walking . is . overrated

nz disability news, views, and reviews

walking . is . overrated - nz disability news, views, and reviews

Entries from January 2008

Help a brother out #1: Hand-controlled trike

January 20th, 2008 · No Comments

I was contacted recently by a guy from Te Anau who, as a T6 paraplegic, is looking for information from those who have had experience building, buying, or riding a hand-controlled trike!
I am having one built from a Honda Accord 2L motor and auto gearbox and the guy building it is having difficulty hooking […]

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Tags: Ramblings

Give wheelchair tennis a go!

January 19th, 2008 · No Comments

As part of the upcoming World Junior Tennis Challenge Final, being played at Auckland’s ASB Tennis Centre from the 18th - 21st February, the Halberg Trust is organising a coaching clinic for current or potential disabled tennis players. The clinic will be held the day before the tournament, Sunday 17th February, from 2pm - 4pm, […]

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Tags: Events · Sport

International Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability Conference

January 19th, 2008 · No Comments

Mobility International USA (MUISA) is putting out the call to find 25 women leaders with disabilities from around the world to apply to attend the 4th International Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD) Conference in Oregon, USA. The symposium aims to strengthen leadership skills, create new visions and build international networks of support to […]

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Tags: Events · World

Accessible bushwalks/trails?

January 18th, 2008 · 7 Comments

I received an email today from a prospective traveller to NZ who was looking for recommendations of scenic walks and trails which are accessible by scooter/segway, and to be honest, I wasn’t able to help her much!
I plan to visit as much of New Zealand as I can– both the North and South Islands. I […]

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Tags: Ramblings · Travel

Riverton viewing platform wins award, screws disabled people

January 18th, 2008 · 7 Comments

Really interesting post over at the Capabilities Blog, where the spotlight is on the recently-completed Riverton viewing platform, which has in fact just been awarded “Highly Commended” at the Carter Holt Harvey Timber Design Awards 2007. The catch is, it doesn’t comply with the access provisions of the building code, and in fact the wheelchair […]

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Tags: Blogs · Disability Rights · Public Facilities

Disabled athlete denied entry to Olympics

January 18th, 2008 · 1 Comment

How’s this story for a bit of a twist: a young South African athlete with prosthetic legs has been told he cannot compete in the Beijing Olympics as he would be at an - wait for it - advantage over able-bodied competitors. The 21-year old was 11 months old when his legs were amputated below […]

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Tags: Sport · World

Caregiver scams NZ disabled man of $36,000

January 17th, 2008 · No Comments

You know what strikes me about this story, even more so than the disgusting nature of it, is the idea that I’m 100% sure stuff like this goes on every day, unnoticed by all except the devious individuals themselves…
A caregiver’s first criminal offence was “a fall from grace in a spectacular fashion”, said Christchurch District […]

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Tags: News · Support services

Back from holiday and a mobility van for sale!

January 17th, 2008 · No Comments

Hey everyone,
I’ve been on holiday in the windy city this week, down in our wonderful capital, which is the reason for the lack of updates these past few days! But while I’ve been away I’ve been keeping an eye on things around town so expect a review or two in the coming days
ALSO […]

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Tags: Ramblings · Site News · Transport

Canadian caregivers can now fly for free!

January 13th, 2008 · 3 Comments

In what’s being hailed as a “landmark victory” for disabled Canadians, domestic Canadian airlines will no longer be able to charge an extra fare for a disabled person’s caregiver. That means it effectively puts an end to the one-person-one-fare policy, and enables disabled people to travel by plane without having to pay extra for a […]

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Tags: Disability Rights · News · Transport · World

Review: Coffee Club, Takapuna

January 11th, 2008 · 2 Comments

Well gosh, what an odd place the Coffee Club is. I think it’s trying to put style back into the increasingly-commercialised world of coffee chains, but it’s something which will take a bit of getting used to. What am I talking about, you ask? Read on, and find out…
Well as you can see […]

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Tags: All Reviews · Cafes · Positive Reviews