This is a blatant assumption based on limited anecdotal experience (recent events aside), but nonetheless I don’t think disabled people use public transport anywhere near enough in Auckland City. Yes, I understand the services are infrequent and at times, operators can be difficult in regards to the imposition they deem you to place on their lives. But I’ve decided I really enjoy catching a train. (Click the pictures for a bigger version) The conductors are friendly and helpful, much more

On an utterly and self-indulgently personal note, I auditioned for a role in NZ’s favourite soap Shortland St today! I honestly don’t know whether I stand a chance, so I guess time will tell.. But if I do make the cut, we might finally get some retard representation on everyone’s favourite 7 o’clock show! Well, some people’s favourite, hehe I’ll keep you updated…

After hearing about Felicity’s nightmare at Britomart, I wrote to Maxx and requested an official response. They responded in due course, and told me they had forwarded it onto the train operators, Veolia Transport Auckland Ltd. To my surprise and their credit, they emailed me this morning with an official response. This is what they had to say: Thank you for your correspondence regarding difficulties one of your contributors experienced following the Justin Timberlake concert on Friday 23 November. Unfortunately

This is a song by Norwegian band “Boys on Wheels”. They’re hilarious and there’s more of their stuff on YouTube. Go on. You know you wanna watch ;D

Only in America. Or at least, I’d like to think so. A woman accused of neglecting her severely disabled son and letting him starve to death was sentenced yesterday to nine years in prison. According to prosecutors, Angela Cheral Bernard, 34, of Rolando called 911 on Dec. 17, 2005, to report her son’s death. An autopsy on Dec. 30 revealed that the boy weighed 28 pounds and had skin ulcers with protruding bone. Brandon, her son, was born with cerebral

Stumbled across a neat little site today called soulfulencounters.com, which is a bit like Facebook or Myspace, except it’s targeted specifically at those with a disability. Soulful Encounters has grown from a small disabled dating site to a large online community for the disabled. Our online community welcomes anyone, with any disability and at any stage of life. Find what you need, whether that be a relationship, companionship, friendship or lasting love. And here at Soulful Encounters you will always

Gosh, this is such a tough one. I know I’ve harped on about this before, but reading this article in the Herald today made me think about it all over again, and I’m interested in your thoughts too. The gist of it is this: that a new law being introduced next week will make it illegal for employers to pay disabled workers less than the minimum wage, unless an exemption is applied for. What does this mean? Well, for those

Blog reader Felicity had the misfortune of finding this out the hard way after attending the Justin Timberlake concert on Friday night. Read on to find out what happened… I was in Auckland on Friday night to see Justin Timberlake at the Vector Arena. I read your review on the arena and yes I give them 10 out of 10 too. Anyway, I want to tell you how I found the public transport that night. We (myself, my carer and

Thanks to Terry for bringing this to my attention! A local mother has reached out to the media after she says a school went overboard while restraining her child. Isaiah Moore came home from Oak Hammock K-8 last April looking like he had just been in a fight. But the autistic boy’s injuries didn’t come from a scuffle – he was restrained by a school staffer. Moore’s mother obtained a tape from a security camera at the school. She says

This fantastic review was submitted by John, who is a tetraplegic and uses a manual wheelchair. A recent return trip from Auckland to Wellington proved to be a pleasant trouble-free experience. The booking (which must be done by telephone at internet discount rates) was well handled and a wide range of questions were covered to save any misunderstandings on the day. (I saw an article by a blind person complaining that he couldnt book on the internet and that it