Since 2004, UUARC has helped provide wheelchairs to children and adults with disabilities throughout Ukraine.
Working in partnership with the Wheelchair Foundation, the program has supplied standard wheelchairs as well as specialized models for people with cerebral palsy and other conditions requiring additional mobility support. UUARC has also explored working directly with manufacturers and distributors to reduce costs and increase the number of wheelchairs that can be delivered with each shipment.
The program has received significant support from Ukrainian American communities and individual donors. In 2008, the Alla Horska Chapter of the Women’s Association for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine (WADFFU) in Chicago organized a benefit that raised $25,500 specifically for the purchase of new wheelchairs for people with disabilities in Ukraine. UUARC’s fundraising committee also raised $25,000 to support several humanitarian programs, including Wheelchairs for Ukraine.
Additional contributions included a $10,000 donation from the Podpirka family and a $43,000 gift from an anonymous donor. These contributions helped UUARC purchase and arrange shipments of wheelchairs for Ukrainian children, students, veterans, seniors, and others with limited mobility. The program also arranged shipments of specialized wheelchairs to address needs that standard equipment could not accommodate.
A Growing Need for Mobility Assistance
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has increased the need for wheelchairs, rehabilitation services, and specialized mobility equipment. Soldiers and civilians recovering from serious injuries require assistance alongside children and adults with existing disabilities and older Ukrainians with limited mobility.
According to the United Nations, approximately 12,000 people sustained spinal cord injuries in Ukraine between the beginning of the full-scale invasion and 2026. The World Health Organization reported in February 2026 that only 3% of health facilities offered assistive technologies such as prostheses and corrective devices, highlighting the difficulties many Ukrainians face in accessing specialized medical equipment and rehabilitation services.
UUARC began providing wheelchairs nearly two decades before the full-scale invasion. The program’s history reflects a longstanding commitment to helping Ukrainians with disabilities, while the consequences of the war have created additional demand for mobility equipment and rehabilitation assistance.
Support Wheelchairs for Ukraine
For more than 80 years, UUARC has provided humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians through donations, community partnerships, and volunteer efforts. Financial contributions help support programs that provide wheelchairs, medical equipment, and other essential supplies to people in need.
Make a Donation | Contact Us
United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (UUARC)
215.728.1630 |
UUARC@uuarc.org