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Wheelchair access remains a challenge in SA

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Wheelchairs and mobile aid accessible areas remain a major challenge across the country. People living with disabilities are most affected by the lack of suitable infrastructures such as roads and transport.
Ahead of Human Rights Day on Monday, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated R5-million for mobility aids.
Handed over to the Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre, the gift includes 900 wheelchairs.
Deputy Director Health Support at the centre Janine White says, “For us, the most important thing is that we assess them for the most appropriate wheelchair that includes who is this person, what is their life roles, what are they able to do, what are their physical abilities, what are their functions and most importantly what are their discharge environments that they will be going to? Based on that, a prescription is done for each and every patient that we see at the Western Cape rehabilitation centre.”
In the case of Babalo Pholose, it was after he lost the use of his legs following an illness. He says he had to learn how to become mobile again.

“You come here, you were a different person, you were walking, then now all of a sudden you can’t walk so they basically teach you everything here. How to take care of yourself, even at home, for instance, how to put your clothes on, how to transfer, how to do actually everything, even as you can know they give you like a different wheelchair for different environments.”

Human Rights Month | Reflecting on the rights and struggles of those living with disabilities:

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