The public NGO «All-Ukrainian Association of People with Disabilities «Group for Active Rehabilitation»(hereinafter – GAR) is called to carry out activities to promote active rehabilitation of people with spine and spinal cord injuries in Ukraine who use wheelchairs by introducing principles of active rehabilitation with the aim of independent and full inclusion of people after a spinal injury in all aspects of society’s life.
Active rehabilitation is a complex of measures on the use of physical culture and sport, aimed at self-service, maximum independence in everyday life, social integration and activity of a person, who has an injury or disease of the spine or spinal cord and therefore moves on a wheelchair. The main components of active rehabilitation process are the physical, psychological and social rehabilitation.
Practice areas:
Active rehabilitation camp is one of the most effective methods of restoring physical and social conditions of the person after spinal injury.
The purpose of the camp is the achievement of the persons in wheelchairs their maximum independence from outside help and thus improves the quality of their lives. The philosophy of the camp is based on the slogan: “If you’ve leant how to live in a wheelchair yourself – teach another to do this also”. The main role in the learning process play instructors in wheelchairs who have great psycho-emotional influence on the camp’s participants, as are compelling examples of the real possibility to live a full life at the same level as the other people do.
Methods of active rehabilitation camps had been received from the Swedish NGO Rekryteringsgruppen.
Active rehabilitation camp’s program includes:
In Ukraine, active rehabilitation camps started in 1991 and are held exclusively by GAR. From 2002 active rehabilitation camps are supported by Ukrainian Center “Invasport” and individual philanthropists.
Now GAR organizes camps:
GAR plans to organize camps for children with lesions of the musculoskeletal system, for women with injuries of the spine and spinal cord, sports camps for people who want to lead a more active lifestyle.
The important point to for the person just after the spinal cord injury, which is in a hospital or rehabilitation center, is the first contact with instructors of the active rehabilitation.
The objective of the «First Contact» program is the finding of the persons after the injury and providing them with comprehensive information support, encourage to exercise and an active lifestyle.
Instructors of the “First contact” program are, in most cases, people who have had the same injury of the spine and spinal cord and are an example of opportunities for people who live in a wheelchair, can skillfully use their wheelchairs, are independent in life, have theoretical and practical knowledge of the problems and needs of people after the spinal cord injury.
The “First contact” instructors can give the following information:
The “First contact” instructors work closely with families, informing them about the opportunities and needs of persons after the injury or disease of the spinal cord.
In a frame of active rehabilitation camps GAR fulfill seminars for employees of medical institutions that work with patients with spinal injuries (doctors, rehabilitators, nurses and exercise instructors) as well as with teachers of higher educational institutions related to rehabilitation.
The purpose of these events is to show needs and abilities of a person with the spinal cord injury during the post-hospital period.
Philosophy of these seminars is based on the possibility for its participants to look at the problem of people with a spinal cord injury on the other hand. That means to feel in the situation of a person who moves in a wheelchair, to see more restrictions, which they did not notice before and did not pay any attention to.
The course is designed including the experience of countries such as Sweden, Poland, United Kingdom and United States of America.
The seminar’s program provides practical and theoretical sessions:
Seminars’ participants will be able to use all the knowledge and skills they acquire when returns to work. In the future they become partners of GAR in the “First Contact” program by providing information on the presence of people with spinal cord injuries in their institutions.
OLEG KARDASH, LVIV In the camps of active rehabilitation, besides meeting new interesting and kind people, I also saw how powerful can be the strength of a human spirit. I could not imagine that a person in a wheelchair can be completely independent, but in the camp I...
TATIANA TUPY, KIEV I first took part in active rehabilitation camp in 2007, when I was only 18. I believed that I spend my personal time doing volunteering for the sake of others. Believed that the constant lack of sleep, three trainings, lectures, late briefings,...
ANNA ZHYVOLUK, MYKOLAIV I only participated in one camp in 2013, but I felt clearly that most actions of instructors and volunteers aimed primarily at helping participants to overcome their fears. Some were afraid to cross barriers in a wheelchair, some were afraid to...
STAS PAVLENKO, POLTAVA Active rehabilitation camps have become quite an instructive lesson in my life. Here I found a lot of friends, and most importantly – I have changed my attitude to life. For example, having heard the statistics of the cases in which most people...
ANASTASIIA MAKSYMOVA, SIMFEROPOL The camp is organized so well, that I felt very comfortable. After short time I started feeling that I am part of the process and it was already impossible to distance from everything that was going on. These were really real emotions...
DARYNA KOLESNYK, KYJIV I was volunteering in the CAR a few years ago, but I am still re-examining this experience from time to time. First I thought that a whole new world suddenly opened to me. I thought that it enriched me as a person very much… Now, looking back, I...
YANA PANKEEVA, ODESSA My first camp took place in august 2007. I was 21. Insecure, diligent, a little timid girl. I already had some experience working with wheelchairers during basketball tournaments. I studies building and engineering and had nothing to do with...
OLEKSANDER GORYCYN, MYKOLAIV I have to admit that my first camp was a surprising experience for me. If someone would have told me what would be going on there, I would have never believed that I could like it. Moreover, I would never assume that I could like it THAT...
ANASTASIA KURGANSKAYA, KERCH In 2010, being a 3rd year student of the faculty of Human Health, I had an opportunity (the selection was held among many students, who were willing to go!) to do my internship as a volunteer at the Camp of Active Rehabilitation (CAR). In...
Olena Klymenko, Lviv Volunteering in the camp of active rehabilitation (CAR) became one of the most powerful experiences in my professional life, as well as in my life overall. Only two weeks of restless work, where you change your life and the lives of other people,...