Overview:

The infrastructural setups in the Gaza strip are still embryonic relevant to the needs of person/people with disabilities (PwDs). Given the wide variety of daily living activities, there are several challenges facing  PwDs as well as service providers. Mobility and transportation are one of the major challenges facing  PwDs with different disability categories (hearing, vision, cognitive, neurological, and physical). Physical,  ambulation and locomotion disabilities are of particular importance. There is an increasing number of  PwDs that have lower limbs disabilities due to brain strokes, ageing, accidents, amputations and consecutive conflicts in the Gaza strip. Other causes of disabilities that limit persons movement include neuromuscular disorders such as monoplegia, quadriplegia, hemiplegia. These are commonly known as cases of paralysis. These types of disabilities make daily living activities such as transportation, a difficult task for the disabled person and his/her caregivers. The latter necessitates the search for-and car adaptation solutions to enable this marginalized category of people to live with dignity and have equal opportunities as others in the society concerning education, entertainment, engagement and work. 

The initiative was made and financially funded by Global Shapers Gaza Hub out of their social responsibility. Careem (Uber) contributed by providing a taxi to finish the work and implement it on it. While the i-Care project collaborated through its RehaLoop student club members who have worked on assessing, designing, fabricating, communicating, reporting and implementing the device under the supervision of i-CARE staff members. 

None of the involved parties of this work received payments in any kind in exchange of their time,  experience or efforts. This activity was part of the social responsibility of all involved parties towards  the marginalized group of Palestinian PwDs; GSCG, Careem, i-CARE project, RehaLoop.  

Resources Needed:

• Financial support from Boston Hub fundraising event by Zahra


• Implementing partner i-CARE project who supported the design and assembling the tool.


• Careem company adopted the tool and will start providing this services as part of their cars options when a client schedule a taxi. 

Goals:

• Adapting PWDs into the Palestinian mobility sector.


• Creating more new jobs for Palestinian youth in Gaza.

Impact:

• Providing modern mobility “Disabled Passenger Hoist” tool to piloting and then launching the service through Careem Company.


• The new mobility service will benefit PWD in Gaza Strip mainly, as it is estimated the number of PWD is more than 40,000.


• Engagement of people with disabilities in the community and improving their quality of life.


• Encourage the participation of the private sector in supporting the community as part of their social responsibility


• Facilitating more jobs for people with disabilities especially that they can commute easier.