Hundreds of disabled children recently took part in a sports day organised by Central Eastern Council of Special and Inclusive Educators (CEACOSIE) at the National Gymnasium.

The event brought together the students of eight special needs schools in the region for a day of fun sporting activities.

Among the students were several whose lives have been transformed after being provided with wheelchairs under the Mobility Device Service (MDS), an initiative of the Spinal Injury Association of Fiji (SIA).

Mother of nine-year-old student Talei, Vika Cagilevu said: “Before Talei received her wheelchair five years ago, she could only crawl to get around. She couldn’t feed herself and only stayed inside the house so she had no friends and did not attend school.

“Since being fitted with a wheelchair by SIA it is so much easier for me to take her around. The chair has helped her sitting posture and she can feed herself. Now she can get outside and play with all the other kids at school. She has been provided with a walker too, which she uses to get around.”

The aunt of disabled 13-year-old Yash, Sashi said: “Before we heard about SIA through Hilton Special School, Yash just had a normal wooden chair that was too small for him, and he was not able to feed himself. It was not a proper chair for him.

“Now he can eat by himself and his posture has really improved which is important as he is still growing. He is going for a reassessment with SIA soon to fit him with a bigger chair – we are very happy about that.”

Executive Director of Spinal Injuries Association Joshko Wakaniyasi said of the scheme: “These stories really demonstrate the difference that proper assessment of wheelchair users need and proper fitting of chairs by trained professionals can make.

“But if we are to meet the demand and continue to change the lives of people like Talei and Yash we need continued support from the public and private sectors.”

Source: Spinal Injury Association

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