Personal Assistants Turned Professional
Around the world, people with disabilities use the services of personal assistants every day to help them with their daily personal and professional tasks. In Uganda, the vast majority of these assistants are family members. At first thought, this doesn’t seem like a problem, but Musa Mwambu, with years of experience working in the field of disability inclusion as a Disability Inclusion Facilitator with Light for the World, and first-hand knowledge as a user of personal assistants, knew better.
“Some of the personal assistants lack the professionalism to provide people with disabilities high-quality support. There is more to it than just pushing a wheelchair or walking with a visually impaired person,”- Musa Mwambu
The challenge with the current system is multifaceted and affects users of these services, and providers of care alike. Musa realized that for users of personal assistant (PAs) services, professionalization is needed because PAs are often trusted with personal information, and there are currently no industry standards to ensure that service users are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
He also understood that it takes skill and knowledge to execute the tasks PAs routinely carry out, such as pushing a wheelchair safely upstairs or using screen reading software designed for people with visual impairments, and there was no place for people to learn this.
Musa teaching the students in the Personal Assistant Course at Kyambogo University.
As a user of Personal Assistant services, Musa had heard stories about the rights of assistants being violated and was concerned that they did not have access to information about their rights. He realized that developing a training program for personal assistants would professionalize the industry and would not only solve these challenges but would also provide an opportunity for caregivers and assistants of people with disabilities to develop skills that could lead to waged employment.
“It is important for Personal Assistants to provide professional services like defensive mobility techniques which will reduce accidents due to poor guiding. They are also able to earn a professional fee for economic empowerment.” – Musa
In 2019, Musa pitched his ideas to Light for the World’s Disability Inclusion Challenge, a program designed to bring realistic and innovative solutions to challenges faced by people with disabilities to live, and won a grant to set up a certificate course in Personal Assistant Services for Persons with Disabilities.
Musa partnered with Kyambogo University, his Alma Mater to launch his program and with the support of Light for the World, developed a robust curriculum covering everything from disability awareness and ethics to first aid, hands-on practice with mobility techniques, and even basic braille. Students enrolled in the course would also get the opportunity to gain valuable experience using assistive technologies thanks to the impressive resource center at Kyambogo University, and participate in internship placements to put their new skills into practice.
Students are also taught the use of some assistive technology devices to assist in some activities like reading and listening.
The idea of the course resonated with people and Musa was able to recruit and enroll 15 students in the program which launched in March of 2021.
“I currently live with and support someone who is visually impaired, but I realized that I don’t always do things to guide them the right way.”-Fiona, a student in the PA course.
Fiona (in black jacket) taking on experiential learning of visual impairments as part of the Personal Assistant Course.
Students enthusiastically participated from week to week, thanks to the energetic and engaging instruction style of Musa, who is affectionately known as “professor” to his students and peers. They are currently completing their internship placements, and all 15 are expected to pass the course.
“This course is going to help me in my career because I will be able to provide professional services and make sure my client gets treated the way they should be. I will also know that my rights will be protected. It is all about professionalism.” – Fiona, a student in the PA course.
If you are in need of professional personal assistance, would like to enroll, or are interested in learning more about the PA course please contact M.Mwambu@light-for-the-world.org and we will be happy to connect you to certified PAs or keep you informed about the next enrollment for this course.
