The Warrior on Wheels Foundation organises events for children with disabilities that allow families to feel safe, comfortable and relaxed
Warrior On Wheels (WOW) was founded by Deirdre Dower and her son Damian in 2015. Damian has always been Deirdre’s motivation. She advocated to pull him in a buggy on the 109-km Cape Town Cycle Tour. WOW is an extension of this adventure as the organisation aims to share the #GiftOfAdventure by getting people with disabilities, together with their families, involved in the community and activities.
The Warrior on Wheels families at the Firgrove Run in February 2024.WOW is open to any child or young adult with a disability. Currently, the Warriors are either pulled in a cycling buggy which is attached to a bicycle, or pushed in a running buggy. Some of those pulling or pushing the Warriors are family members, while others are volunteers.
Razia Hisham, together with husband Ayub Mohamed and daughter Nura, is part of WOW. She highlights that the enjoyment of the Warrior is prioritised along with ensuring their individual needs are met.
This includes, for example, the need to stop and feed or change on route, ensuring they are safely and securely strapped in, having appropriate cushioning and support, are warm or sheltered from the heat or cold.
It is important that the volunteers are fully briefed by the family about these individual needs as many of the Warriors are non-verbal or have more complex communication.
WOW aims to create positive and inclusive experiences for the whole family. These are not limited to sporting experiences. WOW has participated in roller skating with wheelchairs, visiting the aquarium as well as a bird and animal sanctuary, travelled on the City Sightseeing bus, and even been on a boat to Seal Island!
Some tourism providers offer WOW discounted rates, or free entrance, which enables more families to participate. Razia shared their experience with an indoor roller- skating rink that was approachable regarding inclusivity and very receptive to education on accommodating people with disabilities.
The rink switched off the strobe lights for a child with photosensitive epilepsy, and lowered the music for the duration of their visit to accommodate other Warriors. For some families, participating in big races is realistic and something to work towards. For others, just getting out and walking is more important.
“It is not all about a race, nor a podium finish. Rather it is about the experience,” Razia notes. She shares that WOW receives positive feedback from parents, some of whom feel very isolated and excluded from society. WOW does the research and shares information on accessible venues, resources and experiences.
The organisation has built a really good support network. They ask the million questions needed to ensure accessibility and the suitability of an event or activity so families don’t have to. The positive impact is not just on the Warrior, but also their parents, siblings and extended family.
Having a child with a disability is not always easy. Having WOW do the research enables families to relax and not have to worry about the logistics. For many families, an outing to a park can take hours or days of planning, and can be cancelled or cut short at the last second based on the needs of their child.
“Many of us need a strategy to get out of the house. We can’t just pick up our handbags and kids and go,” Razia shares. WOW enables families to focus on having fun, being silly, laughing and enjoying a day out together without having to leave their child at home or making an excuse not to join the activities.
“Families just need to show up and have a great day out,” Razia urges. Some parents feel that many activities “are not for us”, but seeing what other Warriors have been able to do and places they have visited has expanded their opportunities.
Razia expresses how wonderful it is to see the joy on the faces of the Warriors, as well as their siblings and families who are often so isolated and excluded.
She shares: “If my child is not included, then I am not included. Being part of WOW, we don’t need to worry. However, your child eats, coughs, it is okay. There is no judgement, rather families are accepted just as they are. We want families to feel safe and comfortable.”
