Active Rehabilitation and Independent Living Training

The active rehabilitation program includes peer group independent living training, physiotherapy and counselling sessions.These services are provided to persons who have recently become wheelchair users or who haven’t had the occasion to find out how to live independently yet, after the accidents they had. The impact of the program is given especially by the involvement of independent living trainers who are wheelchair users themselves, who overcome the barriers they had met and who are now successful models for the ones who have recently become wheelchair users.

Peer Group Independent Living Training is an intensive training program for new wheelchair users. The independent living training sessions are developed under the guidance of an independent living trainer who is also a wheelchair user – a model of success who uses his personal example ad his experience to teach others how to manage by themselves while using a wheelchair. During the training sessions, the participants learn about correct positioning in a wheelchair, wheelchair handling techniques (how to go up and down a ramp and how to overcome obstacles), about transfer techniques, about prevention and treatment of some medical complications related to disability, as well as personal hygiene, sexuality, social and school inclusion.

During the physiotherapy sessions, our specialists recommend a customized program of exercises, adapted for the needs and abilities of each of the participants.

Individual counselling and support group sessions help the participants to gain more self confidence, to overcome the obstacles that may appear and to become active members of their communities and families.

Motivation Romania Foundation organizes free of charge independent living training sessions which last for about one week. The recruitment of the participants is made with the support of the regional Motivaiton teams, after the funcional assessment made by our specialists.

Please call the wheelchair user’s number: 0800.030.762! This number addresses people with mobility disabilities who have a right to a wheelchair adapted to their needs. The line is available from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 4:00 pm. You can call this free of charge number in the following networks: Romtelecom, UPC, Vodafone, Orange, Telemobil, Cosmote.

Peer Group Training sessions are organized through the following projects:

•  Partners for Independent Living Services (2016 – 2017)

•  Mobility and Independent Living for youth with disabilities in Romania (2015 – 2017)

• ACCESS – Accelerating Core Competencies for Effective Wheelchair Service and Support (2014 – 2017)

• Access to Education, Services and Community for wheelchair users in Romania (2014 – 2016)

• ”LOOK AT ABILITIES, FORGET INCAPACITY – Implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in social inclusion services for Romanian wheelchair users” (2013 – 2015)

• Mobility Caravan (2014 – 2015)

• Wheels of Change – towards appropriate wheelchair user services in Romania (2009 – 2015)

• Development of social economy for people with mobility disabilities in Romania (2009 – 2012)

• Networking for Inclusion  (2008 – 2011)