‘Accessible Cambodia’
Supporting the “Accessible Cambodia” program to improve accessibility to the built environment and services for people with mobility issues.Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
In Cambodia, 1.6 million people live with a disability. People with disabilities are generally amongst the most disadvantaged, with very limited access to basic social services, education, skills or vocational training, employment or income-generating opportunities, exacerbating their poverty.
EWB Australia worked with local social enterprise Agile Development Group, who blend design thinking and enterprising solutions to benefit people with disabilities.
EWB Australia embedded volunteer Field Professionals with engineering expertise within Agile Development Group with all activities led by Agile staff members (all Cambodian). A capacity assessment of staff was carried out to identify focus areas for professional development and skills required to sustain Agile’s ‘Accessible Cambodia’ ongoing initiatives.
EWB Australia personnel supported local staff from Agile to deliver the following activities:
Universal Design Training
To improve knowledge and application of universal and inclusive design principles, training workshops were run with 120 Cambodian engineering and architecture university students.
Mobilituks
Three Mobilituks (wheelchair-accessible tuk-tuks) were fabricated and the designs refined, increasing the availability of accessible transport options; 1 local fabricator was also trained
Inclusive Design for Rural Women
65 women with disabilities across two rural communities were empowered to play more active roles in agriculture and physical access to farming and income generating opportunities; through the design and trial of five assistive/inclusive farming technologies and products, they gained a greater understanding, an opportunity to strengthen critical thinking and problem solving skills, and apply design processes, enabling them to more confidently and actively play roles in their community
Training and mentoring
Five Agile staff have been supported with a focus on strengthening their capacity through training and mentoring in project management, contract management, technical design, decision making and facilitation. Thus has enabled them to lead the delivery of universal design workshops with university students, workshops with rural communities to co-design assistive farming products, as well as well as an event to raise awareness of accessible transport.
Partner
