Time to get your wallets out and support a very worthy cause! Anita McKenzie is a DRC Southland Trustee and she has requested the following be circulated:
Hullo everybody!
I'm emailing you all because there's a brand new website I would love for EVERYBODY to check out! You'll find it at www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/Anita
Ah yes, I hear you all say, there's a catch - it's a fundraising website and Anita wants some of our money. However, while I would love for as people as possible to make a donation, I actually just want to show off - I'm going to be riding a motorbike (yes, me, in my wheelchair!) from Invercargill to Dunedin in November as part of a nationwide fundraising tour. I can't wait! :-) Me! Back on a motorbike! Very cool!
Check out the website for all the nitty gritty details (like HOW is Anita going to ride a bike? And who is she fundraising for anyway?)
Please feel free to tell EVERYBODY you know who owns a computer about the website, and cheers to everyone who checks it out! (Donations not necessary!)
Anita
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Catwalk's Conquest Tour
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Southland man wins access case
In January this year, we ‘blogged’ the story of the Southland District Council’s failure to comply with regulations, in regard to access to the Riverton Focal Point Viewing platform. http://drcsouth.blogspot.com/2008/01/riverton-viewing-platform-fiasco.html.
Peter Dolamore, a qualified Barrier Free Advisor, assessed the platform for accessibility and found it non compliant with the Building Code and yet the Southland District Council had approved Building Consent for the structure. Peter forwarded a full report of his findings to the SDC who argued that they did not have to include access to the top level platform for wheelchair users because the view wasn’t any different up there! Southland DPA members and other disabled people checked out the platform themselves and found that there clearly was a difference.
The Council’s tokenistic response was to issue a notice to fix some of the ‘minor’ problems but flatly refused to admit that they had breached the Building Code by denying wheelchair users access to the top deck.
Peter, with the support of DPA members and other concerned groups and organisations, decided that the only way to resolve the issue was to apply to the Department of Building and Housing for a Determination. Changes to the Building Act in 2004 gave disabled persons the right to apply for a Determination where they believed their access rights had not been respected. Peter is the first disabled person in New Zealand to take a case to Determination according to Alexia Pickering of Accessible Options who says “From the beginning it was important that this one had a positive result.”
We are thrilled to be able to report that the Determination supported Peter’s case and found against the SDC.
The Department found that “the viewing platform as presently constructed does not comply with Clause D1.3.2 of the Building Code” and “the authority’s (SDC) decision to issue a notice to fix that excluded a requirement to provide wheelchair access to the top level of the viewing platform is reversed.”
We can certainly celebrate this victory and congratulations must go to Pete for his dedication in seeing this through. So, we can expect to see ramp access to ALL levels of the Riverton Viewing platform in time for summer? Well perhaps. Apparently the SDC, whilst acknowledging the decision that they were in error for granting the original building consent, are still bleating on about the Determination and, according to the SDC Manager of Building Control, Kevin O’Connor, the Dept of Building and Housing has not adequately grasped that any proposed changes will require a separate building consent!
Could it be that the SDC are worried that ratepayers may ask why this huge stuff up happened in the first place? Who is responsible for this and what action is being taken to ensure this does not happen again? What would happen if Joe Public tried to get a Building Consent for a non compliant building? One would have to wonder if any of the SDC staff involved have even completed a Barrier Free Trust Course?
Questions, answers and comments welcomed...
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Mike's Big Day Out
Tuesday 26th August was my big day. I had previously won a prize at DRC’s May Day earlier this year. A ski package at Cardrona Ski Field; a day lift pass, a day adaptive ski hire and a two-hour lesson with a Cardrona ski instructor as well as a volunteer from Snow Sport NZ.
I had to email Lesley Johnson at Cardrona and book in for a days skiing. Our first attempt was the 19th, but due to poor road conditions, we put it off to the next Tuesday at 1pm.
It was a 5.30 start and Debbie was there for my morning cares, breakfast and then out to my sister Clare’s, as she and Roger were taking me up to Cardrona in their four-wheel-drive. 10.30 we were on the Crown Rang and we called Lesley on my mobile, to check out were to park when we got there. 11.00 we were parked at the front doors to the ski hire.
On our way up to Cardrona we met quite a few cars coming down from the ski field which meant that either the snow was bad, or the weather was poor! As we drove closer up the road I started to smile as I knew that there was a white-out, which meant that all the skiers were heading home for the day and I wouldn’t have to wait long to get onto the chairlift, and yes, I was right!!!
We were introduced to Lisa, my ski instructor and Anton, my volunteer for the day. Lisa was from Canada and Anton was French and were both trained on disabled skiing
[Snow Sports NZ], and just how to use a Bi-Ski, my means of transport for the next two hours, Ya Hooooo….!
It took 20 minutes to be all fitted out and strapped-into the Bi-Ski and off we went, man was I on a high, a smile a mile wide that lasted for the rest of the day! A Bi-Ski is a frame similar to a go-cart that has two skis attached underneath and you sit in a bucket seat and have a roll bar at your back. You use two out-riggers, which are little skis on the ends of short elbow crutches. These are used to steer you left by pushing out and down on the left out-rigger and with a bit of speed it turns the Bi-Ski to the left. After a quick lesson on the learners slopes, it was up to the top on MacDougall’s Chairlift, or I think that’s what it said, peering through the haze at the sign? This ride was slow and very cold!
Like all sport, you have a few falls, and I sure had my fair share. I still have two sore ribs. Nevertheless, as Lisa showed me the technique is very similar to skiing using your legs. The trick was the faster you moved the easier it was to turn left, and then right, making big S’s in the snow. I had ten runs from the top to the bottom of the chairlift. On my ninth and tenth runs I had no falls, Yes! Then it was back to my wheelchair parked down in the shed. I had a wonderful day, a dream came true. But boy, were my arms tired and sorrrrrre!!!
With hugs all round, it was time to head home, but I will be back someday for another try.
Many thanks to my carer Debbie, DRC, Libby at SPARC, Lesley, Lisa & Anton at Cardrona,
my sister Clare & Rog, I had a Day of Fun I will Never Forget….
Mike Hamill
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS
Freedom in the Air (NZ) is my flying for the disabled & disadvantaged charity that I wish to tour New Zealand.
Awaiting registration with the Charities Commission, Freedom in the Air (NZ) will be a not-for-profit entity.
The purpose of Freedom in the Air (NZ) is to share the freedom, joy and accomplishment of flying with the disabled and disadvantaged; to inspire them by example to aim high and not give up on their own dreams.
In 1995 I broke my back in an agricultural plane crash. I was 21. It seemed my lifelong dream had been shattered in an instant.
For a long time I was stonewalled by bureaucracy.
Finally, in June 2006 – 11 years one month and one day since my last flight alone.
In August 2007 I regained a full unrestricted general aviation licence. The aircraft I now fly is the four-seat Cessna 172. This the world’s most mass-produced plane was first delivered in 1956, are still in production today.
The Cessna has space for Freedom in the Air participants to share the flight with their parents, siblings, or a friend.
Flying with Freedom in the Air could be a great opportunity to promote your group, and will give participants a chance to tell their friends that they “flew an aeroplane.”
The Kiwi bird symbolises 'we shall overcome' to Kiwi humans. From Richard Pearse on, our wingless anatomy has never stopped us flying. Disabilities, bureaucracy, bad luck – yes, they're obstacles. But when you've been bitten by the flying bug they can also be spurs.
Barry Cardno
5 Achilles Place, Wanaka 9305
P 03 443 1905 C 027 611 4989
bcardno@xtra.co.nz http://www.freedomintheair.org/
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Sponsorship Workshops
Via my Aussie contacts I have received info on some Sponsorship Workshops to be held in Auckland and Wellington in September. The speaker is Julian Moore – truly a Mister Munny in the sponsorship world in the UK and now taking Aussie by storm! The cost is $299 per workshop and there are two on the day. That is Aust $ so works out at around $NZ365 x 2 = $730ish. But wait... there's more!
If you book before the 31st July you can get 3 for the price of 2 and there are flexible options on using this deal too! Check out the details on the website:
http://www.membershipsolutions.net.au
If you want to find out about "Sponsorship Offers - Creating High Value Proposals for Sponsors at Low Cost. Increase your income, decrease your costs" and "Sponsorship Sales - Gaining and Retaining Your High Value Sponsors. Identify New Sponsors and Close the Deal." then these Workshops are an absolute MUST!
See you there!
Free Software for Not-for-Profits
When I was at conference in Aussie last year I heard about an organization called Donortec. Basically, they administer a scheme where not-for-profits can get free software, hardware etc. I said I was from NZ and asked if we could access it here. They said no but it would be available in NZ in 2008. Well, it is here now! You can access the freebies through Techsoup:
http://www.techsoup.net.nz/about-techsoup-new-zealand
They only have Microsoft software at the moment but it will grow as other suppliers get on board with it. This is genuine MS software and just have a look at the list of stuff you can get! Those of us with networks can get all the latest server software and you can get Vista, XP and Office software with up to 50 licenses for a small admin fee.
If you have a look at the Donortec site you can see what may be available to us in the future: http://www.donortec.com.au/directory.
Let us know what bargains you pick up!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Web browser for kids with Autism
John LeSieur is in the software business, so he took particular interest when computers seemed mostly useless to his 6-year-old grandson, Zackary. The boy has autism, and the whirlwind of options presented by PCs so confounded him that he threw the mouse in frustration.
LeSieur tried to find online tools that could guide autistic children around the Web, but he couldn't find anything satisfactory. So he had one built, named it the Zac Browser For Autistic Children in honor of his grandson, and is making it available to anyone for free.
LeSieur's quest is a reminder that while the Web has created important communication and educational opportunities for some people with cognitive impairments, computers can also introduce new headaches for families trying to navigate the contours of disability.
The Zac Browser greatly simplifies the experience of using a computer. It seals off most Web sites from view, to block violent, sexual or otherwise adult-themed material. Instead it presents a hand-picked slate of choices from free, public Web sites, with an emphasis on educational games, music, videos and visually entertaining images, like a virtual aquarium.
Other programs for children already offer that "walled garden" approach to the Web. But LeSieur's browser aims to go further: It essentially takes over the computer and reduces the controls available for children like Zackary, who finds too many choices overwhelming.
For example, the Zac Browser disables extraneous keyboard buttons like "Print Screen" and turns off the right button on the mouse. That eliminates commands most children don't need anyway, and it reduces the chance an autistic child will lose confidence after making a counterproductive click.
Children using the Zac Browser select activities by clicking on bigger-than-normal icons, like a soccer ball for games and a stack of books for "stories." The Zac Browser also configures the view so no advertisements or other flashing distractions appear.
Check out the Zac Browser at http://www.zacbrowser.com. It can be downloaded or run from the site - and best of all IT'S FREE!!!
Monday, April 14, 2008
3RD May 2008
Entrance main doors off Esk Street car park.
Upstairs in the North, South and East Lounges
Lift available.10am - 3pm
Over 60 exhibitors registered. Check out the list of organisations on our Community Notices on the DRC Southland website www.drcsouth.co.nz. Come and see what services and help they can offer.
Check out how to do sign language - a public session 11am and two sessions in the East Lounge, one at 1.00 - 1.30pm and another at 2.00 - 2.30pm.
Saturns Personal Training Studio will demonstrate their Oxigeno programme. This is a mixture of Tai Chi, Pilates and Yoga. Join in with Jason in the North Lounge at 10.20 - 10.35pm. Have a go with Jason in the East Lounge at 1.30 - 2.00pm. This is a really nice way to exercise.
WIN a Samsung cellphone valued at over $400 donated by Harvey Norman by taking part in the Information Treasurehunt.
A written quiz will also give you a chance to win prizes.
FREE Health checks. The Southern Institute of Technology Nursing class are available to check out and see if you are in tiptop shape.
No time to shop for clothes, come and rummage through the pre-loved and new clothing from the Nearly New.
The Corinthian Restaurant is opening especially for the expo and will be offering morning tea for $3.50 between 10 and 11.am and the famous Workies Club $6 lunch or ($10.50 for two courses) from 12noon - 1.30pm.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
SITUATIONS VACANT
Position 2
“SIMPLY IRREPLACEABLE?”
A very valued employee is leaving us to further her career. If you think you have what it takes to replace her in the role of…
ADMIN ASSISTANT
40 hours per week
…you should contact us now. We are looking for someone who preferably has a background in accounts and general office work. You will possess excellent computer skills and accuracy in the input of data. You must be a versatile and flexible team player and be prepared to undertake a variety of tasks in an environment where a sense of humour is seen as an essential aid to prevent stress.
Application Packs are available from our Centre at:
137 Spey Street
P O Box 1091
Invercargill
Ph: 214 5000
Email: Trudy
Applications close at 5pm, Friday 14th March 2008
SITUATIONS VACANT
Position 1.
“JULIE IS LEAVING
…HELP!!!”
PERSONAL ASSISTANT
20 hours per week
The Boss’s PA is off to Christchurch to live and we need to find someone to take her place. We can vouch for the fact that Carol is one of the better bosses around but she does tend to ‘misplace’ things - which Julie always finds!
As well as finding things, you will have excellent admin skills including a fearless approach to computers and office gadgets. You will have plenty of initiative and be able to project manage when required to. A sense of humour is absolutely essential.
If you think you have what it takes to ‘look after’ the Boss then give us a call or come in and pick up an application pack from our Centre or contact us and we will send you one:
137 Spey Street
P O Box 1091
Invercargill
Ph: 214 5000
Email: Julie
Applications close at 5pm, Friday 14th March 2008.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Go for Gold in Queenstown
Monday, January 28, 2008
Playground Access Issue
It seems like the Southland District Council is not the only Territorial Authority discriminating against people with disabilities. This letter from Andrew Hall, CEO of Burwood Spinal Trust has been sent to the Mackenzie District Council. The response from the MDC Community Facilities Manager was that the original surface for the playground was to be NuMat but it was changed at the last minute (AFTER public consultations closed) in order to save money!
Over the Christmas and New Year break my family and I were staying in our holiday home in Twizel and we were most interested to see the completed town centre developments. The landscaping and development has clearly made the area much more attractive and the bird sculptures are excellent too.
I was disappointed however to see the completely inaccessible new playground area and ‘only accessible with difficulty’ surrounding white gravel pathways. I have two small children aged 10mths and 3½ years and the older boy is a frequent playground user. He was down at the old Twizel playground just about everyday when we were there and I’m sure that the younger boy will soon also be a big time playground user.
It is completely impossible for me, as a parent who uses a wheelchair, to assist my children in the new playground due to the loose gravel surface that has been applied. If the material is able to be solidified in some way, maybe with crusher dust, then access may be slightly improved (although still not ideal) however I assume it will then become unsuitable for safety reasons.
Last year the New Zealand Spinal Trust constructed a $130,000 garden and playground in front of the Burwood Spinal Unit and the surface that was laid in the playground was called Safe-T-Mats supplied by Numat Industries in Oamaru (ph: 0800 686 287). This surface cost about $66/sq metre (excl GST and excl installation and freight) so is clearly not cheap but it is the best surface by far for playgrounds.
Also it seems there are still some large gaps in the playground area so I am hopeful that some of the equipment still to be installed will include items suitable for Under 5s. Maybe some of the items could be from the old playground or perhaps they could be new items of a similar nature (particularly the slides and the fort structure)?
The NZ Spinal Trust is very interested in assisting the Mackenzie District Council to develop fully accessible facilities anywhere so please feel free to contact us at any time if you think we can help.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
RIVERTON VIEWING PLATFORM FIASCO!
· There is no signage to indicate wheelchair access.
· With the first flight of steps the first riser is 190 mm high the rest are 150 mm high.
· There is very little colour contrast on the nosings. The nosings should be of a clearly contrasting colour compared to the rest of the steps.
· The middle handrail at the top of the first flight of steps finishes at the top of the last riser.
· The height of the handrail measured at the ramp is 1060 mm at the bottom and 1040 mm at the top, the handrail height should be 900 mm - 1000 mm (840 – 900 mm NZS 4121)
· With some panels there are gaps between the handrails of varying widths. Gaps measured were from 30 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, 55 mm the largest is 73 mm. Handrails should be continuous so that a persons hand cannot slip between the handrails.
· There should be no obstruction to the passage of the hand along the rail grip. On the viewing platform there is a significant gap at each corner measuring 160 mm across.
Access requirements and what is acceptable is very clearly defined in the Building Code and New Zealand Standard 4121, so the information of what is required is available for designers to use when preparing plans. It appears that the designers have not referred to any of this information when they have designed this viewing platform.
Was any independent advice sought about access requirements?
Advice received from Fulton Hogan – the builders - they had no input into the consent process and constructed the viewing platform to a supplied set of construction drawings.
Advice received from Opus – the designers - is the viewing platform was designed to client specifications to a set budget.
Therefore a question that requires answering is why the Southland District Council issued a building consent when quite clearly the finished viewing platform does not comply with access provisions of the Building Code. The Riverton viewing platform has to rate as one of the worst examples of providing access to a public facility.
The Southland District Council needs to act immediately and rectify the faults with the Riverton viewing platform before issuing a Code of Compliance Certificate. But they argue that they granted a building consent with the viewing platform not being wheelchair accessible as they decided that wheelchair access to the viewing platform is not required because, according to them, there is no difference in views from where the present ramp finishes and the viewing platform is. (450 mm height difference) This is a ridiculous statement because if there is no difference in the view why put the extra level there at all? It is unacceptable to refuse access to the top viewing platform for a person who is unable to climb stairs as this is a place which all members of the public are entitled to enter.
When the Southland District Council were asked if any advice was sought about access requirements prior to issuing the building consent there was deafening silence. The Southland District Council as the relevant Territorial Authority and the Department of Building and Housing have no powers to grant waivers or modifications to the access requirements Section 67 & 69 Building Act 2004.
The council is not adhering to regulations that they are suppose to enforce. They are blatantly ignoring the rights of people with disabilities and they need to stop their plan to issue a Code of Compliance Certificate and PUT THINGS RIGHT!
