ADC Activity Report

Celebration on international disability day

     

         Background

People with disability constitute 1.94% of the total population in Nepal; out of it 36% belongs to the group of physical disability. People with disabilities represent the large physiotherapy service user group.

Nepal has already signed and ratified the United Nation convention on the right of person with disability (UNCRPD). UNCRPD in context to Nepal is a consensus made by Nepal government with the other countries in World to assure the rights, benefits and fundamental freedom of person with disability.

Though Nepal has signed and ratified UNCRPD, still the rehabilitation, habitations and assertive device services have not been integrated in country’s health system. 

2                             Context

With an aim to promote an understanding among people with disability and encourage support for their dignity, rights and well-being, every year International day of people with disability (IDPD) is observed throughout the world including Nepal in 3^rd December 2014. Like previous year, in this year also disable people organizations at Surkhet celebrated the IDPD with its member organizations, civil society associations, ministries, NGOs and INGOs. Disable people organizations are   umbrella organization of disable people located in Surkhet. The celebrations theme of IDPD 2014 was "Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology”.

3.    Objectives for the participation

 This year also, ADC participated in this event with following objectives,

·         To express solidarity on disability movement of disable people organization that is focused on ensuring the right, benefit and fundamental freedoms of person with disability in Nepal

·         To establish the rapport with disable people organization so that an opportunity could be explored in near future to initiate joint advocacy on the agendas like proper assurance of Rehabilitation  and Assistive device services for children with disability.

·         To promote the branding of ADC among the participating members from state and non-state organizations

4.    Participation

There was the participation of all staff of ADC who supported the disable people organizations to plan and celebrate the day in meaningful way. ADC also encouraged the family member of children with disability to join the mass rally that was conducted to raise the awareness about the disability rights and benefits.

5.    Activities conducted

·         Participated on the mass rally jointly organized by disable people organizations , district level service providers and government authority

·         A briefing about the ADC,its vision and mission and services available was done in a mass. Similarly information on 2014 achievements and challenges was also updated to the mass stake holders by the director. The program helped to highlight the work done by ADC which is expected to raise the ADC rapport in district environment.

·         One of the previous lessons learnt for ADC was conducting the social audit by the stakeholders. Hence ADC utilized this forum to obtain the feedbacks and suggestions on its services/approach from district level stake holders. The pertinent feedback are as mentioned,

o   Rehabilitation of the children is the long term process; hence it’s important for ADC to continuously deliver the services for  children. There are no other children rehabilitation center in the district, therefore ADC should be further promoted and upgraded.

o   Physiotherapy services cost around 300 rupees per session in other districts, it’s great that ADC provide free of cost physiotherapy services for the deprived and disable children

o   Sometime, children with disability may need assistive device and surgery services in adjunct to physiotherapy. ADC should also think on ensuring the assistive devices and surgeries for the children who need it.

6.    Conclusion

The celebration has created the common forum for district level service providers like ADC, government authorities and service users organization (disable people organization), this has promoted the participatory celebration and understanding among each other. It was golden opportunity for ADC to share its interventions and obtain the constructive feed backs from the stake holders. ADC will further intensify its promotion among the district level stakeholder in coming days.

Screening Camp in Dailekh

1.      Background

With an aim to raise awareness about the physiotherapy and promote access of children with disabilities to rehabilitation services, ADC has been organizing physiotherapy camps in other remote districts that do not have such rehabilitation facility. Following the same practice, ADC organized one of the camps in 2014.

2.      Approaches adopted

2.1 Partnership:

ADC adopted a partnership approach with local disable people organization (Panchakoshi disabled society). The local partner was responsible for managing logistics and disseminating the information about the camp into their network.

2.2 Participation:

ADC director, senior physiotherapist and physiotherapy assistant participated on this camp. Physiotherapists were responsible to assess, educate and treat children and family member attending the camp. Similarly director was responsible to manage the camp in close coordination with local partners. ADC extends its sincere gratitude to local partner for their wonderful coordination and support for the camp.

ADC Manager exchanging thought with children with disability

Youth with disability get some whit stick

2.3 Service delivery:

Mother Receiving the Counseling

Group Counseling to family members by Senior Physio Therapist

Physiotherapy is being delivered

Home physiotherapy exercise is taught to mother

28 children with physical disability were benefited by the camp through counseling, screening and therapy services. Out of total, 16 were male and 12 were female. Out of 28, 22 children were also referred to ADC rehabilitation center for the long term therapy.

2.4 Coordination /Supervision:

ADC & PDS Team

Mr. Ganendra Gautam, director of ADC coordinated the planning and organization of camp. At the local level disabled people organization and District Health Office, Dailekh owned the camp. The technical part of the camp was supervised by senior physiotherapist- Prem Devkota.


Advisory Visit to ADC by President

Mr. Ganesh Rawat, President of ADC conducted the supervisory visit to ADC on Jan-2015. He observed the ongoing therapy, counseling and hostel services being offered by ADC to children with disabilities. President also interacted with the children and family members. He encouraged the mothers specially to keep on having hopes and patience.  He assured the family that ADC assures its best use of the available resource to make children more functional and mobile.

President interacting with in patent

Warden in ADC kitchen