Kathmandu, February 8:

Wheelchairs are the only means of transportation for the disabled people, who account for about 10 per cent of the total population of the country. However, not all disabled people in the country are getting wheelchairs.

Manager of the management committee of the Disabled Assistance Fund of the Social Welfare Council, Prachand Man Bajracharya, said the committee had not been able to provide wheelchairs to the needy due to lack of funds.

According to him, the committee has been providing about seven wheelchairs to the disabled every year since 1981. Two American organisations working for the disabled have provided 7,000 wheelchairs in a course of three years.

About 1,000 disabled have been provided with wheelchairs during the period through the office of Local Woman’s Development at the district level.

About 900 wheelchairs are expected to be distributed with the assistance of American organisation, LDS, this year.

The Rotary Clubs and Lions’ Club are among the organisations donating wheelchairs to the needy.

According to the organisations working for the disabled, as wheelchair costs about Rs 12,000, they are not affordable to everybody.