Don Schoendorfer, PhD

Don Schoendorfer, a biomedical engineer, is President and Founder of Free Wheelchair Mission, where he has spent more than 25 years addressing the global crisis of immobility in developing countries. Drawing on decades of engineering experience, Don developed a cost‑efficient, durable wheelchair designed specifically for use in low‑resource environments. Beginning with early prototypes built in his garage, his innovative work laid the foundation for what would become Free Wheelchair Mission. Since 2001, the organization he founded has designed, manufactured, and distributed more than 1.5 million wheelchairs to people living with disabilities in 95 countries worldwide.

Don earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and a PhD in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Over the course of his career, he has been an inventor or co‑inventor on more than 50 biomedical patents. Don lives in Santa Ana, California, with his wife, Elizabeth, and continues to bring his passion for engineering, innovation, and service to advancing mobility and independence for people around the world.