Development Ratings

Motivation Charitable Trust works in four complementary and interrelated areas to support disabled people.

• Products & Services: Motivation designs and provides low-cost mobility products such as wheelchairs and supportive seating, to ensure each person has the right mobility product. For example, three wheeled chairs are more stable over rough ground but tricycle wheelchairs can cover long distances efficiently. Local technicians are trained to correctly fit mobility aids and cushions to ensure good posture and mobility, and to avoid pressure sores. Sores can be potentially fatal if they become infected. Local partners are trained to provide other crucial practical mobility services, such as therapy, gait training for amputees, and mobility product repairs. In Sri Lanka, the Trust replaced mobility aids lost in the Tsunami. Motivation worked with a consortium led by the WHO to develop ‘Guidelines on the provision of Manual Wheelchairs in less resourced countries’ (published August 2008).

• Capacity building: Local disabled peoples’ organisations (DPOs) and rehabilitation institutions are trained to provide services. Motivation trains partners in managing, planning, and budgeting, and helps them access financing. In some cases, entire national wheelchair service networks are set up. The aim is for the local organisations to become independent and be able to provide long-term sustainable services to the local disabled population. Training can be customised to specific NGO requirements.

• Economic Empowerment: Employment programmes are carried out to expand the employment opportunities available to disabled people. Vocational skills training is provided leading to potential employment in job fairs. Income generation schemes are also developed. The Marks & Starts programme that Motivation is involved with links disabled people, predominantly women, with training programmes to equip them with skills to work in the factories that supply Marks and Spencer.

• Rights: Motivation raises awareness of disabled people’s rights through community-based peer group training. Lack of mobility reduces the potential for disabled people’s needs to be heard.

Worldmade is a programme to supply large numbers of appropriate, low-cost wheelchairs. Designed by Motivation, they are produced in bulk by a manufacturer in eastern China, then flat packed and delivered to local wheelchair service providers. They are designed to be repairable with local materials and facilities. Local wheelchair assembling and constructing workshops are helped to become financially self-sustaining. In Cambodia, 1,000 wheelchairs are made locally each year using hardwood. Whether wheelchairs are imported or made locally depends on local capacity and resources. Motivation has programme offices in Sri Lanka (covering Asia), South Africa (covering all of Africa), and Australia (covering Asia Pacific). The Bristol head office manages programme and training coordination and development, as well as product development, fundraising, and finances. Mobile technical training teams are sent to the field wherever needed. Training is an increasingly important strategic part of the Trust’s work. It develops the local service and production capacity and supply chain, as well as self-sufficiency. Motivation works with governments, international agencies, civil society groups and training institutions.