FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT ARE PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS?

A prosthesis (pl. prostheses) is a device that replaces a part of the human body. The field of making prostheses is collectively called Prosthetics.

An orthosis (pl. orthoses) is a device to make part of the body straight (reduce deformity) or to support and control a weak or diseased part (prevent deformity). Some examples are leg braces, back braces, and neck collars. The field of making orthoses is collectively called Orthotics.

A professional who prescribes and fits prostheses and orthoses is a Prosthetist-Orthotist.

WHO DO PROSTHETIST-ORTHOTISTS HELP?

Prosthetist-Orthotists provide prosthetic and orthotic services for adults and children affected by conditions such as cerebral palsy, polio, clubfoot, congenital deformities, illnesses (like tuberculosis or diabetes) and trauma. Adults and children who have had amputations due to traffic accidents, landmines / UXO, diabetes, cancers, leprosy, infections and conditions related to vascular disease require prostheses to replace the lost parts of the body.

WHAT DOES A PROSTHETIST-ORTHOTIST DO?

A PO assesses clients and proscribes appropriate assistive technology (Prosthetics or Orthotics). They may manufacture the device, although specialist Technicians also do this. A PO also fits the manufactured device and provides mobility training so that the client can make best use of the device.

WHICH COUNTRIES DO WE WORK IN?

Exceed established Prosthetics & Orthotics schools in Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Myanmar. Each school trains  Prosthetist Orthortists to international standards and provides physical rehabilitation services aimed at the most disadvantaged. Some schools support services at a number of physical rehabilitation centres – for example, Exceed school’s in Phnom Penh is linked to 3 centres in different provinces of Cambodia. Our school in Cambodia trains local students from disadvantaged backgrounds and has an international reputation for excellence. As a result it attracts fee-paying Prosthetic & Orthotic students from other countries and has trained students from than 27 lower and middle income countries.

HOW IS OUR WORK EVALUATED AND MONITORED?

Exceed's work, processes and procedures are independently monitored and evaluated by a number of groups and organisations:

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS (ISPO)

ISPO, an international body for the development of Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O), evaluates and provides internationally-recognised accreditation for Exceed P&O schools and acts an external examining body for students.

Exceed's school in the Philippines is accredited as a Category I / Prosthetist Orthotist training centre by ISPO, while those in Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia are accredited as Category II / Associate Prosthetist Orthotist level.

Our Cambodian school also trains P&O Technicians and the course has been accredited at ISPO Category III / PO Technician level. All schools are subject to ISPO evaluation to maintain their status.

THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION (ISO)

Exceed's P&O School and other projects in Cambodia hold ISO 9001 certification. This is an internationally recognised quality management standard which is focused on client satisfaction and continuous improvement of services. 

Our Cambodian school is the only Prosthetics/Orthotics school in the world to hold ISO certification for its education programme and Exceed is one of the first NGOs in the world to achieve this standard. 

As part of certification under regularly updated ISO 9001 quality and management requirements, Exceed's work is under constant review and evaluation and a rigorous internal audit mechanism has helped us to develop a system and culture of continuous improvement based on evaluation and measurement of progress against goals. Regular analysis of data collected through client satisfaction questionnaires, required for under ISO 9001 certification, identifies areas of strength and issues which require attention. 

Projects undergo external audit on a three-year cycle to maintain certification. 

INTERNAL EVALUATION 

Exceed monitors and evaluates all projects internally using ISO guidelines.

DONOR REPORTS

In addition donors, like trusts and foundations and international development agencies, require regular progress and end reports for each project they support.

ANNUAL AUDIT

Exceed's annual financial performance and processes are audited annually by external auditors (currently Grant Thornton) and financial statements are published in annual reports.

EXTERNAL EVALUATION

A major evaluation of the impact of Exceed’s work in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, commissioned by The Nippon Foundation and carried out by the University of Melbourne’s Nossal Institute of Global Health, was carried out in 2018.

WHO DOES EXCEED WORLDWIDE SUPPORT?

Exceed supports two groups of people - students who wish to train as Prosthetist Orthotists or P&O Technicians and people with disabilities, especially the most disadvantaged, who need access to Prosthetic and Orthotic (P&O) services.

We work in 5 countries - Cambodia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar. Exceed has P&O schools and rehabilitation clinics in each of these countries and - in Cambodia - people with disabilities receive additional support through a long-established community based rehabilitation programme. This enables children, young people and adults with disabilities to access education, training and employment.

P&O support enables people with disabilities to gain or regain mobility and have the opportunity to live an independent, productive life as respected members of their own communities.  

WHAT is EXCEED Social Enterprises?

Exceed Social Enterprises (ESE) is a social enterprise owned by Exceed Worldwide. A social enterprise is a business that uses its profits for social good and ESE’s purpose it to generate income to support Exceed Worldwide’s charitable work to develop P&O services for the most disadvantaged.

Exceed Worldwide services still depend on the support of donors and ESE is a young enterprise but, in time, we believe that it can make a significant contribution to the development and expansion of P&O services in Southeast Asia.

ESE has two divisions – Exceed P&O, which operates private P&O clinics for those who chose to pay, and Exceed S&D which supplies and distributes prosthetic and orthotic materials and components.

WHAT IS THE EXCEED RESEARCH NETWORK?

Organisations like the UN and WHO state that a lack of high quality research, to provide reliable data and evidence about disability and the impact of support activities, is a major barrier to the development of appropriate services.

The Exceed Research Network addresses this situation. It is an international disability research consortium involving universities, NGOs and the private sector, founded and coordinated by Exceed Worldwide. ERN identifies and carries out research to address major prosthetic, orthotic and disability challenges.