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Design journey of an affordable manual standing wheelchair

SHAIKH-MOHAMMED, Javeed
DASH, Swostik Sourav
SARDA, Vivek
SUJATHA, S
2021

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Purpose: Only 1 in 10 people with disabilities can access assistive devices, underlining the critical need for low-cost assistive products. This paper describes the design evolution of a manual user-operated standing wheelchair (SWC), translating from prototype to product.


Methods: The SWC design has been refined over 5 years through multiple iterations based on comments from user trials. The SWC product, Arise, provides standing functionality, facile outdoor mobility, afford- ability, customisability, and is aesthetically pleasing. A one-time fitting and training ensure optimal effort for operation, correct posture, and comfortable user experience. The SWC accommodates users of differ- ent sizes and body weights (up to 110kg) and minimises user effort with the use of a gas spring. Incorporating discrete adjustments enables customisation while retaining the advantages of mass manu- facturing, which is necessary for ensuring affordability.

 

Results: The SWC has been field-tested and well received by over 100 wheelchair users, and Arise was launched recently by the industry partner.


Conclusions: It should be noted that RESNA cautions on the use of any standing device without medical consultation. Nevertheless, with appropriate dissemination and awareness, it is anticipated that the afford- able SWC product, Arise, will immensely benefit the eligible users and make a difference in their quality of life.

Road safety : focus on vulnerable users

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
November 2015

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This advocacy briefing paper shows the challenges to implementing road safety, the benefits of safe roads for communities, the international legal framework that discusses road safety in policy, suggestions for what individual actors can do to increase mobility and vehicle safety, and finally how to measure the progress of road safety programmes

 

Policy paper

Mainstreaming persons with disabilities into disaster risk reduction

VERMA, Colonel N. M.
KADAM, Smita
March 2015

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This case study presents Saritsa Foundations work in India. Saritsa Foundation has been organizing capacity building workshops for persons living with disabilities since June 2000, in rural and urban areas in nine states of India. About 10,050 persons living with disabilities have been given opportunities to develop skills to respond to disasters and protect themselves

The World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), HFA Case Study
 

Human Rights

www.macao-tz.org
December 2014

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Malezi AIDS Care Awareness Organization (MACAO) is a non-profit organization reaching out to neglected Indigenous people in Ngorongoro District, Arusha Region of Northern Tanzania.  Macao founded in 2003, Macao is a humanitarian organization that provides assistance to approximately 200,000 Indigenous Maasai community in Ngorongoro district for addressing needs of water and sanitation, food security, health Care Research, Education, Research environment, Maasai Traditional Research, Human Rights and sustainable economic development by strengthening their livelihoods.  In addition to responding to major relief situations, MACAO focuses on long-term community development through over 4 Area Development Project. We welcome the donors and volunteers to join us in this programs, we are wolking in ruro villages.

Signs for a good education

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
October 2013

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This video highlights some of the challenges faced by deaf children and young people, and the opportunities sign language education offers them

The global status report on road safety 2013 : supporting a decade of action

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2013

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"This report presents information on road safety from 182 countries, accounting for almost 99% of the world’s population. The report indicates that worldwide the total number of road traffic deaths remains unacceptably high at 1.24 million per year. Only 28 countries, covering 7% of the world’s population, have comprehensive road safety laws on five key risk factors: drinking and driving, speeding, and failing to use motorcycle helmets, seat-belts, and child restraints. This report serves as a baseline for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, declared by the UN General Assembly. This is the second in a Global status report series"

Guidance note on disability and emergency risk management for health

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
et al
2012

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"The Guidance note on disability and emergency risk management for health is a short, practical guide that covers actions across emergency risk management, such as risk assessment, prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction. Developed primarily for health actors working in emergency and disaster risk management at the local, national or international level, and in governmental or nongovernmental agencies, the guidance note points out the health-related actions that are required to ensure that both mainstream and specific support are available and accessible to people with disabilities in emergencies"

United Nations expert group meeting on accessibility : innovative and cost-effective approaches for inclusive and accessible development

UNITED NATIONS ENABLE
2010

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This meeting report provides information "to promote greater awareness of environmental and ICT accessibility and advancement of persons with disabilities in the context of development, and to identify innovative and cost-effective approaches to accessibility both in the physical environment and in the fields of information and communications technologies as means to further inclusive processes of development"
"Expert meeting on environmental and ICT accessibility: innovative and cost-effective approaches to inclusive development"
Washington, DC
28-30 June 2010

Barriers to sustainable access of children and families to ART centres in rural India : a report on operations research conducted in Maharashtra and Manipur

INDIA HIV/AIDS ALLIANCE
December 2009

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This report identifies barriers that children and families face in accessing anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centres in rural India. The report also seeks to find solutions to these barriers based on an operations research conducted in Maharashtra Pradesh and Manipur. Operations research objectives: * To build an understanding among policy makers of the barriers faced by children and caregivers accessing ART services in rural communities. * To assess and highlight a basic minimum level of standards for ART centres in terms of adequacy, quality and timeliness of support needed. * To explore opportunities for linkages with state and district level departments and/or local self-governing institutions

Moscow declaration

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
November 2009

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This declaration from the first global ministerial conference on road safety acknowledges the global road safety crisis and recognises current initiatives. It highlights 11 resolutions and invites the UN to establish a Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011-2020. This declaration is useful to those interested in road safety
First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety : Time for Action
Moscow, Russia
19-20 November 2009

Road safety : call for action

LAUTREDOU, Gérard
October 2009

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This report presents details about global road safety initiatives. It provides background information on the call for action, outlines the global recognition of the road safety crisis and highlights the actions taken by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies by presenting related figures, case studies and recommendations. This report is useful for anyone interested in road safety initiatives

Smart Quiz : an open-source intelligent evaluation tool for any language, subject or ability

MINDFUL INTERACTIVE
2009

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This is a quiz game in Kenyan Sign Language (KSL), designed to inform and educate deaf Kenyans about HIV and AIDS and reproductive health issues. The interface has been kept simple with minimal visual distractions, which makes it suitable for students with very low computer skills. The quiz would be useful for Kenyan schools, HIV and AIDS testing clinics, internet cafes, resource centres and libraries

NGO ‘Brussels declaration’ : recommendations to governments from NGOs advocating for road victims and road safety for the ‘Decade of Action for road safety

SMINKEY, Laura
CHAUDHRY, Brigitte
2009

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This report contains recommendations to Governments from NGOs advocating for road victims and road safety. 33 recommendations are provided to improve road safety in the following five topics: general approach, prevention, post crash response, worldwide learning and joint initiatives and action. This report is useful to anyone interested in advocacy for road victims and road safety
Global Meeting of NGOs Advocating for Road Safety and Road Victims
Brussels, Belgium
7-8 May 2009

Promoting access to the built environment

WILM, Susanne
NOE, Christiane
November 2008

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“"These guidelines on 'Promoting Access to the Built Environment' reflect international standards and recommendations about accessibility in the built environment, and have been developed to assist CBM, its partners and other interested agencies in creating a more fully accessible environment"

Improving global road safety

UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
April 2008

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This resolution adopted by the General Assembly highlights the importance of improving global road safety. It recognises recent global initiatives and concludes by outlining eight points to further strengthen international cooperation and knowledge-sharing in road safety taking into account the needs of developing countries. This paper is useful for anyone interested in improving global road safety
87th plenary meeting on 31 March 2008
A/RES/62/244

Towards zero : ambitious road safety targets and the safe system approach|Summary document

INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM (ITF)
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD)
2008

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"This is a summary of the report ‘Towards Zero: Ambitious Road Safety Targets and the Safe System Approach’...The purpose of the report is to review the state of the art in improving road safety performance and examine the role of targets in raising the level of ambition and achieving effective implementation of road safety policies. The work aims to assist governments in raising the performance threshold by developing more systematic approaches to road safety. It highlights the institutional management changes required in many countries to implement effective interventions through a strong focus on results and underlines the economic case for road safety investment. This summary document comprises the recommendations, executive summary and table of contents of the full report together with details of the experts that contributed to the work"

Drinking and driving : a road safety manual for decision makers and practitioners

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
et al
2007

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"The purpose of this manual is to inform readers of practical ways to develop coordinated and integrated programmes to reduce drinking and driving (including riding motorcycles) within a country. The manual is aimed at addressing drinking and driving among drivers. Commercial drivers are an especially important group to address in terms of drinking and driving because of the large number of passengers they can carry and/or the number of kilometres they are likely to travel. While impaired pedestrians are acknowledged as a problem, this issue is not addressed here.
The manual is aimed at policy-makers and practitioners, and draws on experience from countries that have succeeded in reducing drinking and driving. It provides the background evidence to start a drinking and driving programme, and takes the user through the steps needed to undertake a problem assessment in a country. It then explains how to plan and implement a programme, including setting up a working group, developing a plan, examples of laws and enforcement needed, how to develop public education and publicity campaigns, and finally how to evaluate the programme.
In developing this manual the authors have drawn on case studies from around the world to illustrate "good practice". Examples from low and middle-income countries are given wherever possible, but it is a reflection on the lack of attention given to the issue in many countries that most examples are from highly motorized countries"

Practical guide on road safety : a toolkit for National Red Cross

LAUTREDOU, Gérard
2007

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This practical guide "is intended as a summary of road safety problems and solutions worldwide. It also describes the activities of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the field of road safety and suggests possible improvements. In addition, the toolkit includes 20 recommendations that can be undertaken by the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies"

Free movement of people with disabilities in south east Europe : an inaccessible right?

SESTRANETZ, Raphaelle
ADAMS, Lisa
2006

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This report examines the policies and practices of countries in south east Europe to determine how they impact the lives of people with disabilities in relation to access to the built environment. The aim is to identify and highlight good practices, expose barriers in the built environment and explore the role of stakeholders in the reform process. This resource, also available in CD-ROM format, concludes with a set of recommendations designed to improve legislation. It would be useful for anyone with an interest in accessibility and promotion of good practices to influence policy development

Helmets : a road safety manual for decision makers and practitioners

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2006

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"This manual provides practical advice to road safety practitioners on how to achieve a much higher proportion of users of two-wheeled vehicles wearing helmets. It follows on from the World report on road traffic injury prevention, which described evidence that setting and enforcing mandatory helmet use is an effective intervention for reducing injuries and fatalities among two-wheeler users. The manual is one of a series of documents produce by an informal consortium (WHO, the Global Road Safety Partnership, the World Bank, and the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society) that aims to provide guidance to countries on how to implement some of the recommendations identified within the World Report, and thus improve their overall road safety record"

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