Disability and Rehabilitation — Achievements and Possibilities

Abstract

I am honoured to be asked to present this lecture. I am fortunate to have known Adam Thomson over a number of years and to have worked with him on various occasions - Appointment and Steering Committees and the like, and last of all on the Board of the National Centre for Training and Education in Prosthetics and Orthotics based at Strathclyde. During that time I have come to know him as a supreme example of that rare amalgam - an outstanding academic intellect combined with a dedicated regard for the common man. Throughout his association with the Bioengineering Unit and the National Centre he has ensured, by his eloquent persuasion, that the work of these bodies shall have firmly in focus the need to ensure high level education and training for those who are to apply themselves to the real problems of real people in the clinic.

Editorial note: Professor Murdoch presented a searching survey and analysis of disability and rehabilitation, delivered with a sense of commitment and in an entertainingly witty manner. The lecture, illustrated with slides and films, lasted for around an hour. The following text presents direct extracts, interspersed with summaries within the actual framework of the address as delivered.