tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3835027718843932772024-03-13T23:15:49.798+02:00View from a wheelchairThis is a space for my own, personal musings. Possibly I shall, at a later date, connect this to my company's website (http://www.disabilitysolutions.co.za) & "official" blog(http://disabilitysolutions@blogspot.com). But for now, it remains my own private observations, distinct from Disability Solutions.Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.comBlogger170125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-36401650212135941092010-05-12T19:34:00.000+02:002010-05-12T19:34:31.513+02:00Wonderful Concert by Filia School at Cape Town Stadium
There has been a lot of nonsense, and unfounded allegations recently regarding some of the stadia built for the FIFA 2010 competition. The concert today clearly demonstrated to everyone that Cape Town Stadium is fully accessible to all.
Filia School is a special needs educational unit based in Goodwood. They had asked me if I knew of an accessible facility where they could Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-35374607614209060632010-05-03T20:52:00.000+02:002010-05-03T20:52:08.492+02:00Invitation to a Special Concert in a Special PlacePress Release
Cape Town Stadium is proud to host Filia School’s Laduma concert in celebration of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup®.
Filia School is a special needs educational facility from Goodwood. This is the third, and final, annual concert that they have been staging in the build up to the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup®, due to start on 11th June.
The concert performed by the children at the Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-27321944122805181672010-05-02T14:10:00.000+02:002010-05-02T14:10:09.424+02:00Polished ApartheidDiscrimination with style.
Maybe I should wait a while to calm down before posting this. The following may get deleted, as my blood pressure drops.
I thought that every (volcanic) cloud has a silver lining… Well I was wrong. What I should have realised is that I always get the shitty end of the stick again.
A good friend is in the international tourism business. He had arranged for a Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-38439423328493811022010-03-24T19:43:00.002+02:002010-03-24T19:43:41.361+02:00SpeakZALast week, shocking revelations concerning the activities of the ANC Youth League spokesperson Nyiko Floyd Shivambu came to the fore. According to a letter published in various news outlets, a complaint was laid by 19 political journalists with the Secretary General of the ANC, against Shivambu. This complaint letter detailed attempts by Shivambu to leak a dossier to certain journalists, Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-1106939637034947992009-12-05T18:09:00.002+02:002009-12-05T18:13:53.178+02:00Challenge to the Premier of Gauteng ProvinceOK, maybe it is not hard to offend me these days. But the recent speech by the Premier of Gauteng really rattled me: Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane has called on people living with disabilities to “stop relying on social grants and become active participants in the country’s economy”. Nice...if only if it were that easy!!! This is so offensive on many levels. It makes the assumption that Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-36365276618459708212009-12-03T17:30:00.002+02:002009-12-03T17:33:07.108+02:00FIFA MadnessJust in case there is anyone left in SA still not aware that something big is happening next year…This week is a mad week for me, and my company, on our various 2010 projects, especially the ones in Cape Town. We have various inspections, and also the draw tomorrow at the CTICC.The whole FIFA project is incredibly complex. I am sure (and hope) that the events tomorrow pass off without incident. Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-19735486165092958892009-08-19T12:24:00.004+02:002009-08-19T12:29:05.134+02:00Apartheid by design: Disabled people in PMBFor fear of being accused of a little self promotion, and I would hardly call myself an "Activist", this is a brilliant article:ONCE upon a time in South Africa, buildings had separate entrances and facilities for people of different races. The practice was outlawed as discriminatory along with the policy that created it: apartheid. That discredited philosophy was replaced with a Constitution Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-54440920594371906372009-06-07T23:48:00.001+02:002009-06-08T00:12:34.805+02:00More 2010 updates - from the fieldToday was a great event at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The general public were invited to 'inspect' their stadium. We did not get quite the numbers we were expecting...but a great time was had by all that turned up, I think! Most of these were taken early on, before the crowds arrived.If someone can tell me how to upload video onto the site then I can upload some clips which demonstrate Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-42256103479358634342009-06-02T12:39:00.001+02:002009-06-02T12:48:37.044+02:00The Future of Social Networking? Google Wave...I am quite a fan of Google; I use Gmail, Reader, Calendar, Documents, etc. So I have been reading about the development of one of its new products - Google Wave, with great interest. What is Google Wave? Well, it is quite unlike anything else that we have at the moment. It is billed as a "real time communication platform". But it is a bit like email, IM, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, all rolled Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-70403814952436383322009-04-28T13:57:00.001+02:002009-04-28T13:57:35.511+02:00Disabled Parking Abuse at The Palms AGAIN!!Yet more accessible parking abuse at The Palms in Cape Town. This slot is always taken by some idiot.Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-55913214740809219712009-03-31T11:14:00.002+02:002009-03-31T11:29:39.442+02:00What is Accessibility?Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product (e.g., device, service, environment, building etc.) is accessible by as many people as possible. That is easy isn't it? Well, no, it is not that easy. I want to explain what accessibility is all about, and why you need to think carefully about it. I was looking to book a B & B for myself. So, like most Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-32900632627634233372009-03-15T09:33:00.004+02:002009-03-15T09:55:16.263+02:00So Sorry!!I have certainly been ignoring my blog here for a while. I should try to rectify that I guess. My (feeble) excuse is that I have been rather busy lately. The following photos show what I have been busy with Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-59930307880363664342008-08-24T12:27:00.003+02:002008-08-24T12:38:54.637+02:00Stem Cell Ethical Concerns This particular post should be read after (at least!!) reading the previous 3 posts - Stems Cells 101, & the Potential Impact of Stem Cell Research Part1 & Part2.
I shall try to outline some of the concerns surrounding this issue. Again, this is done in a rather over-simplified manner.
Of course, I think almost everyone involved or interested in the whole debate, is hoping that Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-58392078525308440272008-08-24T12:19:00.001+02:002008-08-24T12:37:19.395+02:00Potential Impact of Stem Cell Research (Part 2)Right, so we have covered what stem cells basically are (Stem Cells 101), and I touched on their potential impact in the next post Potential Impact of Stem Cell Research Part 1. Now let's look at the more controversial issues of cloning. I think this is the area which is most misunderstood, and seems to cause most problems for many people.There are two distinct subjects to cover: a. TherapeuticGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-13075619903719892392008-08-24T12:11:00.001+02:002008-08-24T12:16:45.603+02:00Potential Impact of Stem Cell Research (Part 1) Stem Cells 101 gave a very brief, simple look at stem cells. Now we will look at the possible areas in which they may be used. I really want to unpack this before touching on the ethical issues. In this post I am concentrating on impairments and diseases. Part 2 will look at the potentially more contentious issue of cloning. It is important to realise that while there are applications Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-24649010576818646072008-08-16T12:41:00.002+02:002008-08-16T12:44:46.892+02:00A nice quote to get you thinkingI happened across this wonderful quote by Susan Wendell, from her book "The Rejected Body: Feminist Philosophical Reflections on Disability". I think it is worth sharing:Not only do physically disabled people have experiences which are not available to the able-bodied, they are in a better position to transcend cultural mythologies about the body, because they cannot do things the able-bodied Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-79167972751826959822008-08-11T16:09:00.001+02:002008-08-11T16:12:49.797+02:00Stem Cells 101This post is an attempt to explain what stem cells are, and the differences between the different types. I am not going to touch on the ethics of stem cell research in this post, but leave that for a later discussion. I do think it is important that people understand what a stem cell is before they are able to make a judgment call on the ethics surrounding the subject. That may sound obvious; Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-36271119225202225262008-08-03T15:02:00.002+02:002008-08-03T15:18:38.591+02:00Accessibility Is your house accessible? Probably not. A recent survey in the UK found that 98% of all new, privately built dwellings are inaccessible (to wheelchair users). My anecdotal (therefore untrustworthy) experience, would suggest that that figure would be similar here in SA. What about your place of work? Or you local restaurant / café? What about your place of worship? Cinema? Doctor's Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-67931922959909607102008-07-26T20:55:00.001+02:002008-07-26T20:56:12.128+02:00The Presidency to host National Disability Summit, 28 to 29 JulThis should be interesting...but potentially just more hot air?The Presidency to host National Disability Summit, 28 to 29 JulGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-7471064136438266722008-06-21T19:58:00.002+02:002008-06-21T20:00:56.095+02:0021/06/2008 Shopping Trolleys blocking Accessible Bay at Paarl Mall 21/06/2008 Shopping Trolleys blocking Accessible Bay at Paarl Mall Originally uploaded by dissol2 This REALLY annoys me. 3 people at Paarl Mall were just too bloody lazy, and decided to leave their trolleys blocking one of the accessible bays. Amazing the lack of thought that some humans display!!!Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-58419807051988734892008-06-17T10:53:00.002+02:002008-06-17T10:58:52.409+02:00Sad reflection on the status of people with disabilities in ChinaRecently I read an article in the Times which pulled apart a document produced by the Chinese to "advise" people who to treat people with disabilities in preparation for the upcoming Paralympics. It really made some sad reading, especially given that there are approx 83 million people with disabilities living in China (which is equal to the entire population of Germany)."The guide for Chinese Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-69681802128374740282008-06-03T19:27:00.001+02:002008-06-03T20:23:03.540+02:00E Molewa on priority provincial disability programmeSome more political promises - we need to monitor to see if they are actually delivered.E Molewa on priority provincial disability programme: "'The programme includes, amongst others, commitments on economic empowerment of people with disabilities, improving the internal capacity to manage the disability programme, increasing accessibility of services to persons with disabilities and broadening Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-64102449744167813492008-05-18T17:06:00.001+02:002008-05-18T23:12:33.076+02:00Colony Collapse Disorder : Blogging Against Disablism Day � Andrea’s Buzzing About:This is a great post from another blog, Andrea's Buzzing About, which gets you thinking...Colony Collapse Disorder : Blogging Against Disablism Day � Andrea’s Buzzing About:: "The honeybees are in danger.I don’t care; I hate bugs!Too few people with disabilities complete their education or are fully employed.That’s not my problem; I don’t know any of Those People.Curiously, these two things are Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-69801590603520010172008-05-10T12:28:00.001+02:002008-05-10T13:23:13.070+02:00N Pandor to meet S Hawking in Muizenberg, 11 MayAt least we can listen on the radio. But from all accounts Muizenberg Pavilion is a real dive. Surely a more suitable venue could have been provided for a man of Professor Hawking's stature?N Pandor to meet S Hawking in Muizenberg, 11 May: "On Sunday, 11 May the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor will welcome Stephen Hawking, who is to give his first ever public lecture in Africa.Hawking's Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383502771884393277.post-20050656636173960452008-04-21T08:55:00.001+02:002008-04-21T08:56:51.730+02:00Case study: Brighton & Hove City Council - Talking Bus Stops for the blind and visually impaired (linked to Real Time Bus Information signs) :: PublicThis is a very interesting piece of news. A city in the UK has won a technology award for the provision of talking bus stops. I would suggest that people read the full article. They do say that this can be replicated in other areas, and I hope that will happen.Case study: Brighton & Hove City Council - Talking Bus Stops for the blind and visually impaired (linked to Real Time Bus Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602777267475471553noreply@blogger.com2