(BOP) - Inmates enrolled in the VT-Wheels program at FCC Victorville are sharing their newfound skills with an international community. The institution receives wheelchairs in need of repair or restoration from a Christian ministry organization. The wheelchairs are refurbished by inmates in the VT-Wheels program and then donated to developing nations and given to a disabled child or adult in need. Restored wheelchairs from FCC Victorville have been presented to recipients in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Thailand, China, and the Ukraine.
The VT-Wheels training program provides the skills necessary to master the basic concepts of wheelchair repair and home medical equipment care. The program was established in 2005 when FCI II Victorville was activated. The VT-Wheels Manual Mobility (wheelchair) repair course encompasses 70 hours of classroom study and 30 hours of hands-on work developing repair skills, including wheelchair identification, design and purpose, and tool identification.