Securing the future of wheelchair production in Africa: Training Wheelchair Technologists

Having the right wheelchair can literally change the life of a person with a disability by giving them greater independence, confidence and dignity. It can often provide them with their first opportunity to earn their living or be educated.
In Africa over 3 million people need a wheelchair. But a UNESCO report indicates that just 2% of these people have access to this vital piece of equipment which gives not just basic mobility but also the freedom and independence which non-disabled people can take for granted.

An appropriate wheelchair is a basic human right for wheelchair users, and a starting point for any improvement in quality of life.

Motivation is a UK registered charity working primarily in developing countries to improve the quality of life of wheelchair users. We work with local organisations to initiate sustainable projects that enable individual wheelchair users to fully participate in the life of their communities.

By designing wheelchairs suitable for the environment, training local people in production and all the necessary support services, we help individuals make the most of their lives and gain greater freedom, confidence and self-worth.

Motivation always works at the request of a local partner based within the country of operation. We have worked in Africa since 1999 with disability organisations from Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Since 1999, Motivation has been working in partnership with the Tanzanian Training Centre for Orthopaedic Technologists (TATCOT) to establish a course which is now training people from all over Africa to establish workshops which will produce low-cost wheelchairs made from locally available materials.

Since Motivation was established in 1991, it has received more than 60 requests for help with wheelchair provision from 25 countries in Africa. TATCOT, established in 1981, has continually received requests from organisations seeking assistance in wheelchair technology. In spite of the recognised need for appropriate wheelchairs in Africa no course prior to this existed to train wheelchair technologists, making the Motivation – TATCOT joint venture a World first.

The aim of the year-long course, which has now been running for nearly three years, is to produce qualified experts in all aspects of wheelchair design and production and the associated skills needed to operate a successful, sustainable wheelchair provision service.

The course is divided into modules in which students are taught technology, workshop management, wheelchair design and production and technical drawing. There is also a therapy component which is designed to enable students to recognise different disabilities and the specific needs of each disability, in order to assess and measure individuals and prescribe appropriate wheelchairs.

The Wheelchair Technologists Training Course can train eight people each year, therefore, as we encourage graduates to work in pairs, there is potential for up to four wheelchair workshops to be initiated each year. Each workshop should be capable of producing an average of 20 wheelchairs each month. On a conservative estimate of just 2 of the workshops achieving this production level, this will still result in almost 500 wheelchairs being made available to beneficiaries in the first full production year from one intake of students alone. The next year, this will increase to 1,000 as the original students continue production and a new batch of graduates establish production, and so on.

The first graduates of the course have established wheelchair workshops in Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe and initiated local production. All of the first graduates were themselves people with disabilities, and we are positively encouraging people with disabilities to apply to the course. The second year of students graduated in August 2002 and are currently laying the foundations to begin production. The course is fully established and going from strength to strength as awareness is raised and the demand for places increases. So far, applications for places on the course have been received for more than twenty countries in Africa. Priority is given to candidates who have a workshop in which to initiate production, or who represent an organisation with the resources to help them put their training to good use.

The course is directly tackling the problems of hardship and disability by providing vocational training for disabled people and equipping them with the skills necessary to set up their own businesses. This has an immediate impact, giving disabled people access to employment and the means to support their families. Furthermore, the fact that disabled people, often isolated and excluded from their communities, are able to play an active and visible role in society contributes to the breakdown of negative attitudes towards disability, encourages more wheelchair users to participate in community life.

The wider implication of the course is that it will create a network of wheelchair workshops across Africa and has the potential to improve the quality of life of thousands of wheelchair users, their families and dependants every year.

If you would like to find out more about the Wheelchair Technologists Training Course or the work of Motivation throughout Africa, you can contact us by emailing [email protected] or visit our website www.motivation.org.uk