Wheelchair Guidelines Development Process

Wheelchair or Chair with wheels?

Need It is estimated that 1% of the total population (about 70 million) need a wheelchair. In poor countries, only 5% of people who are in need can get wheelchairs fitted

Wheelchair makes a difference Isolation to Inclusion Dependency to Freedom Passive Receiver to Active Contributor Children can go to school and adults can work Live longer & healthier

Rights to wheelchair The Convention suggests that states have the obligation to take effective measures to ensure personal mobility. (Article 20) Assistive devices makes it possible to access basic needs such as health care, education, livelihood and promotes inclusion and participation.

Some of the people behind the success

Had series of meetings starting from April 2005 at Copenhagen, Bristol and Geneva Developed the 1 st draft and presented on 30 th August 2006 Copenhagen BristolGeneva

Wheelchair Consensus Conference 6-11 November 2006, Bangalore - India 2 nd draft of the wheelchair guidelines was presented and got validated

Wheelchair Guidelines 5 Chapters: 1.Introduction 2.Design & Production 3.Service delivery 4.Training 5.Policy & Planning

1. Introduction Defines an appropriate wheelchair Points out the needs for and rights to wheelchairs Describes basic types of wheelchair and common systems of wheelchair provision;

2. Design & Production Outlines methods for designing wheelchairs Describes different types of wheelchair Sets out the advantages and disadvantages of different wheelchair designs

3. Service Delivery Suggest strategies for wheelchair service delivery Describe basic wheelchair service delivery Provide practice guidelines Suggest roles for the personnel involved

4. Training Offer recommendations on how training programs may be provided Suggest training requirements and recommend course content for personnel involved in wheelchair provision

5. Policy & Planning … to implement sustainable wheelchair provision Present key activities for the planning and implementation of wheelchair provision Suggest strategies for costing and financing wheelchair provision Suggest links between wheelchair services and other sectors.

Thank you US Agency for International Development (USAID) International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) Disabled Peoples’ International (DPI) Centre for International Rehabilitation (CIR) Motivation Charitable Trust Whirlwind Wheelchair International Special thanks to all who helped to develop this document and helping in its dissemination……. Photo credits: Motivation and WHO logy/wheelchairguidelines/en/index.html