INTRODUCTION TO PART 3 529
7. Try to adapt aids and equipment to the local culture and way of life. An example of
adaptation to the local situation is the ‘Jaipur limb’ (see also Chapter 67):
In India,
villagers squat a STANDARD LIMB
lot. They cook
and eat at ground
level. A person
with a standard
artificial leg
cannot squat
because the leg
does not bend
enough in the knee
and ankle. Also,
the standard leg
is not made to
be used when
barefoot, or in
water.
LESS APPROPRIATE
JAIPUR LIMB
The ‘Jaipur limb’ was designed for
the needs of villagers in India. It
has a knee with a joint that bends
all the way. The foot piece is made
mostly of rubber and is very flexible,
allowing the person to squat. It is
the color and shape (including toes) of
a normal foot. It is waterproof, so
that people can work in water or rice
fields without harming it. The leg is
low cost and quick to fit.
MORE APPROPRIATE
(For more information on the
Jaipur limb, see p 636.)
8. Make aids and equipment as attractive and enjoyable as possible. To test the
attractiveness of an aid, find out:
• Does the child take pleasure or
pride in his aid?
• Do the parents like it?
• Do other children want to use
it or play with it?
9. A common error is to provide children with more bracing than they need. Often
a child will come to the rehabilitation center already fitted with big heavy braces that he
never needed or no longer needs. They may actually slow him down. Always check to
see what a child can do with and without his aids. Try smaller, lighter aids, or none
at all. Above all, ask the child what he prefers.
LESS APPROPRIATE
MORE APPROPRIATE
STILL MORE APPROPRIATE
(for this child)
(See p. 550.)
disabled village children