Inaccessible Nedbank Branch

Inaccessible Nedbank Branch
Originally uploaded by dissol2

This is another view of the same inaccessible Nedbank branch (see the next post)

Inaccessible Nedbank Branch

Inaccessible Nedbank Branch
Originally uploaded by dissol2

This makes me mad!!! This is the new location of the Nedbank branch in Fourways shopping Mall in Jo'burg. Probably one of the busiest Malls in Gauteng, and therefore South Africa. Nedbank in its infinite wisdom(?!), moved from their ground floor location to here...on the first floor. But the only way to access this level is via the escalators. So, not only wheelchair users, but also parents with prams, or shoppers with trolleys are prevented from accessing the branch. I did complain, and asked, at the time to speak to the manager...but what can I say...they are a bank...and have ignored my complaint...

I posted this on my Flickr site a while ago, but have only just worked out how to link them...I will post some more from there shortly

A Erwin: The Broadband Infraco Bill

I hope that this means that something will finally happen with regard to telecommunications in South Africa. We basically have a state run monopoly and therefore incredibly high charges, and very poor service - just like the UK was 20 years ago withBT . Then competition came along (Mercury, etc.) and hey presto, prices came down, and service went up. Internet connectivity can be so useful to many people with disabilities.

A Erwin: The Broadband Infraco Bill: "This broadband capacity is so strategic to our economy that the State is intervening through the formation of Broadband Infraco. The intervention seeks to address the high cost of broadband in South Africa, by making infrastructure in the national backbone and international connectivity available at cost related prices. The high cost of broadband in this country, and the limited access of this technology to all South Africans, hampers our country's participation in the global economy. Telecommunications and internet connection charges have been identified as key barriers to doing business in South Africa, and attracting more investment into the country. If nothing is done about this, our country will get left behind, and we may miss out on key investment opportunities which could further accelerate economic growth, and create more employment opportunities for our people. "

The latest member of the Disability Solutions Access Audit Team!

This is me with Shannon, Michelle's daughter. She is a really happy baby, and was gurgling with delight...right up until the moment that the camera came out!

Activator Wheelchair

Woo hoo! I have ordered my new wheelchair! I was looking for a "rigid / folding" wheelchair but as the Quickie Revolution is being discontinued, and the cost of a locally supplied wheelchair was extraordinarily expensive, I am importing an Activator from Mobility Vision in Ireland. I am hoping that the chair may grab people's attention here, and we may be able to get some more clients for them in South Africa. Presently there appears to be little choice...

James Roche, the owner / manager has been very attentive to my needs, and I am looking forward to having a wheelchair which is not going to destroy the inside of my car...

Gender Translation Service

THE MANS GUIDE TO FEMALE ENGLISH

• We need = I want

• It's your decision = The correct decision should be obvious by now

• Do what you want = You'll pay for this later

• We need to talk = I need to complain

• Sure...Go ahead = I don't want you to

• I'm not upset = Of course I'm upset, you moron!

• You're ... so manly = You need a shave and you sweat a lot

• You're certainly attentive tonight = Is sex all you ever think about?

• I'm not emotional! And I'm not over reacting! = I've got my period

• Be romantic, turn out the lights = I have flabby thighs

• This kitchen is so inconvenient = I want a new house

• I want new curtains = and carpeting, and furniture, and wallpaper.....

• I need wedding shoes = the other 40 pairs are the wrong shade of white

• Hang the picture there = NO, I mean hang it there!

• I heard a noise = I noticed you were almost asleep

• Do you love me? = I'm going to ask for something expensive

• How much do you love me? = I did something today you're really not going to like

• I'll be ready in a minute = Kick off your shoes and find a good game on T.V.

• Is my butt fat? = Tell me I'm beautiful

• You have to learn to communicate = Just agree with me

• Are you listening to me!? = [Too late, you're dead.]

• Yes = No

• No = No

• Maybe = No

• I'm sorry = You'll be sorry

• Do you like this recipe? = It's easy to fix, so you'd better get used to it

• Was that the baby?= Why don't you get out of bed and walk him until he goes to sleep

• I'm not yelling! = Yes I am yelling because I think this is important

• All we're going to buy is a soap dish = It goes without saying that we're stopping at the cosmetics department, the shoe department, I need to look at a few new purses, and those pink sheets would look great in the bedroom and did you bring your checkbook?

THE ANSWER TO A FEMALE SAYING "WHAT'S WRONG?".....

• The same old thing = Nothing

• Nothing = Everything

• Everything = My PMS is acting up

• Nothing, really = It's just that you're such a pain in the butt

• I don't want to talk about it = Go away, I'm still building up steam

THE WOMEN'S GUIDE TO MEN'S ENGLISH

• "I'm hungry" = I'm hungry

• "I'm sleepy" = I'm sleepy

• "I'm tired" = I'm tired

• "Do you want to go to a movie?" = I'd eventually like to have sex with you

• "Can I take you out to dinner?" = I'd eventually like to have sex with you

• "Can I call you sometime?" = I'd eventually like to have sex with you

• "May I have this dance?" = I'd eventually like to have sex with you

• "Nice dress!" = Nice cleavage!

• "You look tense, let me give you a massage." = I want to fondle you

• "What's wrong?" = I don't see why you are making such a big deal out of this

• "What's wrong?" = What meaningless self-inflicted psychological trauma are you going through now?

• "What's wrong?" = I guess sex tonight is out of the question

• "I'm bored" = Do you want to have sex?

• "I love you" = Let's have sex now

• "I love you, too" = Okay, I said it...we'd better have sex now!

• "Yes, I like the way you cut your hair" = I liked it better before

• "Yes, I like the way you cut your hair" = $50 and it doesn't look any different!

• "Let's talk" = I am trying to impress you by showing that I am a deep person and maybe then you'd like to have sex with me

• "Will you marry me?" = I want to make it illegal for you to have sex with other guys

• "I like that one better" (while shopping) = Pick any freakin' dress and let's go home!!!

Stand Tall

This is nice to see (even for a Scotsman!). Here the winning SA Rugby captain John Smit is seen holding the 2 most precious things in his life right now - the William Webb Ellis Trophy, and his daughter. But there is another important feature; look at his wrist - he is wearing the green Stand Tall Wrist Band as promoted by the South Africa Quad & Para Association. Good to see...but then again, it is widely recognised that hookers are the most thoughtful of all rugby players (along with intelligent, good looking...modest, - did I mention where I played??)

BBC NEWS | Africa | South Africa 'losing Aids battle'

This is quite a different slant on the figures as compared to what is being reported in the local press...where some small improvements in some of the figures are being used to show the 'success' of the programmes here... But this is very worrying.

BBC NEWS | Africa | South Africa 'losing Aids battle': "South Africa is in danger of losing the battle against HIV/Aids, the United Nations children's agency has warned. Unicef's South Africa representative, Macharia Kamau, said infection and death rates were outpacing treatment. This was having a devastating effect on children whose parents died of Aids, and sent out a dire message for the future, he said. Mr Kamau said if present trends continued, there could be five million orphans in South Africa by 2015."

India ratifies UN convention on rights of disabled

Come on South Africa, we (and the World) are waiting!! Well done India!

India ratifies UN convention on rights of disabled: "India ratifies UN convention on rights of disabled United Nations | October 02, 2007 1:05:16 AM IST India has ratified a UN convention to promote and protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of those with disabilities as also respect for their inherent dignity. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday deposited with the UN the instrument of ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted by the UN General Assembly on Dec 13 last year. The adoption of the convention 'to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity' followed four years of intense negotiations. The convention marks a major step toward changing the perception of disability and ensures that societies recognise that all people must be provided with the opportunities to lead a life to their fullest potential, the permanent mission of India to the UN said in a press release. India is committed to the elimination of barriers that persons with disabilities face and the Constitution of India implicitly mandates an inclusive society for all, including those with disabilities, it added."

BBC NEWS | Health | Stems cells 'slow nerve disease'

More interesting news on Stem Cell research, but the scientists rightly warn that the clinical use is still a long way off.

BBC NEWS | Health | Stems cells 'slow nerve disease': "Stems cells 'slow nerve disease'
Stem cells show potential for treating the debilitating nerve condition motor neurone disease, research suggests. A US team found injecting rats with stem cells delayed the onset of MND. Writing in the Transplantation, the researchers from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions warned clinical use of stem cells was still a long way off."

BBC NEWS | Health | Find 'offers motor neurone hope'

This could be an exciting breakthrough, although there obviously needs to be a lot more work done on this.

BBC NEWS | Health | Find 'offers motor neurone hope': "Find 'offers motor neurone hope'
Scientists are hopeful that they have found a way to halt the progression of motor neurone disease (MND). A team at Bath University discovered a causal link between the gene involved in the formation of blood vessels and the development of some forms of MND. Mutant versions of the gene's product - angiogenin - are toxic to motor neurones, so blocking this process may stop the disease, they say."

Trekker - HumanWare assistive technologies for vision

Trekker - HumanWare assistive technologies for vision: "A GPS system for the Blind and visually impaired A revolutionary system that uses GPS and digital maps to help blind persons find their way in urban and rural areas. Trekker users can pinpoint exactly where they are, learn about area attractions, and find out how to get to specific destinations. GPS lets them know their location, anywhere in the world, with continually growing precision. Fitting in the palm of the hand, Trekker offers the visually impaired greater freedom, raising their confidence in their ability to travel near or far, for business or pleasure. It also helps them access and enjoy the most valuable and interesting opportunities their surroundings have to offer."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Technique links words to signing

This is fascinating!

BBC NEWS | Technology | Technique links words to signing: "Technique links words to signing By Geoff Adams-Spink Age & disability correspondent, BBC News website Photo of the signing avatar The avatar was developed by the University of East Anglia Technology that translates spoken or written words into British Sign Language (BSL) has been developed by researchers at IBM. The system, called SiSi (Say It Sign It) was created by a group of students in the UK. SiSi will enable deaf people to have simultaneous sign language interpretations of meetings and presentations. It uses speech recognition to animate a digital character or avatar. IBM says its technology will allow for interpretation in situations where a human interpreter is not available. It could also be used to provide automatic signing for television, radio and telephone calls."

Weird Science

I find the following deeply worrying...

Weird Science: "According to a 2001 Gallup poll, 47 percent of all Americans accept a strict creationist view, and only 12 percent accept a strict scientific view of evolution. And the creationists have tried--with some success--to get their views inserted in school curricula across the country, in states like Kansas and Georgia. This despite the fact that nearly all scientists with a specialty in the natural sciences--about 98 percent of them--accept evolution as an established fact."

The Nth Degree Catalog: Advocacy Shirts

There are some excellent shirts here...the only problem is which one(s)!!

The Nth Degree Catalog: Advocacy Shirts: "SAME STRUGGLE CLOSER LOOKsame struggle shirt image see text description below ORDER IT DESCRIPTION: Black shirt with white handwritten message on front saying 'Same struggle, Different Difference.'"

With inclusion at its heart, London will transform lives - Times Online

This is a great article by the great athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson. I do agree with her view completely.

With inclusion at its heart, London will transform lives - Times Online: "With inclusion at its heart, London will transform lives With five years to go, our correspondent says the capital will provide a platform for disabled athletes to effect real social change Tanni Grey-Thompson So the Games are coming home. Today, exactly five years before our Paralympic Games begin, the London 2012 road show is completing its summer UK tour at Stoke Mandeville, near Aylesbury. It was here, in 1948, that a wheelchair competition involving injured Second World War veterans gave birth to the modern Paralympic movement. Sir Ludwig Guttmann, the pioneering neurosurgeon, who came up with the idea of sport as an aid to rehabilitation, was inspired as much by budget constraints as he was by social altruism. The soldiers were proving a drain on his hospital’s stretched post-war resources. A similar sense of pragmatism lay behind my advice to the Games Select Committee, shortly after the bid win. I told them that I couldn’t comment on the proposed Paralympic performance model; it would depend how many of our forces were injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. The collective eyebrow-raising was priceless, but false sensitivity is a waste of time when you’re faced with a win-win situation."

Perry DeAngelis

My favourite podcast has been the Skeptics Guide to the Universe (even if they cannot spell sceptic properly). I listen to the show each week, and find the conversations very interesting & stimulating. It is quite odd listening regularly to these type of podcasts, as you do get to know the different characters involved. So I was quite saddened to learn of the passing of one of the "sceptical rogues"; Perry DeAngelis. I did not agree with all his politics (as he was a quite bit more "to the right" of my own), but I always found his comments amusing, and stimulating. Even though I never met him, I will miss him passing, and my thoughts are with the rest of the panel from SGU, his family & his friends.

Spotted in Hermanus

There were a number of different people abusing the parking bays in and around the Harbour at Hermanus. I was not able to take photos of them all...as I could not park!! If you are, or happen to know, the owner of CA 658 899, and the diver or passenger is disabled then could you suggest that their permit is displayed when parking in a designated accessible parking bay. If the occupants are not disabled, then perhaps we need to point out that stupidity does not qualify...

www.skillsportal.co.za | employment_equity Disability is a thorn in the side of the skills development strategy

This is a very honest, open admission:

www.skillsportal.co.za | employment_equity Disability is a thorn in the side of the skills development strategy: "Disability is a thorn in the side of the skills development strategy
23-MAY-07
By Ivor Blumenthal - CEO of the Services Seta

It is difficult to publicly admit. Seven years into the Skills Development rollout it is apparent that even where we are meeting our paper targets established by the National Skills Development Strategy, where Setas are tasked to ensure that 4% of our benefits is spent on people with disabilities, we are nevertheless failing people with disabilities terribly, especially those with mental disabilities."

Some funny quotes to lighten up your day

• Commenting on a complaint from a Mr. Arthur Purdey about a large gas bill, a spokesman for North West Gas said, "We agree it was rather high for the time of year. It's possible Mr. Purdey has been charged for the gas used up during the explosion that destroyed his house." (The Daily Telegraph)

• Police reveal that a woman arrested for shoplifting had a whole salami in her underwear. When asked why, she said it was because she was missing her Italian boyfriend. (The Manchester Evening News)

• Irish police are being handicapped in a search for a stolen van, because they cannot issue a description. It's a Special Branch vehicle and they don't want the public to know what it looks like. (The Guardian)

• A young girl who was blown out to sea on a set of inflatable teeth was rescued by a man on an inflatable lobster. A coast guard spokesman commented, "This sort of thing is all too common". (The Times)

• At the height of the gale, the harbourmaster radioed a coastguard and asked him to estimate the wind speed. He replied he was sorry, but he didn't have a gauge. However, if it was any help, the wind had just blown his Land Rover off the cliff. (Aberdeen Evening Express)