Disability Rights Pakistan Project #64062

Make Disability Equipment for Children in Pakistan

by MAITS - Multi-Agency International Training and Support

Project Report | Oct 13, 2026
Helping Children Sit, Stand and Participate

By Jenny Simpson | Project Coordinator

APT equipment ready to go out to children

Thanks to your support, children with disabilities in Pakistan are beginning to benefit from affordable, locally made assistive equipment. But we urgently need your help to keep this important work going.

For children with disabilities, something as simple as sitting comfortably, maintaining a supported position or taking part in everyday family activities can make a real difference to their lives. Yet appropriate assistive equipment can be difficult to access, particularly when resources are limited.

Through our Appropriate Paper-Based Technology (APT) project in Pakistan, our partners at IHRI are working to change this. Using locally available materials and practical skills, the team produces affordable, supportive equipment tailored to children’s individual needs.

A promising start – and children already benefiting

During the latest reporting period, the team produced 22 pieces of equipment: 13 CP chairs, three corner chairs, three standing frames and three benches. Six pieces – five CP chairs and one corner chair – have already been provided to children and their families.

These specially designed pieces of equipment aim to support children’s posture, comfort and participation in everyday activities at home. The project is also helping build the skills needed to produce more equipment locally, offering the potential for affordable, sustainable solutions for children who need additional support.

Importantly, the benefits extend beyond equipment production. The team held a practical training session for parents and caregivers, introducing them to basic APT techniques, including preparing paper, making paste, colouring and layering materials to strengthen them. By sharing these skills, the project is helping families understand how simple materials can be used to create supportive adaptations for their children.

Overcoming challenges to reach more children

Despite this encouraging progress, the team faces significant challenges that threaten its ability to continue production.

One major obstacle is the availability of suitable materials. The quality of cattan currently available in Pakistan is often too poor to make the strong, reliable boards needed for APT equipment. Our partners are visiting factories and suppliers to find better-quality, affordable alternatives that can be sourced locally.

The team has also experienced the loss of valuable equipment when rain damaged three chairs and one standing frame during construction-related activities. This has highlighted the need for better storage and protection for completed items.

These setbacks are frustrating, particularly when so many children need support. But our partners remain committed to finding solutions, improving their production processes and developing their skills further. They are also keen to learn new techniques and expand the range of equipment they can make, including more complex devices such as wheelchairs.

What your donation could make possible

Just £20 can help provide a child with essential support. Each piece of APT equipment, such as a CP chair or standing frame, can be made for around £20, including materials and labour. By using locally available materials and developing local skills, we can help make assistive equipment more affordable for children and families who need it.

Your generosity can make a difference at every level:

$100 can help source supplies for 20 positioning chairs for children with disabilities.
$250 can help fund training for two local APT technicians.
$500 can cover the costs of two local trainers to train a team of five APT technicians.
$1,000 can fund the tools needed to equip a workshop for 10 APT technicians.

Every donation matters. Whether you help provide materials for a single piece of equipment or invest in training and tools that enable local teams to produce equipment for many more children, you are helping build a more sustainable future.

We urgently need your support to keep production going. Your donation will help our partners overcome material shortages, strengthen their skills and continue creating affordable, practical equipment for children with disabilities. Together, we can help more children access the support they need to participate more comfortably in everyday life.

Thank you for helping us turn locally available materials into life-changing possibilities.

Child in an APT chair

Demonstrating fitting a chair

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Jun 22, 2026
Making Progress Together: Your Impact in Karachi

By Jenny Simpson | Project Coordinator

HN benefitting from his bespoke APT equipment

Thank you for your continued support and belief in our mission. Because of your generosity, we are able to provide life-changing postural support, training, and equipment to children and families who need it most.

We are pleased to share some recent updates on the progress being made through our Appropriate Paper-based Technology (APT) programmes in Karachi.

One recent success story comes from HN, a young person who had previously received an APT standing frame and chair. Following a reassessment, our therapists identified that changes in HN's muscle tone meant that the original supports were no longer providing the optimal positioning he required.

In response, the ACELP APT team designed and fitted a bespoke head and neck support to maintain a neutral position, improve postural alignment, and reduce the effects of increased extensor tone. The support was successfully integrated into both HN's chair and standing frame. Following several therapy sessions to optimise positioning, the equipment was handed over to HN and his family.

This case demonstrates the importance of ongoing assessment and personalised support. Children's needs change over time, and specialist equipment must evolve with them to ensure comfort, safety, and participation in daily life.

Alongside supporting individual children and families, we are also continuing to strengthen our capacity to deliver APT services across Karachi.

At IHRI Karachi, construction of a dedicated workshop was underway as of December 2025. While progress continues, the team's immediate priority is delivering an upcoming Parent Workshop and the Batch 4 Community Health Worker Empowerment Programme. These initiatives will help build local knowledge and skills, empowering families and frontline workers to better support children with disabilities within their communities. We look forward to sharing further updates as plans develop and construction progresses.

Meanwhile, at ACELP Karachi, APT equipment production continues to grow. ACELP has been manufacturing APT equipment for some time and has developed considerable expertise in meeting local demand. As the need for specialist equipment increases, we have requested the creation of a larger dedicated production space to expand capacity and improve efficiency. This investment will help ensure that more children can access the equipment they need, when they need it.

These achievements are only possible because of supporters like you. Your donations enable us to provide specialist assessments, manufacture customised equipment, train local professionals, support families, and invest in the infrastructure needed to reach even more children in the future.

The demand for these services continues to grow. With your help, we can expand production facilities, equip more children with personalised postural support, and strengthen community-based programmes that create lasting change.

If you are able to make a further donation, you will be helping us continue this vital work and ensuring that children and families receive the support they deserve.

Thank you for standing with us and making these successes possible.

With sincere gratitude,

The MAITS Team

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Mar 3, 2026
From Training to Production: The Next Phase

By Jenny Simpson | Project coordinator

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