Jul 17 2007
DENSO Corporation and the Wheelchairs and Friendship Center of Asia (WAFCA), a Japanese non-profit organization, have supported the Chinese welfare organization, Beijing Jupeng Science & Education Development Center (BJSEDC), in establishing a wheelchair manufacturing factory. The BJSEDC is the first Chinese welfare organization to open a wheelchair factory.
The BJSEDC hosted a grand opening ceremony at the new factory in Beijing, China. The ceremonies began at 10:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, July 14 with approximately 80 guests including China's central and local administrative officials, the Japanese Minister to China, board members of WAFCA and BJSEDC, and DENSO Senior Managing Director Masatoshi Ano.
At the opening ceremony, WAFCA donated machinery, equipment and components for wheelchairs to the BJSEDC, and 240 wheelchairs to the Public Welfare Promoting Association for Disabled Persons in Beijing. In preparation for starting factory operations, BJSEDC engineers have been gaining technical guidance on wheelchair production at a wheelchair factory supported by WAFCA in Thailand.
"To promote the social participation of physically challenged people with the increased use of wheelchairs in China, DENSO has supported the establishment of the wheelchair factory in China, through its regional headquarters in China, DENSO (China) Investment Co., Ltd.," said Masatoshi Ano, senior managing director in charge of DENSO's Corporate and Administration Centers. "DENSO's participation in this project reflects part of its commitment to contribute to society by focusing on three areas - support for the physically challenged, development of youth, and environmental conservation."
In April 1999, to better assist the physically challenged, DENSO established WAFCA in Japan, and the Wheelchairs and Friendship Center of Asia (Thailand) - WAFCAT - in Thailand. The intention of both organizations is to create an environment for physically challenged persons where they can gain self-reliance through the widespread availability of wheelchairs in Asia, and to help achieve a barrier-free society by supporting sports and educational exchanges. Since March 2000, through WAFCAT, WAFCA has supported the wheelchair factory, owned by the Thai With Disability Foundation, in the suburbs of Bangkok.