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The role of disabled people in CBR is increasingly being seen as of vital importance for the success of CBR. In actual fact participation of disabled people and self advocacy have become two of the principles of CBR as seen by the World Health Organisation and associated organszations behind the new CBR thinking.

This paper deals with the position and role of disabled people themselves in CBR programmes. It critically looks into the role Disabled Peoples’ Organisations in terms of promoting equal access to essential and acceptable quality of rehabilitation programmes for all and especially the poor of this world. It is argued that DPOs should join the ranks of those (professionals) who are committed to ensure that rehabilitation becomes accessible to all. The current global situation of an ever widening gap between the ‘ones who have and those who don’t have’ requires a critical reflection on ones’ own work in CBR and DPO development. We cannot permit ourselves anymore a division among those who are disabled and those who are non-disabled as there are other divides among groups of people that are by far more profound and serious to the majority of disabled people worldwide.

While the urban elite of disabled people who live in a conflict-free, open and democratic society may be well concerned with issues such as accessible tourism, CBR as essential service provision is often unavailable for the poor rural masses and those living under illegal conditions in slums of the cities of Africa, Asia and South America. CBR as philosophy seeks for solidarity with those who live under appalling conditions; threatened by conflict, eviction and hunger. This paper calls for collaboration between DPOs and the CBR movement in order to address diversity and ensure that the implementation of basic human rights are truly addressed.

Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 20, No 1

This paper seeks to contribute to current debate on evidence-based practice and appropriate models of disability rehabilitation for people with disabilities in developing countries. Based on the authors' experience in, and evaluation of Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) projects and research, they provide suggestions for utilising different kinds of evidence at different levels of CBR. The paper proposes four considerations. First, at the micro level of individual rehabilitation techniques, it recommends the judicious co-opting of available evidence from conventional evidence sources. Second, at the level of service planning, it suggests the need for conducting major syntheses of CBR evaluation reports for evidence. Third, it proposes the incorporation of values with research in consideration of issues at the model level. Finally, the paper proposes that in the case of CBR and similar approaches, new conceptualisations and methodologies are required in current understandings of evidence-based research and practice, which highlight the voice of people with disabilities, their family members and communities as key sources of evidence-related data."This paper seeks to contribute to current debate on evidence-based practice and appropriate models of disability rehabilitation for people with disabilities in developing countries...The paper proposes four considerations. First, at the micro level of individual rehabilitation techniques, it recommends the judicious co-opting of available evidence from conventional evidence sources. Second, at the level of service planning, it suggests the need for conducting major syntheses of CBR evaluation reports for evidence. Third, it proposes the incorporation of values with research in consideration of issues at the model level. Finally, the paper proposes that in the case of CBR and similar approaches, new conceptualisations and methodologies are required in current understandings of evidence-based research and practice, which highlight the voice of people with disabilities, their family members and communities as key sources of evidence-related data"

Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 19, No 2

This article looks at the historical development of community-based rehabilitation (CBR). It is useful for people interested in the history of CBR Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 18, No 2

The purpose of this article was to qualitatively analyse the extent to which community based rehabilitation programmes have been evaluated over the past thirty years. A framework of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis was used in conducting this analysis. Using an extensive search of MEDLINE, 22 articles were located that described and evaluated one or more dimensions of CBR. Three studies each from Australia, India, Zimbabwe and two studies each from England, Philippines, Vietnam and one each from Finland, Guyana, Jamaica, Japan, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and United States were included in the analysis. A variety of methods used, most evaluations conducted in community settings, focus on mobility related evaluations by most programmes, and development of new instruments were the strengths of CBR evaluations. Some of the weaknesses were lack of consistency in outcome measures, lack of cost benefit and cost effectiveness studies, small sample size of many studies, and lack of focus on other than mobility related disabilities by most projects. The opportunities for CBR evaluations pertain to training assessments, use of mixed models, using indicators from a standard taxonomy, and focusing on medical rehabilitation. The threats to CBR evaluations are a need to prioritise from multifarious activities and having limited resources for evaluation.

Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 18, No 1

‘Multiple drug Therapy’ (MDT) has transformed the outcome of leprosy in people affected by it. Leprosy affected persons develop much less disfiguring disabilities after use of MDT. As a result leprosy services are now becoming integrated into general health services. When this integration becomes stronger, leprosy rehabilitation is also likely to adopt methods followed by general health services. Vertical, stand-alone services, based on single aetiology like leprosy, will require some adaptation to fit in with the environment of general health services. The authors speculate that changes in leprosy rehabilitation could make ‘community based rehabilitation’ (CBR) an important method for the vast majority of leprosy patients who need rehabilitation. This paper discusses some of the concerns regarding the suitability of CBR for leprosy rehabilitation.

Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 15, No 1

This resource provides an important contribution and understanding of how community-based rehabilitation (CBR) operates in Africa. It contains the experiences and reflections of key stakeholders within CBR from 14 African countries. It will contribute to a more mutual and holistic understanding of the concept of CBR and bring about the development of new initiatives. This book is useful tool for CBR planners, policy-makers and managers