Improving mobility for persons with disabilities is a priority of USAID’s Moving without Limits project. Through their support, 100 beneficiaries have recently received assistive devices, such as prosthetics, crutches, and wheelchairs. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, rehabilitation staff could not meet with patients in-person to provide follow-up assessments to ensure the devices were effective, and instead reached them through online platforms, such as Zalo, a popular messaging app in Vietnam, as well as Zoom. The results revealed that 94% of devices have proven effective in increasing mobility and providing the intended benefits, while the remaining devices simply need adaptations to fit the recipients’ living environments, such as an alternative type of wheelchair.
Assistive devices provide critical support to persons with disabilities. Despite restrictions during the pandemic, USAID has ensured continuous care through virtual outreach, facilitating proper usage of assistive devices and enabling self care, independence and social participation for persons with disabilities.
INTERNATIONAL CENTER