The Local Rehabilitation Workshop (LOREWO) Concept is a flexible concept designed to assist in the implementation of the United Nations “Standard Rules for Equalisation of Opportunities for People with Disabilities” and to meet the needs in countries with limited rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. The concept will be adapted to suit local situations and to the utilisation of existing, local resources. The concept is based on people with disabilities working to the benefit of people with disabilities.

 
Team member Lucky Chidusa is welding a prototype wheelchair at LOREWO in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.

The LOREWO Concept includes the following five main components:

• initial assessment and planning including the mapping of local resources, ensuring local anchoring, assessment of local needs and local adaptations of the concept
• establishing a Local Rehabilitation Workshop infrastructure
• capacity building and training of local personnel
• ensuring availability of assistive devices (wheel-chairs, walking aids, hearing aids etc.) suited to local technologies and economic conditions
• establishing organisational infrastructures for a Service Delivery System providing assistive devices, rehabilitation services and counselling services

The LOREWO Concept of providing assistive devices and rehabilitation services is a part of the total rehabilitation process and needs to be an integrated part of the rehabilitation policy in each country. The introduction of the LOREWO Concept is an important contribution to the continuous activity of increasing the level of independence for people with disabilities and to ensure their active participation in the society.

The LOREWO Concept is based on flexible modules including capacity building, establishment of a rehabilitation workshop, supply and provision of assistive devices and if possible manufacturing of assistive devices, and co-operation with existing health care services and local community based rehabilitation programmes.

 The overall objectives are:

• Empower people with disabilities
• Increase the opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in the community
• Facilitate for self-management, vocational training and education for people with disabilities
• Create employment for people with disabilities

The specific objectives are:

• Establish a Local Rehabilitation Workshop infrastructure
• Facilitate for local availability of assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walking aids, hearing aids etc.
• Capacity building and training of local personnel
• Establish a Service Delivery System for assistive devices and rehabilitation services in co-operation with existing national and local partners
• Employ people with disabilities

Philosophy

In many countries disabilities or various handicaps are associated with “diseases”, but disability is not a “disease”. Our philosophy is based on a functional and problem oriented definition of disability.

Disability refers to the gap between what the person can do and what the environment demands.

Assistive devices can be defined as any device or ergonomic solution reducing this gap.