Neil Voorneveld dedicated his Master’s thesis to understanding more about wheelchair provisions for people with disabilities in rural Uganda. Neil’s research, which was funded by a workshop grant from IDRC, contributed to the larger project of Design Innovation in Kasese by providing a more thorough understanding of the gaps and needs of the local community.
An Assessment of Wheelchair Provision in the Majority World With a Focus on Uganda through Fieldwork
Abstract:
This research provides an assessment of wheelchair provision for people with disabilities in the majority world. The research was conducted through a series of questionnaires, interviews, and observations with multiple stakeholders to gain different perspectives on the same topic. It discusses the limitations of national small-scale wheelchair provision, the limitations of international large-scale wheelchair provision, and the state of wheelchair 
service-delivery in the majority world. The research with international large-scale wheelchair producers was conducted in Canada, while the research with the remaining stakeholders was done during fieldwork over a ten day period in Uganda. The results of the research provide several insights into wheelchair provision, including limitations to standardization, resources, business training, micro-logistics and reverse-logistics. While wheelchair service-delivery is present in Uganda, it is not regulated or consistent among national small-scale wheelchair producers and international large-scale wheelchair producers.