An Invitation
In the parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14), invitations to the banquet had been sent to what might be called the normal people of the community. And we are told that they all found excuses not to attend because of other priorities and concerns. The response of the master of the banquet is interesting,
Then the owner of the house became angry and … ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets … and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the … crippled, the blind and the lame.
What is noteworthy here is that the target group was primarily people with disabilities. They would not have had access to much in the way of a normal life, so they had to be actively sought in alleys and on the streets of the town. These folks would have been overlooked in the original invitation sent to those who had declined.
What does Public Health Research say about the prevalence of disability?
- In adult populations (= 18 years) there is an average prevalence of people with disability of 15.6%. In high income countries, the average is 11.8%, and in low income countries, the number is 18.0% (2011 World Report on Disability by the World Health Organization).
- Type-2 Diabetes is a growing problem in Sub Saharan Africa ranging from a low of 1% in rural Uganda to 12% in urban Kenya. Diabetes can lead to the amputation of limbs, creating a need for either wheelchairs or prosthetics or both. The prevalence estimates are believed to be low due to unreported cases (BMC Public Health Report: Diabetes in Sub Saharan Africa 1999-2011).
- Children with disabilities who would have died at birth or near birth in the past are often surviving to adulthood, and adults are living longer lives developing disabilities as they age, increasing the need for Assistive Technology (Annual Review of Public Health, May 1996).
Assistive technology is defined as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a person with a disability.”
The result of the changes described above is that the need for assistive technology is growing rapidly. A door of opportunity is opening for faith-based hospitals around the world to bring lasting hope to those who need this technology.
A catalyst can be defined as “a person or thing that causes activity and connections between two or more groups.” The Assistive Technology Catalyst Project seeks to enable wheelchair services at faith-based hospitals in Africa by linking them to existing resources for assistive technology which have been developing over the last ten years.
AT Catalyst is positioned to help faith-based hospitals acquire equipment, space, and training for personnel, helping them to deal with this increasing need.
Let’s go into the streets and alleyways, inviting “the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame” into real hope by helping AT Catalyst bring resources together with faith- based hospitals so they can provide long term care to people with disability.
