David Constantine, Motivation Australia Board member and Co-Founder of Motivation UK has been awarded the MBE (Order of the British Empire, Member) in the New Years Honours list. David is himself a wheelchair user after sustaining a spinal injury whilst in Australia at the age of 21.

Since David helped establish Motivation (UK) in 1991, Motivation has worked in over 30 countries and become one of the leading organisations in its field. David, who received the award for services to disabled people, said “I am delighted that the role I enjoy so much has been considered worthy of an honour. Disability in low-income countries is a serious and often overlooked issue. Over 20 million people with mobility disabilities worldwide are in desperate need of a wheelchair and face a life of exclusion simply because they are unable to leave their home, move around their community and take part in society.”

Motivation Australia and the Sirindhorn National Medical Rehabilitation Centre (SNMRC) are working to enhance wheelchair provision in Thailand. In September Motivation Australia delivered training to technical and clinical staff at SNMRC in wheelchair provision. Eight clinical staff and five technical staff participated in the training. The clinical staff gained skills in wheelchair assessment, prescription, fitting and providing wheelchair users with instruction in wheelchair mobility and general health care. The technical staff learnt how to assemble the Worldmade Rough Terrain and Active Folding wheelchairs.

In February 2010 Motivation Australia completed a second course, providing SNMRC staff with skills to work with children and adults who require supportive seating.

Our programme in Thailand is supported by the Commonwealth through the Australia-Thailand Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; the Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand and Motivation UK.

Download the guidelines.

On 25th August 2008 the WHO, the US Agency for International Development, the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics and Disabled Peoples' International launched an important new document: Guidelines on the provision of manual wheelchairs in less resourced settings. The guidelines, developed for use in less resourced settings, address the design, production, supply and service delivery of manual wheelchairs, in particular for long-term wheelchair users.