of disability is mobility impairment.

So that's people who can't walk or who need a lot of help to get around.

(gentle music) (Barbin speaking in foreign language) - What happened that day is I went to help a guy harvest some avocados from a tall tree, but unfortunately, just as I was cutting the last avocados, the branch I was standing on broke away and I fell from a height of about 25 feet.

I fell on my back and broke my C7 vertebrae.

It was a huge shock, not just for me but also for my family, my parents, my siblings, my wife and kids.

It was really tough.

It's taken quite a while for my family to come to terms with it.

And for me too because like everything was over for me after that because losing the use of your legs is a hard blow.

And thinking of my children and my wife, how was I going to feed them and provide for the daily household costs?

Since basically, I was the one who brought home all the money.

I loved playing football, playing with my kids, going out with them.

That's life in the villages.

You go into the mountains to gather firewood, to work in the corn fields with your hoe.

Those are the things people do.

But now, as for me, I'm just sitting on the porch of my house, watching my neighbors and friends go off to work in their fields.

And sometimes, I think about all the things they're going off to do.

The same things I used to do but can't anymore.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] In Guatemala, losing one's mobility is a life-changing experience.

More than three out of five disabled people in the country lack access to wheelchairs, particularly in rural areas.

And for those who do have them, most are insufficient to handle the cobblestone streets, uneven sidewalks and dirt terrain.

Being a gunshot victim is one of the most common causes of physical immobility in Guatemala.

Manuel Chamale was shot while working as a bus driver's assistant at the age of 14.

It led to a dramatic change in his life.

(Manuel speaking in foreign language) - On that day, I got up very early, like every day, going to work at 5:00 AM.

I remember the bus was parked at a gas station.

Me and the driver, we were just pausing for a little break.

He was reading the newspaper and at that moment, someone gets on the bus and shoots the driver.

The driver was reading his newspaper and he just falls face-forward, his face hits, he's immediately dead.

It happened very fast.

It was, I didn't know how to react.

I was just sitting there and a bullet entered here.

And at that moment, I could no longer feel my body.

My whole body felt floppy, like everything had fallen asleep.

And I fell back against the bus seat.

And all I did was look down and see the blood coming out.

I watched the blood flowing out like it was a stream or a river.

And I remember at that moment, I thought I was going to die right there.

- [Narrator] For Manuel, after spending four days in the hospital, going home proved challenging.

- The house where I live, we don't own it, we rent.

And it was not accessible for a person with a disability.

It was built for people who could walk.

There were stairs and no one had contemplated a person with a disability.

I remember that when I arrived home from the hospital, they pulled me out of the taxi, but there was no way to transport me into my house.

So they wrapped me in a sheet and five or six people between them hauled me into the house and the door into the house was so narrow, at first, they couldn't fit through, so they had to push and use force and eventually got me inside.

But the hallway was also tiny and it was really a struggle to get me into the room where I was going to be.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Car accidents are another leading cause of mobile disability in Guatemala.

One accident had a dramatic impact on Ingrid Matzir's life as well.

(Ingrid speaking in foreign language) - When I was 17, I was in a car accident and broke my back and couldn't walk anymore.

I was at home for 13 years.

The injury was 15 years ago, but for 13 years, sadness, regret, and depression invaded my life.

And I didn't want to do anything.

I felt like my life was over and that I was no longer useful for anything.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Silvia Pablo was born with spina bifida.

This disability meant she was unable to attend school until she was 17 years old.

Getting a wheelchair changed her life.

(Silvia speaking in foreign language) - Before the wheelchair, I couldn't go to school.

I couldn't get a job either.

And for that same reason of not having a wheelchair, I couldn't leave my house.

So I only went out maybe twice a year to a store that was about two blocks away.

It was really close and it was very sad for me.

I was really sad because I couldn't leave the house.

And lots of times, I even asked God, "Why do I have a disability?

Why can't I go to school like my sisters?

Why can't I have the same opportunities that they have?

To get a job or to have friends or to go to church?"

It was only when I was given a wheelchair that I was able to leave my house to meet other people with disabilities.

And I realized that I was not the only person in this situation.

And also that having a disability doesn't have to limit you.

But having a wheelchair to help you can motivate you to achieve your dreams and goals.

I was able to go to school, go to church, and now I'm working.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] While Manuel, Ingrid and Silvia all have different underlying causes for their need to use a wheelchair, they all came in contact with Transiciones, an innovative organization based in Antigua, Guatemala.

It helped them confront the challenges they faced by providing personalized wheelchairs, capable of handling Guatemala's rugged landscape.

Transiciones has a unique culture employing those who use wheelchairs to make wheelchairs for people similarly disabled.

That often changes the way the population it serves see themselves.

- In Transiciones, we see people that come for the first time and we see that they're very shy, they might be very depressed 'cause they don't know what to do with their lives.

But once they come here, they see other people working, you know, providing good services, moving around, it just being part of society just changes the way they see their lives and I will say, give them hope that they someday might have a job like the people that sees here.

- [Narrator] Alex Galvez founded Transiciones 26 years ago.

He was motivated by his own disability.

- I was shot when I was 15 years old.

I was at the corner store buying (speaking in foreign language) for lunch.

I was still wearing my uniform because I just got back from school.

Unfortunately, there was this person that came in carrying a weapon.

I got shot and I was dropped to the floor and unfortunately, that left me with a spinal cord injury, left me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Transiciones traces its history to the 1990s when early team members were able to get training in the United States.

- In 1990s, we were able to get together with a group of people with disabilities and we started this organization to support people with disabilities that had the same problems that I had that were not able to get out a wheelchair, a proper wheelchair.

We were able to go to San Francisco State University to learn how to make and repair wheelchairs for people in Guatemala.

We came back, we opened up a shop, and we were able to offer not only training, but employment for people with disabilities because we know that in Guatemala, it's so difficult to get employment for people with disabilities.

- [Narrator] Transiciones now employs 25 people, most of whom are reliant on wheelchairs for mobility, but many challenges still confront those who are mobility disabled.

(Ingrid speaking in foreign language) - The obstacles or difficulties faced by people with disabilities in Guatemala, the first is accessibility.

There is no accessibility here.

Everything requires a big effort.

If there is a step, then you have to learn how to go down it or go up it, and you have to have the courage to ask people for favors to ask, "Could you help me climb this step?"

Or, "Could you help me get down?"

I used to be embarrassed to do that and that people would stare at me and for that reason I avoided going out.

But now, I've lost that embarrassment and I can ask, "Can you help me to get down that step?"

And my colleagues have also taught me that, "Yes, I can do it.

Yes, I can get down.

Yes, I can get around on cobblestone streets."

(Paulino speaking in foreign language) - It's complicated with everything we have to go through in daily life in terms of mobility.

We don't have access to public transportation.

We don't have access to certain public buildings.

The sidewalks make it hard for us to get around.

The streets are very difficult, both because of the traffic and because they're full of holes, or they're cobblestone.

That's the great challenge we always face in terms of mobility.

Then there's another challenge, which is discrimination.

A lot of companies don't want to hire a person with a disability because they think we are not fit for work.

- [Narrator] These broad levels of discrimination can also have a dramatic impact on how the disabled see themselves, leaving many to doubt their self-worth, to see themselves as true members of Guatemalan society.

(Paulino speaking in foreign language) - One thing that happens when you're a child and you go to school, the other kids' parents don't want them playing with you because they think you might transmit your disability to them.

That happens a lot when you're a child.

They think other people can catch your disability.

There are places where discrimination will always exist where they think we are worth less than other people.

So all that can have a really serious impact on a person with a disability if they take it personally and they can fall into a depression because of discrimination.

(Ingrid speaking in foreign language) - Society sees you as being good for nothing.

You can't do anything in terms of work.

I tried to get a job in various places, I've been to school.

As soon as I asked if there was wheelchair access, they said no, they couldn't give me the job because I use a wheelchair.

I thought they looked at my wheelchair first before seeing my intelligence, my ability to do the job.

And that sometimes lowers your morale.

But it is very nice and I feel very proud to be able to prove that just because I use a wheelchair, that doesn't mean I can't do anything.

And to be able to show that yes, I can do things and do them well without needing help from anyone.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Transiciones provides physical therapy, which helps new wheelchair users such as Barbin Roca successfully adapt to using the chairs.

(speaker speaking in foreign language) - The best thing is to grip the wheels here toward the back and push them forward.

To make a turn, we're going to hold one wheel still and move the other one.

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ Happy birthday, happy birthday ♪ - [Narrator] Barbin Roca lives in a rural area.

He has little opportunity to interact with other disabled people.

At Alex Galvez's birthday party, Barbin comes to realize he is not alone.

(bright music) Basketball not only provides physical exercise, it also influences how those who work at Transiciones see themselves.

From the beginning, this sport has played a defining role in the organization's work and its relationship to the larger world.

(Ingrid speaking in foreign language) - Some people who told me about the sport of basketball and before, I used to play a lot of basketball, every afternoon.

So when I had the accident, I thought I wouldn't be able to be active anymore.

So they told me about the sport and I agreed to give it a try, and I met more people who told me what was possible and I started playing.

Then one of my friends got me more and more involved in the sport and that's what got me out of my depression.

- [Narrator] Basketball not only changed Ingrid Matzir's life, but introduced her to Transiciones where she became a central part of the team.

(Ingrid speaking in foreign language) - [Ingrid] I first heard of Transiciones when I was invited to watch the basketball training here, and then I started to train with the team members.

But the travel was really difficult since I lived in the city.

So I asked if I might get a job here to be able to cover my expenses and come to training and they gave me an opportunity to do that.

I started training and I remember I said to someone that being able to play sports might change my life in a personal sense as well as in terms of work.

So I've been here for over a year now, and yes, I have seen the change in my life.

One change was I originally had used a hospital style wheelchair.

Later someone gave me another chair, but it was not customized for me, so it didn't enable me to move around easily.

But when I came here, they encouraged me a lot and gave me a new wheelchair.

That's the wheelchair I'm using now.

It has improved my mobility and helps me a lot, but apart from that, it's made a difference for other people who say, "I like that wheelchair, I want one like that."

And then I can tell them my story, describe what my transformation or my transition has been like, and be an example for other people that they can have a change in their life too.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Ingrid's story has repeated the Transiciones model from its early years.

Since its founding, it has confronted discrimination by providing a way for others to see disabled people in the real world rather than hidden away to make them more visible and normalized.

(Silvia speaking in foreign language) - When I first discovered basketball, other people I knew were playing, but in the beginning, I was really scared because I thought I was going to fall over or someone would hit me or I'd get hurt.

But then later once I started playing, I had a fall and I realized it was no big deal.

So then I really grew to like it.

(Silvia speaking in foreign language) And I also feel that it is a way that God gave me to fulfill one of my dreams, which was to travel by airplane to other countries.

And through basketball, I've been able to travel and represent Guatemala in Olympic games and regional tournaments and meet other people from other countries.

- [Narrator] The visibility of the Transiciones basketball program helped in the recruiting of one of its long-term employees, Paulino Buch.

(Paulino speaking in foreign language) - They came to put on an exhibition of wheelchair basketball.

That made me realize that basketball was a sport I could play.

Watching their speed and their movements, I wanted to be part of that group.

I was already part of a small group of young people with disabilities receiving support from Transiciones, and we wanted to be part of Transiciones, not just the basketball, but also the wheelchair manufacturing and repair.

In my case, I had the opportunity to come and be part of Transiciones.

- [Narrator] Paulino's contact with Transiciones enabled him to not only gain employment and play basketball, but to fulfill one of his long-term goals.

(Paulino speaking in foreign language) - In the end, I've been able to achieve part of my dream, which was to represent the Transiciones team outside of Guatemala as an international team.

And also to be part of the Guatemala national team.

That was also something I wanted.

We had the opportunity to participate in the Parapan American Games, which was the only time Guatemala competed in basketball there.

- [Narrator] While basketball has been a transformative experience for many Transiciones employees, the people Transiciones serves are generally not basketball players, but come from a wide range of Guatemalan society, including all age groups.

(Merced speaking in foreign language) - It's been a big challenge.

It isn't easy to have a child with a disability because their needs take up all your time.

They are 100% dependent on you.

I carry her around in a cloth baby carrier because she can't walk.

- [Narrator] Physical therapist Assiria Menjiver works with Scarlet Abigail in preparation for her receiving a new wheelchair.

(Merced speaking in foreign language) - They're going to give her a wheelchair so we can mobilize her because due to her age and her weight, it's hard for me to carry her now.

- So to make her comfortable, make sure her back is right up against the back rest.

Let's see.

That's good.

We can fasten the seatbelt.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] When Petronila Lorenzo was eight years old over 20 years ago, she received a wheelchair from Transiciones.

Before getting the chair, she was isolated in her home in a village halfway up one of the volcanoes overlooking Antigua.

(Petronila speaking in foreign language) - Getting the wheelchair changed a lot for me.

It was a huge help for me to no longer have to be dragging myself along the ground, and it changed a lot.

It enabled me to get around.

I can help people like my mother now.

It was hard for me at first, but I managed to get the hang of it, using the wheelchair, and now I can do lots of things in it.

(Petronila speaking in foreign language) Helping my mother with things like sweeping, doing the washing, things like that.

I can go out on the street, go around town, go places with my sisters, with his wheelchair.

I can do those things - [Narrator] Though Petronila now has a new range of opportunities, many challenges remain.

(Petronila speaking in foreign language) - Entering into some restaurants, banks, coffee shops, or other places are a challenge.

The steps are high up and I need help to get into those places.

And there are definitely people who have a good heart to help and there are others who don't care.

But here I am in a daily struggle.

Work is hard to find because sometimes people are afraid.

Maybe they think that because I use a wheelchair, that I can't do things.

Who knows what they're thinking so they don't trust you because they think you can't work.

But they don't give themselves the opportunity to get to know this person who might have better skills than someone without a disability.

(gentle music) (Petronila speaking in foreign language) I've got lots of things I hope to do.

What I would like to do maybe this year or I don't know when is to continue studying and to learn English because I did study it before, but no, I can't speak it.

So I still have the idea that I can do it.

Maybe in the future find a job to help out my parents because they've helped me so much and well, I think it's time that I do something to help them too.

- [Narrator] Petronila hopes to be able to help support her family someday.

Manuel Chamale knows that his disability has had a direct impact on the ability of his family to financially survive.

Being disabled in Guatemala is not just an individual problem.

Other family members often have to help take care of you, taking time from work.

Losing income from the job you had before becoming disabled may also diminish your family's financial wellbeing.

(Manuel speaking in foreign language) - Emotionally, my family was very damaged because we'd never had a person with a disability.

It was like, what are we going to do?

We always worried about finances.

So it was, what will we do now?

Since I had been working, I had been helping to pay the household expenses.

Like we didn't own the house, so we had to pay rent.

So my income had been helping to pay the rent.

It was about $50.

It wasn't much, but it was $50 that nobody else was going to give us.

So my brothers and I all had to bring in money to cover the household cost.

And at that moment, it was like, "What are we going to do?

Where's the rest of that money going to come from to pay the bills?"

So then my mother had to go out and find work.

I had extra expenses like diapers, catheters, drainage bags and other things, even food.

When I came out of the hospital, I couldn't just eat anything, so I had a special diet.

- [Narrator] Getting a wheelchair from Transiciones has transformed the way he sees his life.

- And when I saw a wheelchair like those from Transiciones, I really liked it.

And I was so thrilled when they gave me my wheelchair.

I remember for me, it was like the latest model car, a Ferrari, one of those.

I went to the Transiciones workshop where I saw people with the same disability as me, where I saw that they had a job and how they fought day by day to get ahead.

I said, "If they can do it, I can do it too."

One's limitations are only in your mind and anything is possible if you believe, if you really want to put in the effort.

Now with my wheelchair, I can get around, I can move around my house.

I can't leave the house easily because of the steps, but I can do housework.

I can grab my broom or my mop and start sweeping or mopping.

I can feed myself.

I can move things.

If someone says, take this to the sink, I take it.

I do dishes.

Now I feel more, how do I say it?

More useful and more comfortable.

My wheelchair has been really helpful to me.

I've been motivated to go back to school.

I want to be someone in life.

I want to improve myself.

I want to show people that it doesn't matter what condition you have, as long as you have dreams.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Carlitos Alberto suffers from muscular dystrophy, which is slowly limiting his ability to move around.

He now uses a wheelchair from Transiciones.

(speaker speaking in foreign language) - Now we'll do the harness.

Lower your arm.

There we go.

How does that feel?

Good, good.

Real comfortable?

Ready to go and play?

(Juan Carlos speaking in foreign language) - I'm a single dad.

And sometimes, there is discrimination in agencies that say they can't serve us.

The health system isn't much help.

He needs specialist doctors who know about his condition.

Muscular dystrophy.

It gets expensive in terms of transport.

We travel by bus and some drivers are prepared to take us with his wheelchair, but others refuse.

So it's kind of hard for us.

(Juan Carlos and Carlitos conversing in foreign language) - We're going to play basketball.

Do you know how to play basketball?

Look, how do you throw the ball?

Show me how you throw the ball.

And if this is the hoop, throw it in here.

That's it.

You see?

You're going to play well, pal.

And you know who else is going to play?

The guy who is helping you with your wheelchair, he made this wheelchair.

(Juan Carlos speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) (light music)