Hi everyone

So my van’s carked it, again. And it’s going to cost thousands to fix. Excellent news!
It has, however, pushed me to consider getting a new vehicle. I’ve had this one for 7 years now, and it’s cost me almost $4,000 at the mechanic’s in that time. I think I’m due. Plus, if I want to gain employment, reliable transport is a must. And as we all know, public transport + wheelchair does not always equal reliable!

I had a look around and made the startling discovery that for a new, hoist and hand control-equipped car, I’m looking at around $80,000. As absurd as this sounds, it makes sense given the way ACC seems to readily fork out for new cars for their clients, while the rest of us have to dig into our own pockets for that sort of cash.

I’ve also decided that if I’m going to go down this long, arduous process of applying for funding, I only want to do it once. So I’m gunning for a new car. Something like this looks awesome. You might think it’s extravagant and yes, price-wise it most certainly is. But think about this – for the average person pursuing a new career, the assertion “I want reliable transport so I’m going to invest in a new car” would be met with murmurs of approval, of sensibility. That’s because it might only cost them, say, 20k. But $80,000? Ridiculous.

So. Where to from here? I guess I was hoping for some advice/guidance/suggestions around funding avenues. Which agencies/funding streams have you had success with? What other alternatives have you pursued? Any other considerations I should factor in? Sausage sizzles? Ha!

Thanks team!

Are Auckland’s wheelchair users being taken for a ride by their mobility taxi companies?

Last week, I took a taxi from Auckland Airport to my house. It was a hoist-equipped, wheelchair/mobility taxi. The trip cost me a staggering $120. Thankfully, $40 of the trip was covered by Auckland Transport’s Total Mobility Scheme, and the remaining $80 by The Cerebral Palsy Society’s GetOutThere programme.

However, is the presence of these (admittedly, hugely beneficial) schemes the precise reason for such exorbitant prices? I decided to do a little investigation, and check out how the prices of wheelchair/mobility taxis compare with regular, ‘able-bodied’ cabs.

Check out the results!

It came to my attention this morning that NZ Bus have put in an order for 120 new buses from the UK. “Great!”, I thought, having recently traveled and experienced the wonders of automatic ramps (see video below). Given my well-documented loathing for Auckland bus drivers and their complete disregard for disabled passengers, the idea of automatic ramps (saving drivers the evidently gut-wrenching task of unfolding the ramp themselves) seems like a great idea.

But no. Once again, NZ Bus show blatant disregard for the diverse needs of their traveling public, and order 120 buses with the same old manual ramps. If you think I’m being too harsh, or find my tone unnecessarily disparaging, take a ride on a bus with a wheelchair user.

Or at least, try to. You’ll be lucky if the driver lets you on.

• An example of an awesome, wheelchair-accessible bus with an automatic ramp from my travels in Vancouver:

I’ve blogged once or twice before about the foibles of the so-called ‘accessible’ Auckland public transport system, which in reality is anything but.

So imagine my delight when I visited Vancouver as part of my Wheely Big OE, and found automated, truly wheelchair friendly buses and bus drivers! It might have helped that their former mayor was a wheelchair user himself, but nonetheless Vancouver currently stands as the most accessible city I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting.

Click the ‘read more’ link to check out the video!

Howdy folks! It’s been a while. Listen, I’m finally fulfilling my long-standing travel dream. I’m heading off on a “Wheely Big OE”, through Canada, Europe, and Hong Kong! To see where I’m going, what I’m doing, and to view updates throughout my trip, make sure you pop on over to rednz.com. It’ll be … interesting – Red

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

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

Here’s an interesting conundrum that a lot of able-bodied people struggle with. How “helpful” should one be towards a disabled person, without appearing to be condescending, or patronising? Every now and then you might see a wheelchair user struggling up a curb or a step. Do you offer to help, and risk offending him/her, or do you leave them be, confident that they know what they’re doing? It’s a tricky situation, for sure. But how about a blind person? A

Cassi sent me this sweet little poem from the perspective of someone who is deafblind, and I thought I’d post it up here Cheers Cass! TALKING HANDS Graceful movements expressions are relayed many languages are involved Hand on hand, block letter, braille sign Deaf, Deafblind and Hearing alike Mothers, Fathers, Interpreters Sign Language, Talking Hands

Ah, if only all mobility parks were put to such practical uses, this sort of discussion would be completely unnecessary! Ha. Cheers to Matt from CCS Disability Action for the great pic!