For children and young people with disabilities
About
Children and young people have a right to actively participate in society and to do that they must have access to high quality disability aids that meet their individual needs. Quality of care should not be compromised by economic considerations such as cost and competition. We are unique in representing the interests of both service providers and disabled children and their families, working as a network covering multiple of areas of care, and also giving children and young people with disabilities, their families and carers a voice that is heard in the political arena.
rehaKIND was founded in 2000.
It is an international support association and champions the special needs of children and young people with disabilities.
rehaKIND comprises:
- members (manufacturers, specialist retailers, publishers, solicitors, hospitals and individuals)
- advisors (scientists, cost bearers, specialist retailers, patients and parents)
- co-operating associations (Fördergemeinschaft Querschnittlähmung, DVFR, Kindernetzwerk e. V., QVH/BVMed/BIV-OT, DRS – i.e. Support Association for Spinal Cord Injuries, German Association for Rehabilitation, Children’s Network, Association for Quality in Disability Aids/Federal Association for Medical Technology/Federal Guild Association for Orthopaedic Technology, German Wheelchair-Sport Association – and professional associations).
Providing disabled children with aids for rehabilitation is an especially sensitive area and calls for all those involved to co-operate across the boundaries of their respective areas. At the moment, rehaKIND has more than 130 members such as disability aid manufacturers, publishers, solicitors, hospitals, trade fair companies as well as specialist retailers. These are complemented by over 900 certified rehaKIND expert advisors hailing from the areas of retail and therapy.
You can find more details about our members and our expertise on our members’ page.
rehaKIND assures quality of care: As an independent and successful network, rehaKIND’s mission is to help provide children and young people with disabilities with high-quality aids that are tailored to their needs and allow them to participate actively in normal life. The quality of the aids provided should not be compromised by economic considerations such as costs and competition in the healthcare market.
#creating opportunities together – for all children!
rehaKIND is unique – in our association professionals, service providers and families with disabled children work together as partners to:
- establish principles for ensuring the quality of care
- raise awareness for our cause amongst politicians and health insurers via public relations work
- represent the interests of all those involved in the care process convincingly and without bias
- provide training courses for all professions in child rehabilitation and medical care
- be represented and involved in important decision-making bodies on all levels
- provide informal support for disabled children and their families
Families with disabled children did not choose their situation: They need a strong voice to be heard. The weakest members of our society, whose chances to live longer lives are fortunately increasing, need proper plans for their future.
Shaping the future together – for children and young people with disabilities
We believe that in an inclusive society, everybody has the right to participate to the best of their abilities. That is why disability aids should meet the individual child’s needs and enable them to cope with the challenges of everyday life. For the aids to support the child in nurseries and schools they must be easy to operate – by children and staff. Their use in this environment should also be supported and assessed on a regular basis by trained staff.
Children are not just tiny adults
As they are still growing, the flexible bodies of children and young people can be adversely affected in their physical development. Personalised aids can protect against this potential damage, promote the child’s independence and their ability to participate. With the age limit for provision set at the age of 18, children and young people receive the necessary support during their childhood development. Trying to make savings in the field of children’s rehabilitation does not pay off: Only 0.4% of the total cost of disability aids is spent on the provision of aids for our special children. (Source: destatis, statistics on severe disabilities 2017)
Individuality = quality of life
High-quality innovative care enables a child to lead a more independent and enjoyable life and helps them to accept the role their disability aids play in this. When we set goals for a child’s care provision by using ICF qualifiers, we automatically take a holistic view of the child and take into account the limitations and resources of both the child and their environment.
Setting care provision goals together
This can only be done with us, not just for us: It is important – at every stage of a child’s development – to consider the particular needs of the young person, their family and their environment. Only by involving all concerned parties can we provide children and young people with the best possible care.