Thesis: An assessment of wheelchair provision in Uganda (Neil Voorneveld)

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.