(ANS – Gudalajara) – The Association “Don Bosco Sobre Ruedas” (Don Bosco on Wheels), with Fr. Jaime Reyes Retana, SDB, as the Coordinator, which works for the development of handicapped young people has developed a new wheel-chair for regular use. This enables the young greater and easier mobility. Given below is the report which appeared on 1^st June by Magis ITESO of the Jesuit University of Guadalajara

One of the principal problems faced by handicapped persons, in particular those who have hurt their spinal cord, is that of “bedsores” i.e., the sores caused due to being confined to bed or to a wheelchair. To this may be added digestive problems or the decalcification of the bones of the legs owing to being forced to remain in the same position.

All these are known to “Don Bosco Sobre Ruedas”, an association coordinated by Fr. James Reyes Retana, who works for the young who are unable to move around on their own in order to help them to better their lives and to support them in their efforts at being autonomous. As a part of its efforts the association has started the society “Tecnologia para la Autonomia y la Salud” (Technology for Autonomy and Health), which is working on realizing “personalized wheelchairs” which favour greater autonomy for its beneficiaries. In fact, a chair has been made which permits its user to stand on his feet or to put it in other words, to “be on two feet”.

Aldo Alan Chavarria, one of the founders of “Don Bosco Sobre Ruedas”, says that there are many benefits for those who use these chairs. “It betters our circulation and helps in the calcification of the bones, besides helping the digestive process. Not only that, it also contributes psychologically, as it permits one to stand at the same level as the others, like for example at a meeting. Besides, there are obvious advantages in one’s own house as if one wants to get something it is easier now to go and get it.” The scope of all this is to make the handicapped person to feel as independently as possible.

The system itself is very simple: the chair is fitted with a mechanism, which, with the simple expedient of pushing a button, allows the seat and the backrest to rise to the level required by the user.

Like all the projects envisaged by TAS (which already has wheeled facilities for sports and for ordinary use, as well as motor-driving devices), the idea is to realize personalized projects and which, more than everything else, is also commercially viable. Thus, while a similar device could cost up to 80,000 pesos in the open market, the chairs made by TAS cost only as much as 11,000 pesos, with the added advantage of having the device fitted into the chair which one uses regularly.

The video of the participation of Fr. Reyes Retana, SDB, the Coordinator of Don Bosco Sobre Ruedas, at a function held at Foro Magis of the University is available on YouTube.

Published 05/06/2015