Hyundai Motor Group Supports 'Manual Wheelchair Electrification Kit' for Improved Mobility of Disabled Persons

In the third year... 73% Say "Activity Assistance Has Decreased"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] Hyundai Motor Group continues its distribution and sharing project of electric conversion kits for manual wheelchairs to improve mobility for people with disabilities.

On the 20th, Hyundai Motor Group held a 'Manual Wheelchair Electric Conversion Kit Distribution Ceremony' at the Irum Center in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The ceremony was attended by Lee Byung-hoon, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Group, and Choi Gong-yeol, Executive Representative of the Korea Federation of Organizations of the Disabled.

The manual wheelchair electric conversion kit distribution project, which Hyundai Motor Group has been carrying out since 2018, targets people with disabilities who have a strong will for academic and economic activities but face difficulties in mobility.

The electric conversion kit provided by Hyundai Motor Group is a state-of-the-art assistive device for people with disabilities, consisting of a motor, battery, and control device. It combines the advantages of compact and lightweight manual wheelchairs with the reduced physical burden of electric wheelchairs. It can be loaded into vehicles and carried on board aircraft, and by simply attaching it, a manual wheelchair can be used like an electric wheelchair, enhancing convenience and usability.

According to a survey conducted by the Korea Federation of Organizations of the Disabled on 187 people with disabilities who received the electric conversion kits, about 73% of respondents reported a decrease in the need for activity assistance. Additionally, 75% of students were able to attend school more than five times a week, and 50% reported improved academic performance. Among workers and self-employed individuals, 14.6% reported an increase in average income.

On this day, Hyundai Motor Group delivered three types of electric conversion kits?handle type, joystick type, and integrated wheel type?to 138 people with disabilities according to their disability type and needs. As a result, the total number of recipients over the past three years has increased to 435.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group is also operating a sharing project called 'Wheel Share' in collaboration with the Community Chest of Korea and the Green Light Association, which rents out electric conversion kits for short-term use. The Wheel Share service is currently available in Seoul, Busan, and Jeju. People with disabilities who wish to travel can easily apply for models that can be loaded on aircraft through the website and rent them for up to 15 days. Hyundai Motor Group plans to expand the Wheel Share service areas in the second half of this year.

A Hyundai Motor Group official said, "We have been distributing and renting manual wheelchair electric conversion kits with the hope that more people with disabilities will feel changes in their daily lives and gain confidence." He added, "Starting next year, we plan to continue efforts to improve mobility for people with disabilities by launching new mobility convenience projects."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.