case study 4

Access to Wheelchair Changed Machidani’s Life 

A long awaited dream comes true, when twelve years of solitude ends for Machidani. With excitement she steps out of her home in the new wheelchair provided by Mobility India. She is forty years old and lives in a remote village in Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand.

At the age of thirteen she suffered from Muscular Dystrophy. She could study up to 10^th standard, struggling with pain and unable to move. Further studies was only a day dream for her. The old wheelchair she used was worn out. Without the wheelchair, she remained confined to bed.

She was identified by the staff of Jan Sewa Parishad, one of the partner organisation of MI Regional Resource Centre. A wheelchair was prescribed to give her necessary mobility. The therapist from MI visited her for therapeutic interventions. Later a Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant trained at MI continued providing her the strengthening exercises and functional activities.

Even though she was going through pain, she engaged herself in knitting. Presently she belongs to one Self Help Group. During the meetings, the group members are provided with information on various income generation activities, goat rearing, poultry and pig rearing. Machidani too engaged in these activities to keep herself active. This has supported her with a source of income.

She says “It is the positive attitude towards life which has made me look beyond my disability and lead a normal life”.  

The appropriate wheelchair has enabled her to be mobile, independent, lead a normal life and attend SHG meetings.