The Canadian Paraplegic Association is about to begin a project in the Dominican Republic to assist people with disabilities. David Hinton, manager of International Development for the Canadian Paraplegic Association will be bringing a group of experts to Santo Domingo with the first arriving 10 September. These experts will offer four days of seminars, workshops and training in wheelchair basketball as well as wheelchair maintenance and repair. Apart from the training, the Canadians will be donating 20 wheelchairs to the Asociación Dominicana de Rehabilitación who have taken on the role of in-country coordinator. A mutually agreed upon project between these two organizations will entail six visits of Canadian professionals over the next 12 months to deliver seminars, workshops and training in such areas as sport/recreation, barrier free design, employment, transportation, peer counseling, personal heath problems and wheelchair construction/repair. The project is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency with additional support offered by the M. A. Motz Foundation and the Roncalli International Foundation. The Dominican Republic Project for People with Disabilities is a continuance of similar projects recently delivered by the Canadian Paraplegic Association in Costa Rica, Guyana and Cuba.
