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Access to human rights for persons using prosthetic and orthotic assistive devices in Sierra Leone

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the access to human rights of persons with disabilities who use prosthetic and orthotic assistive devices, and to compare groups of participants in terms of gender, residential area, income, and type and level of assistive device. The addressed areas were rights to: health, a standard of living adequate for health, education, marry and establish a family, vote, and work. Methods: Questionnaires were used to collect self-reported data from 139 lower-limb prosthetic and orthotic users in Sierra Leone. Results: About half of the participants considered their overall physical health good, while 37% said their mental health was bad. Most said they lacked access to medical care. About half of the participants had regular access to safe drinking water. Most had reasonable housing and 60% could read and write. Half of the participants were married and 70% had children. Almost all reported that they could vote if desired and about half were working. Conclusions: There is still a need for improved access to medical care when needed for persons with lower limb physical disability in Sierra Leone. Better access to food and clean water are also necessary to facilitate a standard of living adequate for health, to realize the health rights of persons with disabilities. Implications for rehabilitation In Sierra Leone, persons with disabilities need a source of regular income to access basic needs, including clean water, access to food, medical care, and medications which should be considered in addition to providing rehabilitation services. To facilitate implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Sierra Leone’s health system needs to be strengthened: an increased number of healthcare staff should be educated, knowledge of disability should be improved in the general public to reduce negative attitudes toward persons with disabilities, persons with disabilities should be included in mainstream health services, and national development policies should target sustainable development goals to a greater extent than during the millennium development goal era.