SANTA ANA, CA [December 7, 2004] - Here is something the walking don't often consider: over 150 million people - roughly 3% of the world's population -- are immobile and in need of wheelchairs. California engineer Don Schoendorfer has developed the cheapest wheelchair in existence - a $3 plastic lawn chair with a pair of mountain bike tires, total cost including distribution: $41.17. The Free Wheelchair Mission, the non-profit founded by Don, has distributed over 55,000 wheelchairs for free to the disabled in 37 countries, including India, Iraq, Peru, China, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mexico and Afghanistan.

India, itself burdened with over 20 million immobile, is Free Wheelchair Missions' launch point this year in honor of the United Nations International Day for the Disabled, December 3rd. "It seemed like a perfect place to begin our 2004 Day of the Disabled campaign, as India is a country in such massive need," says Shoendorfer. "We'll begin in India, and then roll out thousands of chairs across as many countries as we can manage." To date, his organization, started in 1999 in his garage, has distributed over 8,000 wheelchairs to India.

"Millions of people are crippled and disabled in India and cannot afford a wheelchair," says C.V. Vadavana, president of Sathyam Ministries International in India, who partners with Free Wheelchair Mission to distribute the wheelchairs. He notes that wheelchairs can cost anywhere from $150 to $30,000. "Here, people cannot afford such an extravagance," he explains.

Says Schoendorfer: "We're planning to send Vadavana two containers [550 wheelchairs each] per month in 2005 to help him achieve his goal of 28 containers, one each for the 28 states of India. That's 15,400 wheelchairs, still just a minute portion of the great need."

"Most of us can't remember what we received for Christmas last year," says Schoendorfer, "but I can assure you each wheelchair recipient will remember this Christmas gift every day for the rest of their lives."

To learn more about Free Wheelchair Mission, visit www.freewheelchairmission.org. For media opportunities with Don Schoendorfer, President and Founder of Free Wheelchair Mission, please contact Brett Trowbridge, Marketing Advisor, at (714) 931-7443 or 59brett@cox.net.