Rural Ability
The Rural Ability Programme (RAP) is Jabulani Foundation's first Community Based Rehabilitation Programme. The realisation of a dream of having a local CBR programme, with a broader scope than just health or rehabilitation, has been made possible through the partnership between Jabulani and the Christian Blind Mission (www.cbmsa.org).
Transport to the clinic for a patient in a wheelchair: R600 per trip. Access to special needs education: nearest school, 90km away. Employment opportunities and skills development programmes: almost non-existent. Disabled people in urban areas face challenges that able-bodied people don’t ever have to consider. These challenges are exacerbated by our deeply rural setting, to the point where we know of disabled adults in our community who have never left their homes. The Rural Ability Programme is working to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through promoting and facilitating the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream society.
Through our interactions and learning from the community the RAP seeks to establish a best practice Community Based Rehabilitation model which can be replicated in other rural communities in South Africa.
The Rural Ability Programme aims to:
Transport to the clinic for a patient in a wheelchair: R600 per trip. Access to special needs education: nearest school, 90km away. Employment opportunities and skills development programmes: almost non-existent. Disabled people in urban areas face challenges that able-bodied people don’t ever have to consider. These challenges are exacerbated by our deeply rural setting, to the point where we know of disabled adults in our community who have never left their homes. The Rural Ability Programme is working to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through promoting and facilitating the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream society.
Through our interactions and learning from the community the RAP seeks to establish a best practice Community Based Rehabilitation model which can be replicated in other rural communities in South Africa.
The Rural Ability Programme aims to:
- Improve the interaction with health services and continuity of rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. Community Disability Workers will work with people with disabilities and their families in their homes to address everyday functioning and to prevent secondary problems.
- Increase access to educational opportunities for children with disabilities in their homes and in schools through early childhood interventions.
- Facilitate opportunities for families and individuals with disabilities to create a quality livelihood to support themselves and contribute to their family and community. This includes skills training and supporting income generating activities.
- Increase the capacity of people with disabilities in this area to resolve difficulties and interact constructively with service providers and the local community.