On our last full day in Durban, we visited QASA's innovative "Free Our Innocent" project. Through a partnership between QASA and the Department of Correctional Services, prisoners were brought into the Chesterville township to build wheelchair ramps for quadra- and parapalegic community members whose homes were previously inaccessible. Guided by a member of the QASA board, Vusi, we visited several project sites and chatted with beneficiaries of the program. We spoke with both young and elderly quadra- and parapalegics whose lives were improved through increased mobility. Many of the ramps spiraled up steep hillsides which previously created enormous barriers to transportation, as quads and paras had to be carried up and down the hills whenever they wanted to leave their homes. One man we spoke with described several drastic lifestyle changes which accompanied the building of a ramp outside his home, including the abilities to create a small business and to have friends in wheelchairs visit him.
ILR IN SOUTH AFRICA. This blog follows the activities of Chris and Kit, two undergrads at Cornell University, during their summer 2011 service learning internship with the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) and the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa (NCPPDSA). This opportunity was sponsored by the Employment and Disability Institute at the ILR School, Cornell.
Thank you for informing us about the QASA project. Ramp development for Chesterville community members is an incredibly worthwhile endeavor. The article mentions that the community was very appreciative!
ReplyDelete~Gloria Loehle, EDI ILR Cornell