The Design and Metrology Center of SENA, presented the project Development of an adaptable wheelchair to climb stairs, a project that was evaluated and approved by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA).

The objective of the project was to impact a large sector of the national population with motor disabilities of lower limbs and contribute to the improvement of their quality of life, through the assembly and adaptation of wheelchairs that will allow them to climb stairs and perform daily routines in a more comfortable and practical way.

The project consisted in the provision of hand tools and specialized utensils for the assembly of wheelchairs. It should be noted that the SENA Design and Metrology Center ventures into the field of product, machine and equipment design. One of these aspects to highlight is the design of Orthotics and prostheses through networking and collaborative environments between the Centers, companies and training institutions. This Center is part of the National Learning Service - SENA, a public entity, attached to the Colombian Ministry of Labor, which offers free training to millions of Colombians who benefit from technical, technological and complementary programs focused on economic development, technological and social of the country. Currently, SENA has 52 regional offices in Colombia.

During the project delivery ceremony, the General Director of SENA, Mr. Carlos Mario Estrada, offered words of gratitude to TİKA, expressing that “SENA, thanks to this experience, will be able to replicate and train people in the construction of this type of device allowing the impact coverage to be at maximum”. He also indicated that “these projects allow us, first to develop competencies, skills, abilities in our apprentices, but most importantly, this project has a very interesting social impact. We, at this training center, managed to serve almost 2,000 people with different disabilities. This project will allow many people, many Colombians, vulnerable, and additionally with locomotion problems, or disabled, find a tool that will allow them to move”.

Correspondingly, the Deputy Director of the Center for Design and Metrology, Mr. Rodolfo Martínez, thanked the support provided by TİKA, hoping that the relationship between the Center and the Agency will be strengthened in the future, in order to develop more projects and impact positively in a professional manner to SENA apprentices.

The ceremony was also attended by the Honorable Ambassador of Turkey, Mrs. Ece Öztürk, who during her speech said: “This project is innovative and creative, not only for Colombia, but also for the region, which is why we are glad of participating in it. We are happy that with this project a large number of disabled people will be able to integrate into society and normal daily life”.