It certainly doesn’t appear so.

Let me detail the gross under-representation of disability issues on the campaign trail so far:

• Public meetings held at inaccessible venues (read: heaps of stairs)
• No mention of disability in any of the main candidates manifestos/policies
• No reassurance that current disability advocate roles within council will exist under the new Auckland Council

Quite simply, disability isn’t on the agenda. And given that the Rugby World Cup is just around the corner, not only is it an embarrassing omission by the mayoral candidates, it’s also downright stupid. You can expect many of the visitors to our shores next year will use a mobility aid of some kind, whether it be a wheelchair, cane, or even glasses. And don’t forget they’ll be bringing family and friends with them, so by ignoring accessibility issues (let alone making them a priority!) a huge economic opportunity is being wasted.

Come on now, really? Cerebral palsy and theatre don’t mix! And yet, Bats Theatre in Wellington is challenging that notion by staging ‘KatyDid’, the lead character of which does indeed have cerebral palsy. It’s almost worth a trip down to the capital to see it!

The play is proving so popular that they’re adding extra shows this weekend to cope with the demand. So if you live in Wellington, and fancy a bit of spice with your theatre, grab your tickets now!

Although I’m told, somewhat ironically, that the theatre itself is inaccessible to wheelchair users… sigh!

You know, when this grizzly affair involving the murder of Keith McCormack first hit the news, I wasn’t at all certain justice would be served. The accused, Eric Neil Smail, claimed self-defence, saying that it all became “too much” in his capacity as his best friend’s caregiver. One wonders how such a ghastly arrangement came to be in the first place.

Anyway, as it happens the jury did find him guilty of murder, and not manslaughter as he had so pitifully tried to plead. And today, he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.

It’s a sad story all round, really, but I’m glad that it sends a strong, albeit painfully obvious message: disabled people’s lives are valued just as much as those of non-disabled people. I think there was a real danger of establishing a second class of citizen, should this verdict and sentence not have been reached.

You can read the full article here.

This is just so exciting. A group of young people from the UK are organising a beauty pageant for people with disabilities called “Disabled and Sexy”, and I’m not gonna lie – these girls look hot! The pageant is supporting a great cause too, the Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

I find it so so frustrating that disabled people are often seen as asexual beings, thanks in part to the media’s tragic portrayal of us the eternal sufferer. So I’m raising my glass to this lot – I’d love to do something similar down under!

Check out their website for more information.

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.

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

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

Okay, so I don’t often get mushy about stuff but this has to be one of the sweetest things I’ve seen in quite some time. Nick Chisholm, paralyzed for the last 9 years with locked-in syndrome, has found love on the internet (with a hot chick!). I’ll stop rambling because it’s portrayed much more heart-warmingly in this episode of Close-Up. Check. It. Out. Now. http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/tonight-close-up-2646711/video

Interesting piece this. Taken from The Aucklander “Sorry lass, we can’t pull up outside. We’ve had to park 200m that way,” says the driver to the woman in the wheelchair. Pushing and pulling the wheelchair over kerbs past the disabled parking spots, the driver manages to help his disabled customer to the van. It happens all the time and it is frustrating, says the only specialist mobility taxi company in Auckland, Re-li-on-us. Because mobility parking cards are issued only to

Not impressed, Mr Obama. Not impressed at all. Hopefully the YouTube video below will stay live for you all to see this, but the gist of it goes that Jay Leno is asking Barack Obama if he has kept the bowling alley in the White House. Obama replies that yes, he has kept it, and that he even shot a “126″ the other day. Leno scoffs, as if to imply the score is a little pathetic, and Obama jokes that