Wheelchair Power Module from Social Venture TodoWorks
3,900 Children and Adolescents Supported
National Health Insurance Coverage Opens Path to Government Assistance for Youth with Mobility Challenges
TodoWorks, a social venture, announced on September 2 that its wheelchair power module, "TodoDrive," has been officially designated as eligible for coverage under the National Health Insurance after eight years. This paves the way for children and adolescents with mobility challenges to receive stable support for mobility aids.
TodoWorks is a startup that developed a module to transform manual wheelchairs into power wheelchairs, aiming to address the mobility difficulties faced by children with disabilities. Priced at only 20% of imported products, this device was designed to change the reality where children and adolescents with mobility challenges could not properly access assistive devices due to a lack of institutional support.
TodoWorks spent five years on medical device registration and certification, and an additional three years to secure health insurance coverage, ultimately achieving formal inclusion in the national support system. This accomplishment was backed by support from impact and venture capital firms such as FuturePlay, D3 Jubilee, Crevis, SK, and Daesung Startup Investment, as well as cooperation from public interest partners like the Sangsangin Group (Sangsangin, Sangsangin Savings Bank, Sangsangin Plus Savings Bank, Sangsangin Securities) and the Happiness Foundation.
Through the "Mobility Enhancement Project for Children Using Wheelchairs," which is fully funded by the Sangsangin Group, a total of 3,936 children and adolescents had already received power wheelchairs equipped with TodoDrive free of charge as of July. With the new insurance coverage, all children and adolescents in South Korea will now be able to receive mobility aids from the government whenever needed.
TodoWorks CEO Jaeshin Sim said, "The confirmation of insurance coverage is the result of identifying a social issue and finding a solution over the past eight years, made possible through the cooperation of many who resonated with our cause. This is a symbolic case showing that the small initiatives of social ventures can lead to institutional change. Moving forward, TodoWorks will take even greater steps to improve mobility rights for people with mobility challenges not just in Korea, but worldwide."
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