MOBILITY APPLIANCES TECHNOLOGY & THE DISABLED IN
Presenter(s)
First Name: PAUL
Last Name: OTANDO
Organization: HANDICAPPED MOBILITY APPLIANCES CENTRE (HAMAC)
Street Address: JOGOO ROAD
City: NAIROBI
State/Province/Region: KENYA
Zip/Postal Code: 00200
Country: Other
Day Phone: +254 720 357 419
Fax:
Email: slumskeny@yahoo.co.uk
Presenter #2
First Name: THOMAS OTIENO
Last Name: ORUNGO
Organization: HANDICAPPED MOBILITY CENTRE (HAMAC)
Street Address: JOGOO ROAD
City: NAIROBI
State/Province/Region: KENYA
Zip/Postal Code: 00200
Country: Other
Day Phone: +254 720 357 419
Fax:
Email: slumskeny@yahoo.co.uk
Challenges persons with disability encounter, including marginalization in
the design and execution of rehabilitation programs, technical and material
resource constraint and future horizon. Life experience lecture presentation.
Although there have been many programs and actions taken by the government,
non-governmental organizations, the private sector and individuals to elevate
the status and welfare of persons with disability, these have not been any
effective. The major reason for this sorry state of affairs being, that the
disabled person has been marginalized and ignored in the design and even
execution of these rehabilitation programs.
At the beginning of the “Decade for disabled persons” a series of
international reports stated that 10 % of the world populations were disabled.
Whilst we could debate the precise numbers and percentages, it is clear that
statistically a very significant portion of the world’s population is in need
of dear help. Moreover, as long as poverty, malnutrition, war, conflicts,
ignorance and superstition characterize huge areas of the globe and the minds
of the global society at large, the number will continue to rise.
The majority of persons with disability at the present live their lives
with dignity in absolute poverty, victimized by beliefs that they are possessed
by evil spirits, or that their very presence in the society is proof of Devine
punishment.
Considering the need for additional expenses relating to their
rehabilitation, the disabled are forced to cope with harsh conditions involved
in acquiring mobility appliances. In most cases services for disabled persons
are seen by governments and individuals as expensive and with little to show
for the efforts and money extended. Rehabilitation itself tends to be viewed as
a luxury that can wait or arm twisted in the direction of charitable
institutions and organizations to handle. Health professionals too are inclined
to be negative or even tend to be hostile towards changes in an established
system of care that over many decades has slipped into our comfortable routine.
Nor is there anything dramatic or eye catching about action aimed at improving
the fate of the estimated 1.9 to 2.8 million Kenyans who suffer from
disability. The state presents a state of dilemma and disparity which calls for
much more conscious approach to bring about a lasting solution.
Even though the Kenya government, through the ministry of Health has
adopted Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) as an intervention strategy to the
rising demands of the people with disability (PWD) , community participation
should encourage prevention, promotion, management of disability problems and
or remove health risks through early intervention (OWAKO, CBR Coordinator,
MOH-HQ Nairobi Kenya, Presentation – Jinja, Uganda, 1997), however, there is
very little effect that can be seen especially in the promotion of wheelchair
building and maintenance. The PWDs have been given little chance to participate
in issues pertaining to their own welfare – including the design, and
maintenance of regular Orthopedic devices and wheelchairs for their daily
mobility use.
The situation of the PWDs, especially the ones who live in the marginalized
communities including the slums in major urban centers, is worsened by the
structures built in the environment as they are always forced to live in
“illegal’ and Insecure sites, always characterized by hostile environment, slow
shelter consolidations and incremental process and for the majority they are
denied land titles, security of tenure, use of amenities and access to building
materials and even credit. The PWDs cannot access and or afford the most basic
necessities in life, notably ambulation. These openly denies and infringes of
them basic amenities such as transport and even directly exposes them to
contacts with unsafe, dirty, sometimes flooded environment created by the
resource affluent persons in the society who live in the posh estates. These
are direct obstacle to the growth and development of the PWD and even to their
endeavors to enjoyment of their human rights, freedom of association and
employment.
It is necessary that improving accessibility within the natural environment
is of paramount importance and a major pre-condition in promotion of effective
mobility appliances use. This will act as a stepping stone towards equalization
of opportunities for all. In this regards, it is important to promote actions
of PWDs in order to facilitate the implementation of relevant strategies in
realizing this noble goal.
HAMAC is indebted to exerting pressure to all decision makers in the
government, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders interested
to ensure a disability friendly environment where all human beings co-existing
as a global family, and supplementing efforts of one another. This is possible
through introduction of laws relating to PWDs welfare improvement, so as to
ensure accessibility of such crucial amenities such as housing, public
transport, and other public utilities in general.
PWDs are equally disadvantaged in the job market. HAMAC will strive to
promote mobility appliances project which are directly run by PWD to create a
working environment where PWDs have a feeling of touch and commitment to
improving quality of their lives. However it is necessary to point that the
greatest obstacle to development of mobility appliances has been inadequate and
inappropriate skills in the technical division and know-how. This has been
deeply worsened by the negative attitude of professional who view PWDs as an
industry for generating money and to be exploited at the expense of basic
needs. The institutions that provide training in mobility aid and related
fields offer limited intake and without much consideration given to the PWDs.
This isolates PWDs from active participation in designing and modeling their
destiny of disparities. PWDs are seen as a medical liabilities who should be
“Helped” and not depended on, weak and need care protection and are unable to
do anything for themselves. A lot of efforts will be made in order to change
this negative perception and to create an enabling environment for all
inclusive participation. This is in line with the persons with disability to
undertake struggle as a course for achieving social justice. The empowerment
aims to create sound national development where all members of the society have
a dignified role to improve the social status and mainstreams the PWDs into the
overall social, economic and political development.
This is the only easy forward towards equalization of opportunities (48th
session UN General Assembly, 20/12/1993, [Resolution 48/96]) which set standard
rules to be adopted by all member states –
Considering that
The project is in line with the country’s focus on rural development, and
promotion and development of local appropriate technology to improve social,
economic and political development. Being an income generating, there will be a
stable base for future project sustainability. This is further strengthened
through direct involvement of Kenya Wheel Chair builders Association (KWBA) a
brain child of HAMAC.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT:
The project main objective and mission is to strive to economically empower
persons with disability so that they can have capabilities of initiating Income
generating activities (IGAs) produce and provide mobility appliances. We also
act as advocacy unit to sensitize persons with physical disabilities to realize
their basic and human rights and equal opportunities.
This ensures self sustainability to achieving our objectives and rather
discouraging donor reliance for project support syndrome.
Since inception of HAMAC after the 17th World Rehabilitation International
Conference held in Kenya in 1992, we have met Ralf Hotchkiss of Wheelchair
Whirlwind International of U.S.A and after the world wheelchair training that
was held at Limuru Conference Center, Kenya in 1997, we met Susan Berge from
DHR Stockholm, we forged a co-operative relationship for funding possibilities
to enhance the capacity and capability of building whirlwind wheelchairs to
improve the situations of persons with physical disabilities and participate in
the provision of mobility appliances.
The establishment of HASMAC Workshop to produce wheelchairs and the
employment of persons with disabilities in the production unit and the advocacy
was notified after the Swedish funding in 1999 to equip the workshop with
tools, machines, stock of materials, and provision of resources to employ staff
and rental of workshop for a period of one year. The project activities were of
a total fortune for the organization. This was capped by a visit of two HAMAC
representatives to
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