The Eastern Cape Department of Education, in partnership with the provincial Department of Health, held a week-long wheelchair outreach programme at Ikwezi Lokusa Special School in Mthatha from August 29 to September 2.
The primary aim of the outreach programme was to provide necessary lessons on wheelchair sitting postures, as well as eliminating the backlog of wheelchair assistive devices, after identifying high-risk learners.
The lack of professionally trained staff and the use of incorrect wheelchairs were some of the thorny issues raised during the fourth day of the outreach programme.
“I can say there is a shortage of appropriate wheelchairs at the school because they rely on donations for wheelchairs and some of the donated wheelchairs are not usable because they are not suitable for the disabilities the children are living with.
“Our other difficulty is the lack of a wheelchair service profession especially in the OR Tambo Region and the long waiting list to get the devices from the Department of Health,’ said Eastern Cape Department of Education senior occupational therapist for psycho-social support services and inclusive education, Clare Hubbard.
She further told those in attendance that the provision of suitable wheelchairs is the responsibility of the Health Department, as their responsibility was to provide assistive learning devices according to the individual needs of learners with disabilities.
Hubbard also lamented vacancies in professionally trained personnel at Ikwezi Lokusa Special School, such as therapists, as the school currently does not have a single therapist in its employ.
An on-site clinic assessed and prescribed appropriate assistive devices, while learners needing urgent medical attention received referrals to nearby hospitals during the week-long outreach programme.
