News - COALITION FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING

5-DAY ACTIVE REHABILITATION AND INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS TRAINING CAMPS FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS

CIL continues organizing 5-day active rehabilitation and independent living skills training camps for wheelchair users with spinal cord injury from across the country. The first camp in frames of the Physical Rehabilitation Project in Georgia took place during September 14-18, 2018 at Hotel “Golden Fleece” in Anaklya, Georgia and involved 15 wheelchair users.

The camp is led by experienced trainers in wheelchairs who deliver training in: basic, intermediate and advance wheelchair skills (going forward, going backwards, "wheelie", going up and down the ramps, overcoming barriers and curbs of different size, etc.); activities of daily living (transferring from a wheelchair to different surfaces and back, self-service, grooming, personal hygiene, etc.); muscle training; weight training, etc.

In addition, there are various types of wheelchair sports competitions and training held during the camp: archery, table tennis, wheelchair race, Boccia, etc. and theory sessions: different levels of spinal cord injury; bowel and bladder management; pressure sore prevention and care; social and political aspects of disability; philosophy of independent living.

At the end of the camp the participants went to Batumi for an outdoor competition during which they tested and applied the knowledge and skills acquired during the camp. Notably, such training camps and methods of active rehabilitation are utterly important for people with spinal cord injury in order for their independence and full participation in the life of their communities.

The 5-day active rehabilitation and independent living skills training camp was organized in frames of the Physical Rehabilitation Project in Georgia which is being implemented by Emory University (USA), Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU) and Coalition for Independent Living with support from USAID Physical Rehabilitation.