Our Lab
Dr Elsje
Dietlind
TrainersMinding the (Skills) Gap
Dr Elsje Scheffler started collaborating with leaders in the wheelchair service delivery sector in 2007 to align existing wheelchair seating course material in South Africa with international standards.
Being a wheelchair service delivery practitioner in a less-resourced country, she realised that certain elements prescribed in first-world care were not practical nor executable locally.
She established the world-renowned Disability and Rehabilitation Consultancy (DARE Consult) in 2010 and set out to head up further development of the course material.
In 2013, fellow physiotherapist Dietlind Gouws joined the operation to drive the continued advancement of the coursework to align it with the latest international wheelchair and seating guidelines.
With a shared passion for the field of disability and rehabilitation and a drive to deliver a better quality of life for those affected, they partnered in 2019 to establish Rehab Skills Lab.
The company addresses the gap in knowledge and skills among healthcare professionals who deliver broad-based wheelchair support and seating services.
Rehab Skills Lab equips participants to prescribe appropriate wheelchairs and postural support devices for their users with confidence.
With an established local and international footprint and as intellectual property owner of the Basic, Intermediate and Advanced wheelchair service delivery courses and related rehabilitation training in SA, Rehab Skills Lab is the spine of wheelchair services and rehab training in the country.
Dr Elsje – Trotting in more ways than one
Away from her role as a Director at Rehab Skills Lab, the horse-loving Dr Elsje Scheffler is also a sports fanatic who can just as easily be found buried in the pages of a good book or honing her photography skills.
Today, the Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) native is a happy resident of the picturesque Western Cape town of Stellenbosch, where she spends her days as a practising physiotherapist.
While she is now settled in the university town, Elsje certainly has not been one to shy away from exploring the world and learning about its different cultures.
Earlier in her career she lived in the American city of Pendleton, Oregon, while, more recently, she travelled to the Himalayas with the Mountain Club of South Africa with the goal of conquering Mount Meru.
Dangerous weather conditions prevented them from attempting the final push to the 6 660m summit, but the majesty of the mountain and resilience of the people who lived on it lingered.
Her love of sport and adventure developed at a young age and it was no surprise when she excelled at athletics, swimming, cross-country, netball and hockey at school. Today you will find her running or mountain biking with as much dedication on the undulating vineyard trails dotted around her neighbourhood.
The challenge of the technical downhill sections speaks to her thrill-seeking nature while, on the tarmac, the allure of the four-hour barrier makes the world-famous Cape Town Cycle Tour an annual expedition.
She discovered horse-riding in Grade 11 and quickly became obsessed with it. Besides the riding, Elsje was taken by the science behind the discipline and the way the gentlest touch could be used to control these powerful animals.
At one point her heart was set on becoming a veterinarian, having shadowed a local vet during her holidays. But the future had other plans for her.
After initially studying medicine at Stellenbosch University, she changed tack in her third year to pursue a physiotherapy qualification after being inspired by the interesting things these students did on campus. The rest, as they say, is history.
Although single-minded dedication to her goals along with a mildly serious bout of perfectionism often turns out to be a poisoned chalice, those same qualities have elevated her to the top of her field.
Dietlind – Always On The Run
Few people know what they want to do in life at the age of 14, but Rehab Skills Lab director Dietlind Gouws is a different breed.
While staying with her relatives in Germany during an exchange programme, the Namibian-born teen looked on in wonderment as her physiotherapist aunt used hippotherapy (a technique with horses) to help patients regain mobility.
She “assisted” her aunt whenever she could and was amazed by the difference they made in the lives of their patients. There and then she knew physiotherapy was her calling.
As it turned out, horse-riding was her number one passion as a youngster.
On the back of the oft grumpy Sergeant Pepper she took part in show jumping and dressage competitions in Windhoek but the stress of competition often left her sick to the pit of her stomach.
The Deutsche Höhere Privatschule pupil had no such problems in swimming and was one of two outstanding athletes in the country through the various age groups.
After completing her studies in Pretoria and in-service training in East London, she started working in a government-run rehabilitation centre in Cape Town.
And that is when the road running bug bit her. One thing led to another and before she could stop to smell the fynbos, she had completed dozens of half marathons as well as the tough Two Oceans ultra over 56km.
She moved to Gqeberha during Christmas of 2012 and, as the owner of adult neuro physiotherapy practice Rehab Lab, she is continually inspired by the positive attitude and mental strength of her patients.
During her time in the Friendly City she took to cycling, became a motorsport fanatic and lives out her German heritage through baking.
Dietlind describes herself as being more analytical than arty and a bit of a people’s person once she has warmed to you. She loves being around family when they are in town.
