Donate Now

Month: October 2017

US State Department Funds WRF in Lebanon

The World Rehabilitation Fund (WRF) and the United States Department of State are pleased to announce a Cooperative Agreement to assist refugees with disabilities and their peers in the host communities of Lebanon. The agreement between the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration and WRF will allow for a one-year Project focused on addressing the needs of persons with disabilities by filling the gaps that exist in the provision of basic rehabilitation services. The Project, implemented in partnership with native Lebanese entities, will provide assistance to a total of 1,778 direct beneficiaries and approximately 850 indirect beneficiaries through three main objectives:

  1. To provide prosthetic and orthotic devices, prescription eyeglasses, and hearing aids; and related services.
  2. To build the capacities of Lebanese civil society organizations to expand their services, and support WRF in providing Community Based Rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities.
  3. To increase understanding of the protection rights and needs of persons with disabilities among stakeholders and the general public through awareness and advocacy initiatives.

Refugees with disabilities face unique protection risks and posses unique capacities, which are not always identified through traditional outreach measures. Through the generous support of the United States Government, the specific needs of persons with disabilities will get the targeted attention they deserve. “The U.S. government is pleased to support this program, whose goal is to enable Syrian refugees and Lebanese alike to fully participate in their communities,” said Mark Storella, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. Persons with disabilities are often hidden from sight by their families and are unable to accept or receive the aid being distributed to the general population. Richard Drucker, Chairman of WRF, noted, “We are honored to be partnering with the US State Department to deliver services and materials to refugees with disabilities. This greatly needed project will have life-changing impact for thousands of people in Lebanon.”

The Project is being implemented between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018.

WRF Partners with ProsthetiKa in the Ukraine

WRF and ProsthetiKa have completed another successful multidisciplinary rehabilitation assistance and training project in the Ukraine.

The goal of this project was to improve the lives of disabled people by enabling them to participate in adaptive sports and recreational activities. Furthermore, by publicizing the accomplishments of the participants, we hope to ultimately improve inclusion of persons with disabilities into employment and social arenas.

Ukraine Man Running

The team sent to Ukraine included prosthetists, OTs, PTs, and an adaptive sports trainer. Team members were from the US, Canada, UK, and Australia.

They brought components for both upper extremity and lower extremity prostheses that allowed them to fabricate lower extremity prostheses for running and other sports, as well as upper extremity prostheses for volleyball, weight training and other activities.

This was another great opportunity for WRF to participate in a unique and exciting project that provided immediate benefit and life-long improvements for people with disabilities in the Ukraine. Other contributing partners included the Ukraine Parathletic Initiative, Canadian Ukraine International Assistance, Australian Embassy to Ukraine, and the donations of numerous individuals and foundations in Canada and the US.