Limited healthcare services and poverty cause many Haitians to become disabled. Despite the crushing effects a disability can have on an individual or a family, especially in prime years of income generation and family responsibilities, there are few services for people with disabilities available in the country. Disability or the loss of a limb in Haiti quickly translates into a loss of livelihood and economic security, in an already fragile economic environment.

In Haiti, the rehabilitation professions, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, are virtually non-existent. People with disabilities often live isolated existences and are given few opportunities to contribute to the betterment of their communities. The need for integrated rehabilitation services in Haiti was brought dramatically to the forefront by the 2010 earthquake. Thousands suffered debilitating injuries and the loss of limbs, and will require life-long rehabilitation support. In 2007, in collaboration with Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) and HAS Haiti, the Friends conceived of and initiated a training program for rehabilitation technicians. This program was created to have direct and lasting effects on the 610 square mile service area of Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti and to have spin-off effects on the rest of the country. The Rehabilitation Technician Training Program (RTTP) aimed to reduce the burden of disability for Haitians in the Artibonite Valley. The RTTP has now expanded in a second phase of implemenation, to become the Rehabilitation Services Integration Initiative (RSII or RS2), and now aims to build a national model for rehabilitation services in Haiti.

Over a year since the 2010 Earthquake, HAS Haiti has also launched a long-term prosthetic and rehabilitation center in partnership with the Haitian Amputee Coalition, which compliments the RSII. Through the creation of this center, the opportunity has arisen for HAS Haiti to play a significant role in the future of Haiti's healthcare by serving as one of eight planned centers for the provision of artificial limbs. This exciting new initiative is consistent with our mission of supporting HAS Haiti in serving the healthcare needs of the people of Haiti, with a focis on the Artibonite Valley.

See the RTTP slideshow on the Friends' Flickr site HERE!

Read recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Article about the RTTP: "Physical Therapists in Haiti Get Support from Schweitzer Nonprofits"