SIG-17 Anthologies

Kim Adams, Peru, 2002


Macchu Picchu near Cusco, Peru	Kim and Victor at a parade	Cristian with switches he used with an AAC device

How I became involved

I had the dream of working in a developing nation since I was a teenager. When I joined RESNA after getting my undergraduate degree I promptly became a member of SIG -17, International Appropriate Technology, to find opportunities to offer my services somewhere. Over the years, I met several people who were serving developing nations in very effective ways (see the SIG17 website at www.resna.org/sigs/index.html). Most projects were seating and mobility related which was not my area of focus. I heard the SIG 17 chairperson say, "Now, how about doing something related to computer access or AAC, Kim?" at many business meetings. Then one day, I met Dana Corfield, Martin King, and Mark Richards at RESNA 2001 in Reno. Together they were bringing AAC and seating and mobility to Cusco, and I thought "I'd like to be a part of that!"

Where I went

I went to Cusco, Peru, to volunteer with EquipKIDS International. Most of the work I did was with children at Hogar Clinica San Juan de Dios, a rehabilitation clinic for children who have cerebral palsy, autism, or neuromuscular deformities. The clinic is home to 35 pediatric patients who stay for several months to a year, with some who remain for several years because their families have abandoned them.

Traditional types of AT:

When Dana Corfield first went to the clinic in 2001, there was only one piece of rehabilitation equipment – an inappropriately-sized wheelchair . The children left their beds only for meals and their physical therapy sessions. The nurses at the clinic were reportedly overworked with little time to provide the children with anything more than the bare essentials.

Recent trends in AT:

From organizations in Toronto, Ontario, Dana got donations of used wheelchairs (unfortunately, usually adult sized, sling seat type), strollers, crutches, walkers, and toys. In addition to securing donated technology, Dana and other volunteers built items that she saw on the internet and at conferences such as simple low-cost plywood wheelchairs, adapted seats, and standers. For the children with communication impairments, Dana collaborated with two local psychologists, Jorge Paricoto and Sandra Castro to implement the use of communication boards and have been quite successful in using symbol books to help the children to communicate.

After meeting Dana at the RESNA 2001 conference, RESNA member, Martin King, donated eight digitized voice output communication aids (VOCA) to EquipKIDS in January 2002, from the WorldVOCA project. Jorge and Sandra found a number of challenges with the implementation of these high-tech devices in the developing city of Cusco and by October 2002 when I arrived to volunteer for four months, most of the devices had been abandoned. Reasons included, difficulty keeping them with sufficient battery power, low number of possible messages, or clinic staff simply not giving the device to the children during the day.

Mark Richards, past SIG 17 chairperson and director of Hope Haven Ministries International, arranged for the donation of 25 specially designed, rugged wheelchairs and walkers to be sent to the clinic in November, 2002. The children are very proud of their new modes of mobility and are now out of their beds more often .

What I did there

My first time to Cusco was in 2001 when I visited for two weeks. For the first week I visited and played with the children while Dana tried to get over strep throat. The next week I spent hiking the Inca Trail. I decided that I'd like to stay longer and went back for four months in 2002.

At first, I didn't know the language very well so I was a bit isolated and felt very ineffective. I took Spanish classes and after two months I felt capable of getting and receiving a basic message. I went to Cusco intending to revive the use of the WorldVOCA devices by doing stories with the children, etc. But, when the Hope Haven wheelchairs arrived I spent most of my time fitting them to the children since it's so important to get seating established first. It was a huge ordeal trying to find tools, extra screws, everything! Then there were Christmas parties, parades, things to do, and then suddenly four months were up and it was time to come back.

My favorite things

The people! Getting to apply rehabilitation engineering in a developing nation.

Challenges

No funding legislation, lack of appreciation for importance of AT, lack of distribution, education required, poor infrastructure causes hurdles. See links below for more information.