This is interesting. I have a lot of love for Tariana Turia, and I personally think Paula Bennett was always going to be a little bit preoccupied wither her Social Development portfolio. Let’s hope this makes it a little bit easier for disability issues to get some ‘airtime’, eh?
The Disability Issues portfolio has been transferred from Paula Bennett to Tariana Turia, Prime Minister John Key has announced.
In addition, Pansy Wong will be appointed Associate Minister for Disability Issues. The changes take effect immediately.
“The change has come after a request from Paula Bennett for the transfer of the portfolio to another Minister so she can better concentrate on the Social Development and Employment portfolio,” says Mr Key.
“There are big challenges in this portfolio, especially given the increasing workload on the Ministry of Social Development from unemployment.
“The National-led Government is determined to do all it can to help people who have lost their jobs and assist them to find new employment.
“Tariana Turia immediately accepted the important Disability Issues portfolio when I approached her to see if she was interested.
“There are many synergies between this portfolio and her other portfolios, and I believe she will do an excellent job.”
Paula Bennett says this is not a decision she has made lightly.
“The impact of this recession on the lives of New Zealanders is becoming clearer, and I am determined to do all I can to help those who have lost their jobs find new employment.”
Tags: News · Politics
Horrifying news coming out of Indonesia. From the NZ Herald:
New traffic laws passed in Indonesia require disabled pedestrians to wear signs identifying them as handicapped.
AFP reports that amendments to local Traffic and Transport Law says “handicapped pedestrians must wear special and clear signs which can be easily recognised by other road users.”
Politician Ahman Muqowam told the news agency that the laws were designed to protect disabled people.
“This is a humanistic act. It’s for their safety on the streets,” he told AFP.
What are your feelings on this?
Tags: Disability Rights · Signage · World
Tags: Ramblings · Travel · World
Apologies for not posting this sooner - some of you may have liked to be involved? Hopefully you are anyway. For updates on the Hikoi’s progress, check out The NZ Herald or search Twitter.
CCS Disability Action Northern Region will join the hikoi/march on Monday 25 May in support of IHI Action Group (Iwi Have Influence). This action group is leading the opposition to the establishment of Auckland Super City without reserved Maori seats as proposed by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Auckland Governance.
Linda-Lee Odom, Chairperson of the Local Advisory Committee of CCS Disability Action, Auckland believes that this is a great opportunity to show our support and make our partnership with Ngati Whatua and Orakei Marae one that counts.
“Like many people in Auckland, disabled people are worried about the impact a Super City will have on our lives and whether our voices will still be heard and so it is easy for us to support Tangata Whenua and the recommendations made by the Royal Commission for reserved Maori seats”, said Ms Odom.
CCS Disability Action recognises Maori as Tangata Whenua, and is committed to being in relationships with Hapu and Iwi so that we continue to develop our ability to support disabled Maori and their whanau.
Ms Odom says “this is a great opportunity to show our support of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and our partnership with Ngati-Whatua. CCS Disability Action has a solid relationship with the people of Orakei Marae and Ngati-Whatua. Kaumatua/ Kuia have supported us in many ways enhancing the mana of the work we do, especially with disabled Maori and their whanau”.
Being mindful of access issues, CCS Disability Action supporters will be meeting at 10.30am at the corners of Commerce and Galway Streets, Central Auckland and then march together with everyone up Queen Street to the Town Hall.
Tags: Disability Rights · Events · Politics
Yesterday I received an email through this site, and whilst I don’t usually do this sort of thing, I was so astounded at its content I just had to share it with you. For privacy reasons, I’ll omit the sender’s name, email address etc. Amazing.
Hi ‘Bright’ (Red.. get it?)
um, no?
Do you speak normally, or do you have a speech impedament? Doesn’t matter either way, I just wondered, tryin to imagine it, I guess.
You look like a normal human being, on the front cover of ‘RISE’, to me, anyhow, you don’t even look like you have CP! The wheelchair gives it away, that you have no control over your limbs, but that’s about it.
.. What! I look like a ‘normal human being’? Haha, gee thanks! And ‘no control over your limbs’? Have you ever met anyone in a wheelchair?!
Now she tells me off for using the word ’stupidest’ in an email.. wtf.
Red, there is no such word as ’stupid-est’, its either stupid or ‘the most stupid’, this sort of correction comes from my training as a [removed profession], in Tauranga, can’t help correcting people, I do it most days! Never take offence with this, because I do it, to HELP not to hinder, and not to put you down, either!
And here’s my favourite bit…
You know something else? You punctuate really well! I am impressed, and you seem to know how to say things, and, you can spell!
… speechless.
Tags: Ramblings
So I’m on my way to University in the rain this morning, and I’m thinking, “Oh great, I’ll park right outside the AUT tower so I won’t get too wet”. Well, bugger me when I see four disabled/mobility parks cordoned off, emblazoned with massive Telecom NZ logos, in preparation for their big XT brand launch this evening.
That’s right - and check out the picture on the right if you don’t believe me, Telecom had effectively roped off four of the most valuable mobility parking spaces in the Auckland CBD, all in the name of a bloody brand launch. So I had to park miles away, and got really wet en route to class. Needless to say, I wasn’t impressed.
So I approached one of the official-looking guys patrolling the Telecom area, and asked if they’d had Council approval to occupy these four parks. Yes, he said, and it cost them $28,000 for the whole rig.
Let me get this straight - Telecom can buy mobility parking spaces, at the expense of many individuals’ independence? I almost couldn’t believe it. I checked with the Council; sure enough, it was all permitted, and as far as they were concerned, there were plenty of other mobility parks I could use. Of course, they were all used up, leaving me one very wet, disgruntled student this afternoon!
UPDATE: I’ve been told by Telecom that the parks did not cost $28,000, and that figure is one ‘invented’ by one of the ground staff. However, I’m sure some money must have changed hands in exchange for the parks, I’m just not exactly sure how much. (yet ;))
What do you think about all this? Should mobility parking spaces be able to be ‘bought’? Should the Council be more pro-active in providing alternative parks? Let me know in the comments!
Tags: Disability Awareness · Events · Mobility Parking · News · Transport
I was booking tickets to a show in Melbourne next month (holiday, yay!) and I was asked if I had a “Companion Card”, which allowed a companion to come to the show for free. Intrigued, I jumped online and had a look.
Wow. This is one sweet card.
If you’d rather not hear me ramble about how I want to lobby our Government to get one of these up and running, cut to the chase and visit the Victoria Companion Card site now.
Well, here goes. This Companion Card basically entitles anyone who relies on companion support at events to get a 2-for-1 admission ticket. So those of us whose impairments mean we need help to pay over the counter, eat food/drink, transfer to seats/bathroom stuff, or anything else, get a free companion ticket to heaps of events. Sport, music, theatre and more.
I think this is an absolutely fantastic initiative. What’s really great is that the Card is targeted. You can’t get it “just coz you have a disability”. You have to have a genuine dependency on support people in order to qualify. Check out these stats from the last Companion Card survey:
- A large proportion of cardholders ( about 75%) said that now they have a Companion Card, they often go out to new places.
- Since having the card, cardholders had more than doubled the number of times they go out from an average of 16 outings per year to 37 outings per year.
- Half of cardholders interviewed said the card had improved their social networks.
About 70% of cardholders said that having the card maens that more people are willing to accompany them to venues.
- 78% of cardholders said their life had changed since receiving the card. This included increased feelings of social inclusion, confidence, and dignity.
(from the Victoria Companion Card site)
These are massive stats, and something I believe our govt (central or local) would be well-placed to throw their support behind!
What about you guys? Do you see a need for this kind of thing? Is it something that would benefit you? Let me know in the comments below!
Tags: Arts · Support services · World
It’s being reported that those distasteful Cadbury dyslexia advertisements I mentioned a few days ago have been pulled, as a result of numerous complaints.
Good to hear Cadbury’s listening, but let’s be honest: these never should’ve gone up in the first place.
Link to NZ Herald story
Tags: Arts · Disability Awareness · News · Ramblings · Signage
Tags: Events · Positive Reviews · Ramblings
So. I was driving to Uni yesterday when I saw a bus up ahead with an advertisement for Crunchie chocolate bars on the back. The advertisement read:
10 out of 9 dyslexics prefer Crunchie
Ha. Ha. Get it? Dyslexics? Back to front? Yeah, groan.
Now, I know the dyslexic joke has been a staple of comedy routines for years. But laughing at a disability in order to sell a chocolate bar - isn’t that a bit rough? More to the point, it paints people who suffer from dyslexia as ’stupid’, and back to front. Of course, this isn’t the case at all, dyslexia refers to:
disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not affect general intelligence - Dictionary definition
So tell me. Am I taking this too seriously? Should I lighten the hell up? Or is this unfair victimisation of a section of the disability community at the hands of a confectionary company?
Tags: Ramblings
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This is interesting. I have a lot of love for Tariana Turia, and I personally think Paula Bennett was always going to be a little bit preoccupied wither her Social Development portfolio. Let’s hope this makes it a little bit easier for disability issues to get some ‘airtime’, eh?
