Rural Rehab South Africa is a multidisciplinary organisation of rehabilitation workers (including occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, audiologists and mid-level workers), who are committed to rural service provision. We welcome anyone  interested in rural disability issues. The prevalence of disability is higher in rural areas, due in part to poorer access to health services. The vicious cycle of poverty and disability, particularly in such areas, is well known. At the same time, the majority of rural communities have no access to rehabilitation services at all.

Rehabilitation workers have a critical role to play in preventing <>disability and related health problems, promoting health of rural communities and enabling people with disabilities of all kinds to participate fully in community life. Rehabilitation (including prevention and promotion) is an essential component of comprehensive primary health care, without which the government goal of “a long and healthy life for all South Africans” cannot be realised.    

Who are our target groups?:

Direct influence on rehabilitation service development including: therapists, professional bodies, rehabilitation service providers, universities and their students in order to sensitise them to rural needs and realities, and the vision of an appropriate and effective PHC service

Direct influence on  health policy makers through the Rural Health Alliance

Indirect influence on rural communities by improving their rural rehabilitation services

RuReSA encourages members to advocate for better rural rehabilitation:

• Encourage others to join RuReSA. The more members we have the stronger our voice!
• Let the Exco know about the issues in your district - if we cannot help we have partner organisations that can
• Tell others about your work - the challenges and successes (no matter how small). You can share on the Daily Digest, Twitter or Facebook. 
• Tell us about the good work your colleagues are doing - either at your health site or wider - we are always looking for “Best Practice” ideas 
• If you want to advocate for better undergraduate training then you need to write articles - if you have an idea we can help you craft it into an article
• Use our “Key messages” to advocate for better rural services when at meetings or workshops - or even with health colleagues over a cup of tea. Remember that our professional colleagues may not “think rural” and as about half the population lives in rural areas they need reminding that rural rehab has a voice that should be listened to
• Welcome students to have clinical practice at your health site
• Let the Exco know what needs to be changed. You can email us or join the annual AGM to talk about it.
• Go to the Rural Health Conference to meet people that talk your language!

RuReSA values ethical practice, this includes:

• Respect for RuReSA’s Members Only webpages, Library and YouTube access
• Respect for one another’s views, and refraining from discriminatory or insulting communication
  Encouraging questions, discussion, dialogue, sharing, and collaboration of all things related to rural rehabilitation
• Posts will represent a true reflection of the issue at stake to the best knowledge of the person posting an issue 
• Awareness and Sharing: informing members of new Acts, Policies, Department of Health notifications and guidelines and so forth.
• Respect the confidentiality of members and their patients including their names, place of work, views on policy or service delivery as posted in the Daily Digest or RuReSA Rural Buddies WhatsApp group
• Posts on published courses, job adverts, government policy or RuReSA policy may be shared outside the association as long as names are not shared.
• Discussion posts, whether around developing policy, service delivery, patient care should not be posted outside of the Daily Digest or RuReSA Rural Buddies WhatsApp group except when requested by the RuReSA executive Committee for wider ranging discussion.
• The Daily Digest or RuReSA Rural Buddies WhatsApp group  shall not be used to forward Junk/Spam Mail 
• Unethical practice such as racism, sexism, abuse, abuse of your position or work regulations, undermining or victimising healthcare workers, or identifying the work or RuReSA as your own work, is not acceptable as it undermines the provision of rural rehabilitation. 
• Comply with POPI regulations on information and/or personal data
• Any person on the  RuReSA Member Mailing (Daily Digest)list and RuReSA Rural Buddies WhatsApp group  automatically commits to this code of conduct.  
• Concerns about misconduct, either within RuReSA or in service delivery should be reported to the RuReSA executive via chair@ruresa.org.za

Violations of RuReSA’s Values or the code of conduct may lead to cancellation of the individual’s membership on the list, with or without prior warning and/or notification. 

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