Re Uber Assist – do you know if there are any plans for Uber to become part of the Total Mobility scheme?
I am a wheelchair user myself who would consider using Uber but given I can get 50% off using taxi companies, it doesn’t really seem worth my while. The lowering of safety standards is another de-motivator.
Were Uber to ever introduce a mobility van service, however, I would ditch taxi companies completely unless I was going somewhere which could only accommodate a regular wheelchair (I mostly use a power wheelchair to get around). The availability of taxi mobility vans is so limited, I have missed multiple meetings, had to turn up 2 hours early just to be able to get one, or been waiting over an hour for pickup…

This is a very well-written collection of thoughts!

I am a disabled person, not a parent of a disabled child, but I sometimes feel similar in regards to the "grieving the what could have been" thing. I think of myself as a confident person and am proud of who I am, but sometimes it is tough not to get down about things when my non-disabled peers are having experiences in their lives which would take a huge amount of planning for me. The example I am thinking of is that I have a good friend who is heading to Europe on a 2-year working holiday next week and I am just feeling a bit down at the thought that I couldn't do the same. I am sure that I will make it to Europe in the near future, but unlike her, it will take a huge amount of planning and will likely have to be in the short-term, unless for example, I somehow was able to study there. This example may seem frivolous compared to what you are all talking about but I just wanted to highlight that it isnot just parents who feel this way sometimes, despite having a significant amount of pride in identifying as disabled.

Hi Hilary and Sacha. My dissertation is essentially going to be focused around the challenges of implementing CRPD, using post-earthquake Christchurch as a case study. Treaties are easy to ratify but implementation is another matter especially when the government is trying to balance cost with other obligations. I don't expect it will be a terribly optimistic paper but I think it will be interesting. If anyone knows of any research or particular policies they think I should highlight, please let me know. I have only just handed in my proposal so I haven't really dived into things yet.

(A) I have Cerebral Palsy
(B) My mum has Multiple Sclerosis.
(C) I have many disabled friends
(D) I have a workmate who is (also) a disabled person.
(E) My work isn't exclusively related to disability but some of it is.
(F) I am doing my law honours dissertation on the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

Even more interesting is that the Minister for Disability Issues is the co-leader of the Maori party, which voted this through...

What does that say?

As a disabled person and someone currently studying towards a law degree, this is alarming to me on many levels.

Aside from the fact that this Government has clearly shown that they consider disabled people nothing more than a financial burden to society, and therefore a group underserving of the most basic of human rights, the blatant disregard of democratic process is very worrying.

Perhaps the saddest thing is that, while there are disabled people working very hard to advocate and influence from the inside of these organisations, taking a moral stand against this puts them at risk of losing their jobs and thus, their ability to influence. So, how are we supposed to make any kind of change?