrier-free communities for children with disabilities and their families across Southern Africa. SSE brings together three aligned entities, Shonaquip (Pty) Ltd, Uhambo Foundation (NPC), and the Champions of Change Trust, to build sustainable, community-driven ecosystems of inclusion. Founded in 1992, Shonaquip (Pty) Ltd designs and supplies posture support and mobility devices, reinvesting profits into services and training. In 2010, the Uhambo Foundation was established to expand Shonaquip’s reach into under-resourced communities through capacity-building programs. The Champions of Change Trust, launched in 2020, empowers parents tosupport one another and become advocates for disability inclusion in their communities. Together, these three entities form ShonaquipSE, reinvesting all profits into social impact initiatives and enabling families, communities, and systems to break down barriers to health, education, and participation. ShonaquipSE is committed to ensuring that every child with a disability can live a full and meaningful life in an inclusive society. To learn more, visit: https://shonaquipse.org.za/