ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences, perceptions, and needs of caregivers receiving wheelchairs donated for nonambulatory children in a less-resourced country. METHODS: A phenomenological research design was used with purposeful sampling of 14 participants living in urban and rural areas of Guatemala. Data were collected primarily by interviews and supplemented with observations in natural settings, photographs, and record reviews. RESULTS: Eight themes emerged uncovering the meaning and essence of caregivers' experiences: value of the wheelchair, relief for caregivers, enhancement of child participation, wheelchair as a form of "therapy," improvement of learning opportunities, challenges to inadequate disability awareness, impact of contextual barriers, and need for community-based supports. CONCLUSION: Caregivers in this sample perceived donated wheelchairs as beneficial to themselves and to their children. Support was found for the need to provide wheelchairs in collaboration with local services to support wheelchair use.
