About

Mobility Cart Design

Mobility Cart design is controlled and overseen by Mobility Worldwide, and the Mobility Carts are produced at the Affiliate sites. The Mobility Cart has been extensively field tested and is designed to be:

• STURDY, in order to provide services for the rider for many years
• SIMPLE, to be easily maintained in outpost conditions
• LOW-COST, so the donor dollar can serve as many as possible – $300

These requirements have led to the following details of the design:

• Hand-cranked: The hand-cranked model has proven most successful in most field conditions.
• Sturdy tires: The Mobility Cart uses sturdy and low cost wheelbarrow wheels and solid rubber tires.
• Three versions are made: Small & large crank sizes and Pull Mobility Carts for those who do not have upper body strength or coordination. A missionary in Zambia says in his area there are as many in need of this new design, Pull, as the standard crank Mobility Cart.
• Adaptability: The Mobility Cart can be adapted to a wide variety of bed or seat configurations.
• Simple brakes: The Mobility Cart has a front-wheel brake, with a simple parking brake.

Despite this robustness, the Mobility Cart is not an all-terrain vehicle.

It will not go everywhere. Its ability to move is limited to the muscle power of the driver. As the driver uses the vehicle more, he/she gains strength. Other notes are:

• The Mobility Cart moves out at about the speed of a fast walk.
• There are always “trade-offs” in designing any machine. The crank pedals of the Mobility Cart always turn. This gives a needed reverse gear, but when coasting downhill the driver should remove his/her hand from the cranks and steer with the steering tiller/brake handle, slowing the speed by pushing down on the brake handle.