Community-based Rehabilitation Approaches for Family Caregivers and People Who Support Adults and Children with Disabilities

Description

Presented two-day trainings in Liberia teaching individuals with disabilities, family members, and community volunteers about community-based rehabilitation (CBR) methods and the rights of people with disabilities in the Liberian context. ICI, Zambian home-based special education expert Mikala Mukongolwa, and the Catholic Diocese of Monrovia and Gbarnga in Liberia combined resources to strengthen CBR in Liberia.

The World Health Organization and UNESCO recognize CBR as a model for community rehabilitation and the provision of therapeutic supports to people with disabilities in remote and rural indigenous communities. Supports in Liberia are centralized, obligating family caregivers to travel long distances - often on foot - to rural health centers, but CBR builds local volunteer networks to support people with disabilities in their own communities. This means services and supports that improve their overall functioning and quality of life (e.g., mobility, special education, employment). CBR promotes equal opportunity and the social inclusion of people with disabilities.

This project built on connections and experiences developed by ICI staff through earlier work in Zambia, where they conducted CBR training with people with disabilities, family members, community leaders, and people from faith-based organizations. The project sought additional funding to replicate ICI's work in Zambia using the CBR or home-based education model in Liberia.

This project was archived on 12/21/2021

Funder

College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota