Evaluating Mobility and Access of Disabled Refugees in Rohingya Camps in COX'S Bazar.

AbstractTo better understand the mobility needs of Rohingya refugees with physical disabilities, specifically lower limb impairments, members of the Mobility Aid project team visited Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Interviews and gait analyses with 14 participants were conducted over a three-week period in September 2021. Interviews covered topics such as the origin of disability, barriers and challenges associated with physical disability in refugee camps, and disability-related discrimination. Participants were also asked about ways in which they adapt and compensate for physical disabilities in challenging environments. An analysis of these findings is presented to highlight the need for emergency and humanitarian response planning to include persons with disabilities. In addition, the team conducted gait analysis from videos obtained using a simple inexpensive setup and remotely evaluated six disabled participants. The preliminary results of this gait analysis are promising and comparable to the patterns observed in the lab settings.KeywordsRohingya refugeesDisabilitiesMobilityAccessGait analysis