“A properly fitted wheelchair provides a completely different level of functionality. It opens far more possibilities and gives a person greater freedom in everyday life,” says Nataliia Hladysheva, a physical therapist with more than 14 years of experience in rehabilitation, currently leading a 5-day training course in Ukraine on wheelchair assessment and adjustment. Over 300 rehabilitation specialists from all over Ukraine have so far completed the course, implemented by WHO and the International Society of Wheelchair Professionals (ISWP) with the financial support of the European Union.
To date, 193 rehabilitation professionals from 59 medical facilities have gained international certification as wheelchair providers. Nine of them have also earned ISWP’s Wheelchair Trainer Certification and the right to lead further training sessions. Nataliia is one of them.
“I believe we have an important mission. And I’m very grateful for the trust,” she says.
Making progress
Nataliia believes that trust between specialists and their patients is as important as knowledge or technical skill. She clearly remembers the moment she first realized how important that trust can be.
“It happened many years ago, but I still smile when I think about that patient,” she says. “We were practising walking up the stairs – a regular training session. He had received all the instructions. I was standing next to him and everything seemed under control. Then he suddenly let go of the handrail and began falling backwards.”
Nataliia reacted instantly, catching him and steadying him against the wall and handrail.
“It scared me. I asked him, ‘Are you okay? It’s alright, I’ve got you.’ He turned to me and said, ‘Well, you passed the test. Now I trust you.’ At first, I was angry. He was a big man and what he did was reckless and, frankly, dangerous. I might not have been able to stop him from falling. But later I realized that perhaps this was the only way he could overcome his own psychological barrier. Until that moment, he probably was not ready to fully trust me.”
As Nataliia notes, when patients truly trust their therapist, they feel more comfortable asking questions, even the small or sensitive ones. In her view, it is often those small details that lead to real progress in recovery.
Sharing knowledge
Nataliia has come to see trust not only as the foundation of working with patients, but as a principle that guides much of her professional life, her teaching and her relationships with others. The same holds true when she is training her colleagues.
“I like seeing curiosity in my students’ eyes,” she says. “I enjoy sharing knowledge. And I firmly believe that specialists trained in wheelchair selection and adjustment should be available in hospitals across the country, as this directly affects patients’ quality of life.”
Nataliia notes that many patients are not aware of all the details of wheelchair adjustment and may use their chair for years without realizing it does not fully meet their needs. Sometimes the problem only becomes apparent when pain develops or their mobility begins to decline.
“In my practice, I often find that even people who manage their wheelchairs well still need professional support to adjust them properly. Over time, some parts wear out and a person’s seating position can change, so these shifts need to be identified and adjusted.”