ABOUT US
OPTIMUM REHABILITATION CENTRE (ORC) was founded in 2023 by three colleagues who are passionate about disability and rehabilitation. David and Isaac met while they both worked for CoRSU Rehabilitation Hospital in Entebbe where they shared about their passion for extending rehabilitation services to northern Uganda where they both grew up. When they both ended their work with the CoRSU rehabilitation hospital and now have more time to themselves, they decided to start Optimum Rehabilitation Centre in Kawuku, along Entebbe road to provide rehabilitation services to PWDs within the community around especially children. The third co-founder Evelyn is passionate about children in general but on interacting with children with disability she knew straight away that she was ready to make difference in their lives. The long term plan for ORC is
to extend rehabilitation services to northern Uganda which is still recovering from a long standing gorilla war which has left the region impoverished with little or no social services like education, health, water and sanitation.
Currently ORC has its head office in Kawuku, Entebbe where they operate a rehabilitation workshop that produces assistive technology devices like wheelchairs, standers, special seats, crutches for PWDs. ORC is expected to grow and continue to provide rehabilitation services to PWDs all over the country and beyond through collaboration with likeminded organizations and individuals.
Our Vision
“An inclusive society where all persons with disability live with dignity and participate in all aspects of social and economic development in their communities”.
Our Mission
“To contribute in creating a sustainable inclusive environment where persons with disabilities can participate meaningfully in community development through awareness campaigns, education, healthcare, disability rights advocacy and social integration”
Core values
Excellence
Integrity
Teamwork
Innovation and Creativity
What We Do
Show off your projects, features, or clients in this section.
Assistive Technology
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), assistive technology includes tools that enhance the abilities of individuals with disabilities, enabling them to live independently and participate in society. These range from basic aids like glasses to advanced devices like hearing aids and prosthetics. Over a billion people need assistive products globally, yet only 10% have access, especially in low- and middle-income countries like Uganda. WHO advocates for improving access through initiatives like the Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE), emphasizing that access to these technologies is a human right.
At ORC we have a dedicated team of therapists and mechanics/ technicians who work to provide the most appropriate assistive technology especially mobility devices to our beneficiaries.
Our AT workshop also offers a range of locally fabricated products including wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and special seats. The workshop also produces prosthetics and orthotics for persons with disabilities.
Clinic Based Rehabilitation Services
At our head office in Kawuku town, along Entebbe road, we have a rehabilitation clinic which offers facility based rehabilitation services. Our expert team of physical therapists, Occupational therapists, Speech and Language therapists are enthusiastic about changing lives of persons affected by disabilities. Among the clients we see at the clinic are children with neurological disorders like cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, spina bifida etc. majority of the adult clients we see are suffering from back pain, stroke and other joint conditions like arthritis.
Community Based Rehabilitation
Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) is an inclusive development strategy aimed at improving the quality of life for persons with disabilities by promoting their participation in all aspects of society. It involves empowering individuals, families, and communities to address disability issues, providing services in health, education, livelihood, and social integration. CBR is designed to be accessible and locally adapted, focusing on collaboration between disabled individuals, community members, and local organizations. It promotes human rights, social inclusion, and equal opportunities, ensuring that persons with disabilities are fully included in their communities.
Our CBR program ensures that we meet the families of persons with disabilities in their communities and homes. This also provide us the opportunities to assess their homes environment for any necessary modification. During our community visits we creatively use locally available materials to promote rehabilitation for PWDs in their communities.
Non Communicable Diseases Prevention
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are chronic conditions that result from genetic, physiological, environmental, and behavioral factors. The main types of NCDs include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. These diseases are the leading cause of death globally, accounting for 74% of all deaths, with the highest burden in low- and middle-income countries.
The major risk factors for NCDs include tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and harmful alcohol consumption. WHO emphasizes that NCDs are largely preventable through public health interventions that target these risk factors. Additionally, healthcare systems must prioritize early detection, timely treatment, and long-term management.
WHO supports countries in developing strategies to prevent and control NCDs, aiming to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
At ORC the aim is to promote lifestyles changes to prevent and control NCDs. These lifestyles include; being physically active, eating a healthy diet, avoiding use of tobacco and alcohol. Our approach focuses on taking services to the communities through community health talks and community health clubs.
Where we work
OPTIMUM REHABILITATION CENTRE is currently working in the community of Entebbe where they do community base rehabilitation services, health education with community schools as well as community health promotion campaigns. We work in collaboration with community leaders as well as institutional leaders like in schools. It is in their long term plan to extend services to the whole country with northern Uganda taking the highest priority due to the huge gap in service delivery following the long devastating civil war they have suffered for over 20 year.
OUR TEAM
Executive Director
Isaac Abor
Isaac has over 15 years’ experience working as an Occupational therapist with different organizations and client groups. He holds a Higher Diploma in Occupational therapy from Uganda Institute of Allied Health and Management Sciences and a BSc (Hons) Health and Social Systems Management of the University of Manchester (UoM), UK and currently pursuing a Masters in Public Health at Uganda Martyrs University in Uganda.
Isaac has experience in organizational leadership and management through working with different non-profit organizations like CoRSU Rehabilitation Hospital as the Occupational therapists Team Lead, Sense International Uganda as a Technical Project Coordinator and Community Focus Internationl as an Associate Executive Director. He has now taken the challenge to hold the torch for ORC and lead it to the right strategic direction to serve the community of persons with disabilities. He also contributes professionally to the assistive technology program at ORC. Isaac is a strong team player who believes that creating a just world depends on each of us and all of us.
Adminstration Director
David Alip
David is a mechanical engineer with a bias in manufacturing engineering. He has worked for over 30 years in this field with experience in structural design and construction. His latest employment being at the rehabilitation hospital where he led the design and construction of the facility. David also has expertise in , biomedical engineering making him so good at handling hospital equipment and rehabilitation assistive devices. He also contributes to the activities at the AT workshop.
Physiotherapist
Phelex Ssesazi
Phelex is a dedicated Physiotherapist with a passion for improving the lives of individuals, especially children with disabilities through expert care and advocacy. With his extensive experience in peadiatric physiotherapy, he has helped many children with disabilities at ORC achieve their developmental milestones and lead fulfilling lives despite their physical challenges. He also participates in media advocacy creating awareness on the rights of PWDs and the critical role of rehabilitation in enhancing their quality of life. In addition to his role at ORC Phelex has started an initiative that brings together a group of therapists dedicated to community service to underpriviledged communities. His dedication to his roles has inspired many at ORC.
Physiotherapist
Viola Tukamushaba
Viola is an excellent Physiotherapist with over ten years of experience in the field. She has worked in Private practice for five years before joining Public Service where she has now served for over five years. She has a big passion for rehabilitation of persons with Neurological conditions like stroke. She feels fulfilled when a client comes to her office in a wheelchair or bed ridden and then gets discharged walking. Viola is now interested in following up clients with stroke to their communities to understand their living conditions and support them to achieve maximum independence in their Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Amidst her busy schedule at one of the National Referral Hospitals in Kampala, she has accepted to volunteer some of her time to ORC especially with our Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) program.
Occupational Therapist
Claire Nalubega
Claire is a volunteer occupational therapist with ORC and she brings in her expertise in pediatric rehabilitation especially with play therapy. Claire has worked with children with different kinds of disability
both in the communities and institutions like special schools and rehabilitation
centres.
Speech Therapist
Julius Omoding
JULIUS qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist from Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) in 2011 and is one of the pioneers in the profession in Uganda. He also has qualifications in Special Needs Education, Health Promotion as well as Healthcare Management and Leadership
which make him a well-rounded member of the team at ORC. Due to his exceptional
leadership skills, Julius also had the opportunity to serve as the second President of the Ugandan Speech and Language Therapists Association (USALTA) a role which he relinquished recently however, he still represents Speech and Language Therapists at the Allied Health Professional Council (AHPC) of the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Uganda.
With all these expertise and experience that Julius possesses, ORC can never go wrong with his input and we are excited for his visiting schedules to support the work of ORC.
Rehabilitation Technologist
Joshua Okullo
Joshua is a passionate Physics technologist with interest in rehabilitation technology. He grduated three years ago with a BSc. Physics Technology from Kyambogo University and during his training he had the opportunity to practice with some of the best manufacturing plants in the country including Sugar Cooperation of Uganda Ltd (SCOUL) where he gained experience in industrial instrumentation. He leads the technical team at the rehabilitation workshop who design and fabricate most of the assistive devices available at our rehabilitation workshop. Joshua cannot aviod to smile when he sees a product he has designed and fabricated get to reality and impact the life of a person with disability.
Rehabilitation Technician
Ismail Ojur
Ismail is a rehabilitation technician with ORC who is passionate about assistive technology. He is a vital part of the assistive technology workshop at ORC producing wheelchairs, hand cycles/ tricycles, special seats and many other assistive devices. Ishmael has participated in several wheelchair distribution events countrywide and his skills and creativity has made him excel in his role.
Rehabilitation Technician
Denis Angole
Denis is a rehabilitation technician who has worked in an orthopedic rehabilitation workshop for over ten years. He is one of the technicians that run the assistive technology workshop at ORC and has done production of wheelchairs, hand cycles/ tricycles, special seats and many other assistive devices. His role in setting up the AT workshop at ORC was vital and now he happily runs the local fabrication of assistieve devices while mentoring others in this vital role.
Local production of Assistive Technology (AT) products is our niche and we pay attention to every details of what we do. Our locally fabricated products like wheelchairs, posterior walkers, special seats and standers meet the needs of our beneficiaries because they are custom made after a thorough assessment by our team of seating therapists.
Our Assistive Tecnhnology (AT) tecnhnicians Ishmael and Joshua pose for a photo after a week long fabrication of AT products for children with disabilities in the communities we serve. Their smiles show the satisfaction they get when their work is completed succuessfully and the same smiles will be reflected on the faces of the beneficiaries when they finally receive their custom made AT products.
World Occupational Therapy Day is an internationally celebrated day annualy on 27th October, to commemorate the contribution made by Occupational therapy professionals to global health and wellbeing.
This celebration was hosted at Butbika National Referral Mental Health Hospital which is the only one in the country. The celebration was marked by speeches from officials from the Ministry of Health, Allied Health Professional Council, the Occupational Therapy Training School and many OT professionals. A big call was made to recruit more OTs in the public service to provide the much needed rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities.
