Shonaquip ccShonaquip cc

Wheelchair seating Wheelchair seating services, training services, training

and outreach clinics and outreach clinics ––

linking medical linking medical rehab services to rehab services to

quality community quality community based living based living

solutions solutions

CBR African CBR African Conferencen2007Conferencen2007Shona McDonald Shona McDonald

South AfricaSouth Africa

Recognising the value of Recognising the value of appropriate mobility appropriate mobility and seating support and seating support

equipmentequipment

Wrong device or Wrong device or no device ?no device ?

Implications for wheelchair Implications for wheelchair distributiondistribution

What happens if What happens if we make the we make the

wrong decisions?wrong decisions?

The solution :The solution : Strong, versatile Strong, versatile

and easily adapted and easily adapted and appropriate and appropriate products products

TOGETHER TOGETHER Training, services Training, services

and capacity and capacity building building

The purposeThe purpose Impact on individual quality of life Impact on individual quality of life

Change attitudes towards Change attitudes towards disabilitydisability

Develop skills and create employment Develop skills and create employment

Build local capacity and sustainable Build local capacity and sustainable services services

Influence government policy development Influence government policy development and spendingand spending

How ? How ?

■ Identify local disability initiatives■ Identify government services and supporting policy■Identify strong motivated individuals

■ create guidelines and standards that support a long term vision

Build mutually beneficial partnerships with government and local groups and individuals

Coordinate sustainable training and Coordinate sustainable training and support services with a mutual support services with a mutual understanding of priorities and expected understanding of priorities and expected outcomesoutcomes

Shonaquip a socially Shonaquip a socially responsible company responsible company establised a ppp with DOH to establised a ppp with DOH to provide professional training provide professional training and outreach clinic services and outreach clinic services for high risk patients in the for high risk patients in the urban, peri urban and rural urban, peri urban and rural areas of the province. areas of the province.

This service includes: This service includes:

Seating assessment, Seating assessment, management and screening, management and screening, assistive devices check, assistive devices check, maintenance and repairs.maintenance and repairs.

Training of care attendants, Training of care attendants, staff and parents.staff and parents.

Support and capacity building Support and capacity building of professional staff.of professional staff.

Wheelchair service delivery, Wheelchair service delivery, needs analysis and problem needs analysis and problem solving.solving.

Shonaquip employs Shonaquip employs people with disabilities people with disabilities as technicians and as technicians and peer group trainers peer group trainers and life facilitators and life facilitators

These technicians These technicians train new wheelchair train new wheelchair users in skills of users in skills of maintenance and maintenance and repair of their own repair of their own wheelchairs.wheelchairs.

this sharing of skills this sharing of skills reduces the number of reduces the number of repairs and repairs and replacement parts as replacement parts as problems get problems get identified early and identified early and fixed before they fixed before they become a costly become a costly problem problem

These services These services extend to the sharing extend to the sharing personal personal information, links to information, links to appropriate appropriate NGO/NPO service NGO/NPO service affiliated affiliated organisations, social organisations, social services, rights services, rights based organisations based organisations or just linking users or just linking users with similar hopes, with similar hopes, dreams and physical dreams and physical needs needs

Establishing Establishing international links with international links with like minded and like minded and associated groups – associated groups –

Assisting the Pan African Assisting the Pan African Wheelchair Association Wheelchair Association in its vision to in its vision to provide provide appropriate wheelchairs appropriate wheelchairs in Africa, by sharing in Africa, by sharing information on cost information on cost effective production and , effective production and , professional assessment, professional assessment, fitting and clinic support fitting and clinic support services services

Establish Establish wheelchair wheelchair learnerships and learnerships and apprenticeships for apprenticeships for technicians and technicians and therapists wanting therapists wanting to build to build sustainable sustainable wheelchair services wheelchair services in there own in there own settings settings

If we work together we If we work together we can achieve our aims can achieve our aims and prevent suffering and prevent suffering

and wasted life and wasted life

And positively affect peoples And positively affect peoples perceptions of disability perceptions of disability