133 people with disabilities from Romania participated at the Mobility and Health Caravan in wheelchair organized by Motivation Romania Foundation between June and September. It took place in 15 conties: Argeș, Bihor, Buzău, Cluj, Galați, Ilfov, Iași, Neamț, Prahova, Satu Mare, Timiș, Sibiu, Mehedinți, Constanța și Brașov.
During the Caravan, the participants had access to innovative services and high-performance mobility and assistance equipment that helped to improve their health and encouraged them to become again active and independent.
The Mobility and Health Caravan in wheelchair brings to participants attention aspects related to accessibility and mobility, the rights of people with disabilities, by presenting and offering practical tools, useful in knowing and accessing rights, self-representation and employment. Such tools are the two free mobile applications, MotiActiv and Panoul de Bord (Dashboard), as well as The guide for the rights of people with disabilities using wheelchairs.
“I had the opportunity to participate in the Caravan organized in Satu Mare for people with disabilities. I knew some of the information presented, but a lot of it was new- the correct positioning in wheelchair, the problems that can occur with the use of inappropriate wheelchair, how to properly prescribe an adapted wheelchair. I was also briefed about the rights information. The activity was very well structured and I was happy to interact with other people with disabilities” said Bogdan C., one of the 133 beneficiaries participating in the Mobility and Health Caravan in wheelchair.
One of the workshops within the Caravan with a direct and immediate impact on the health of the participants is the pressure testing workshop with the BodiTrack system. This is an innovative equipment that allows the identification of areas on the surface of the skin prone to the risk of bedsores due to inappropriate mobility equipment. Based on this assessment, the wheelchair and cushion can be adapted to the individual needs of the user, thus preventing the occurrence of these serious injuries. In Romania, Motivation Foundation is the only organization that uses this evaluation system based on state-of-the-art technology.
Also during the Caravan, wheelchair users had the opportunity to test various mobility equipment and high-performance assistive devices and to participate in a practical training on the correct technique on intermittent catheterization, using a manikin. This technique is useful for preventing urinary tract infections.
The Mobility and Health Caravan in wheelchair took place within the project “Advocacy for community access for wheelchair users”, implemented by Motivation Romania Foundation in partnership with Segoia Association, with financial support of Active Citizens Fund Romania, a program funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the SEE Grants 2014-2021. The project aims to support the social inclusion of people with disabilities by improving the mobility and health of wheelchair users.
More information about the project can be found by accessing the link https://motivation.ro/abilitatile-si-drepturile-conteaza/ .
Working together for an inclusive Europe.
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About Active Citizens Fund Romania
The Active Citizens Fund Romania programme is funded through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The overall objective of the Grants is to reduce economic and social disparities, and to strengthen bilateral relations between 15 beneficiary countries and the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). The programme is administered by a consortium composed of Civil Society Development Foundation, Romanian Environmental Partnership Foundation, Resource Center for Roma Communities, PACT Foundation and Frivillighet Norge, acting as Fund Operator designated by FMO – Financial Mechanism Office of the EEA and Norway Grants. The objectives of the Active Citizens Fund Romania are to strengthen civil society and active citizenship and to empower vulnerable groups. With a total allocation of 46,000,000 euro, the programme pursues a long-term development of the civil society sector sustainability and capacity, stepping up its role in promoting democratic participation, active citizenship and human rights, while strengthening bilateral relations with organizations from the Donor States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. For more information about the Active Citizens Fund in Romania, please go to www.activecitizensfund.ro. For more information about the EEA and Norway Grants, go to www.eeagrants.org.
About Motivation Romania Foundation
Motivation Romania Foundation is a non-profit organization, created in 1995 to support children and adults with disabilities. The services offered cover a wide range of needs, from assessment and adapted equipment for different types of mobility disabilities, to active recovery and training for independent living with a wheelchair instructor, advice for spaces accessibility and adapted sports. So far, Motivation has restored freedom of movement and hope in a fulfilled life for more than 25,800 people with disabilities in Romania. More information on www.motivation.ro.
About Segoia Association
Segoia Association is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, created in 2017, concerned with the development of civil society, promotion of democratic values, open government and citizen involvement through technology. More information on: https://segoia.ro.