Many organizations focus on numbers of wheelchairs provided. At CIELO, we focus on high quality, sustainable equipment and more importantly, building the best local team and providing ongoing training for all stakeholders, including government employees, wheelchair users and family members, physical therapists, wheelchair technicians, aides, and students.
We teach a wide range of topics including:
Understanding the importance of choosing the right wheelchair for each individual’s health condition, physical and cognitive abilities, size, environment, and where and how the chair will be used.
A young adult who wants to play basketball needs a different chair from a child with cerebral palsy going to school. A family who must use public transit may need a folding chair for their child, while someone living in a rural community will need a chair that can move on dirt and mud. Just like we each get a pair of glasses suited to our needs, people need a wheelchair prescribed for their individual needs.
How to safely use a wheelchair in the community, going up and down ramps and stairs and rough terrain and how to maintain the wheelchair. The better it is maintained, the longer it will last.
WHO’s eight steps of wheelchair provision, for people requiring simple and more complex wheelchairs.
How to assess for pressure sores and how to make pressure relief cushions.
