For the second year in a row, NY Based Wheeling Forward’s expanded its work internationally with a second annual wheelchair donation in Trinidad and Tobago. The project for Trinidad, founded by Alex Elegudin and George Gallego will increase its donations there to twice a year. Partnering with the US Embassy and two local organizations, the Oral Tradition ROOTS Foundation and RAMPS Logistics Limited, Wheeling Forward has so far donated 15 wheelchairs in Trinidad and Tobago. Alex Elegudin said: “It’s heartening to be able to extend our reach outside of New York to the Caribbean. We are grateful to the US Embassy and the local organizations for helping to make this happen.”

The effort was made possible through great collaboration between the US Embassy, Ramps Logistics and ROOTS. The Embassy helped smooth all bureaucratic, red tape challenges, RAMPS paid for an arranged the logistics of transporting the wheelchairs this time around and ROOTS identified recipients to ensure they received wheelchairs appropriate for their needs.

“People with disabilities face myriad barriers when trying to get an appropriate chair to suit their individual needs.” Alex Elegudin said. “Our goal is remove as many of those barriers as we can.”

US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Shante Moore presented the wheelchairs to activists Charlene Ford and Ricky Singh, who expressed gratitude for the contribution. Rudy Rampersad, Head of Regional Initiatives of Ramps Logistics and ROOTS Foundation Chief Executive Officer Mtima Solwazi were also in attendance.

When presenting the wheelchairs in the spring, Moore said: “Today, our commitment to the disability community continues with the handover of these wheelchairs donated through our partner Wheeling Forward. This project is a testimony to the great work we can do when the public and private sectors work with civil society for the benefit of marginalized communities, such as persons with disabilities.”

At the 2020 donation ceremony, before the COVID19 pandemic, the US embassy partnered with Wheeling Forward and local NGOs to hold an in-person roundtable on the rights of people with disabilities in Trinidad and Tobago.

Wheeling Forward co-founder Alex Elegudin and George Gallego from Wheels of Progress lauded the country’s national coalition for disability advocacy, pointing out how important it is to speak with a unified voice to capture the attention of the government, private sector and the public, to expand the building standards around access.