Baghdad, Iraq — November 16, 2009 — A 2007 UNICEF telephone survey of 1,000 Iraqi families revealed that one out of every seven Iraqi children has a disability. UNICEF estimates 50 percent of all disabilities in Iraq are suffered by children. At the high end of estimates, there are 1.5 million Iraqi kids with disabilities; 150,000 at the low end. And there are no pediatric wheelchairs available for purchase or offered by the government.

With a little help, though, one man in Iraq is working to change that. Since 2005, Brad Blauser - working with IRD, Reach Out and Care (ROC) Wheels, and Whirlwind Wheelchair International and other partners - has provided nearly 3,000 wheelchairs to disabled Iraqis. And this year, Brad's efforts have finally gained some recognition - he was selected as one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes of the Year.

Brad and IRD need your help, though - please visit www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/vote to vote for Blauser as CNN’s Hero of the Year. The winner gets $100,000, which Brad would use to purchase additional durable, high-quality wheelchairs and help raise awareness of the continued need among Iraqi girls and boys.

“Brad’s efforts have transformed thousands of lives and given hope to so many in Iraqis with disabilities,” said Karla Bonner, IRD's Chief of Iraq Programs. “The donated wheelchairs provide mobility and freedom for those who have received them, but there remains an extraordinary need for additional wheelchairs across Iraq.”

Most of the children receiving wheelchairs have birth defects or illnesses such as Cerebral Palsy or Spina Bifida. Another 5-10 percent of children are victims of violent injuries, not all of which are related to the war.

The child pictured at the right was born with legs too stiff to walk, but he had full use of his hands. Once the wheelchair was fit for him, Brad showed him where to place his hands on the big wheel handles and push to move the chair. Soon he could propel himself forward in the chair, making his way out the door of the stuffy little outdoor room, realizing that for the first time he had the freedom of the gift of mobility. No longer will he have to rely on his father or mother to get him around the house, or even go outside.

"There are shared experiences we all can relate to in life – whether Iraqi or American, whether we speak English or Arabic," Blauser said. "It is truly a priceless experience to help a disabled child discover a new found freedom to move about on his own."

Blauser, a Dallas, Texas native, arrived in Iraq as a civilian contractor in 2004. In 2005, after hearing too many tragic stories of children who are disabled, he quit his day job and devoted his full time and efforts to providing hope for some of Iraq’s neediest citizens. He created Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids, and with support from IRD, ROC Wheels, and Whirlwind, Blauser has now distributed more than $2.5 million worth of specialty wheelchairs to disabled Iraqis. On the ground, Blauser also works closely with American and Iraqi military forces to determine needs and distribute wheelchairs.

Two types of specialized wheelchairs are being supplied for Blauser’s work in Iraq. ROC Wheels, based in Bozeman, Mont., has designed a pediatric wheelchair for kids with more severe disabilities, such as cerebral palsy. The chairs are highly durable and already used by thousands of children around the world. They are also easily transportable and maneuverable for caretakers. Whirlwind, based in San Francisco, Calif., manufactures a wheelchair that is specially designed to travel over the roughest terrain, including areas with no roads and buildings with poor infrastructure. The chairs also have the ability to maneuver down stairs and rocky slopes without tipping. Both chairs are ideally suited for the conditions in Iraq. IRD, in partnership with USAID, has supported funding and logistics for the acquisition and delivery of the wheelchairs across Iraq.

For more information on ROC Wheels, visit www.rocwheels.org, and for Whirlwind, www.whirlwindwheelchair.org.