Engage Aotearoa

Category Archives: People With Disabilities

Updates to the Mobility Parking Scheme: What You Need to Know

The mobility parking permit scheme is getting a spruce up!

CCS Disability Action has looked at ways in which they can improve the Mobility Parking Permit Scheme in consultation with mobility parking users.

As a result of this consultation, we’re pleased to announce the upcoming changes. We believe as a result the scheme will be fairer and more transparent for all.

Changes

Everyone with an existing permit will still be able to continue to use it, but you will notice changes in the scheme and in permits issued from early December this year.

Fairer eligibility

A number of people told CCS Disability Action that the current eligibility criteria are confusing. As a result of a review CCS Disability Action also felt that there were people who were missing out who had a genuine need, particularly people who require intensive behaviour support that could really benefit from being able to use designated mobility parking spaces.

You will be eligible if you meet the following criteria:

  1. You are unable to walk and always require the use of a wheelchair; or
  2. Your ability to walk distances is severely restricted by a medical condition or disability. If for example, you require the use of mobility aids, experience severe pain, or breathlessness; or
  3. You have a medical condition or disability that requires you to have physical contact or close supervision to safely get around and cannot be left unattended. For example, if you experience disorientation, confusion, or severe anxiety.

Changes to the criteria will make it clearer for people to determine if they are eligible, making the application process easier for all users.

Applying for a permit

To apply for a short-term permit, an extension on a short-term permit or a long-term permit for the first time you will need to get your doctor to confirm your eligibility by completing the medical section of the application form. However if you are renewing your long-term permit – as it was confirmed by your doctor in the application for your first long-term permit that you have a medical condition or disability which affects your mobility and is long-term (permanent); you do not have to provide any additional medical information.

From early December there will be a new application form that will be easier to download from the website www.MobilityParking.org.nz.

Only some of the branch offices will be processing applications received by post – these are listed on the application form. While you will still be able to take your application into your local branch and pay for your permit, the permit will not be issued to you over the counter. Your permit will be sent to you within 5 working days from the date that they receive your application and payment.

New look permit brings greater accountability

Everyone with an existing permit will still be able to continue to use it, but those issued with a new permit from early December will notice a completely new look.

The new permit is in CCS Disability Action colours (green, black and white) and will have the expiry date (month and year) printed on it. The permit will also include a barcode and permit number that will allow parking wardens to scan for real time information, similar to current vehicle licensing technology.

It’s hoped these technological improvements will result in a fairer scheme for all, supporting faster identification of those lost and stolen permits in circulation.

Further changes

In the first half of 2013 CCS Action will be introducing the facility for people to apply and pay for a mobility parking permit online! Keep an eye out on the website for more information on this as it comes to hand.

Contact Sara Georgeson

Mobility Parking Permit Scheme Project Manager

CCS Disability Action , National Office

TEL    04 384 5677
DDI    04 805 0080   MOB  021 1903 786

EML Sara.Georgeson@ccsDisabilityAction.org.nz

www.ccsDisabilityAction.org.nz www.MobilityParking.org.nz

Promoting Participation in General Elections for People with Disabilities

The Ministry of Social Development is looking to improve accessibility of elections processes for people with disabilities.

A consultation document has just been released, with responses due by 14 December. Click on the link below for more information.

http://www.elections.org.nz/study/disability-resources/promoting-participation-in-general-elections-for-disabled-people.html

There’s an accessible Word format document at the above url.

The Ministry of Health’s New Model: what families need to know

Seminar  “Choice & Control – The New Model, what families need to know”.

The Parent & Family Resource Centre and Imagine Better invite you to a free workshop to discuss aspects of the Ministry of Health’s proposed New Model for supporting people with disabilities, and how this will affect families.

These workshops will run on the following dates and venues:

North Auckland

Monday 26 November 6.30 – 9.30pm

YES Disability Resource Centre

3 William Laurie Place, Albany

West Auckland

Monday 3 December 6.30 – 9.30pm

Integrated Neurological Rehabilitation Foundation, 2 Claude Brookes Drive, Henderson

South Auckland

Wednesday 5 December 6.30pm – 9.30pm

Nathan Homestead, 70 Hill Road, Manurewa

Central Auckland

Wednesday 12 December 9.30am – 12.30pm

Independent Living Service (formerly DRC)

14 Erson Ave, Royal Oak

Light refreshments will be available at the start of the workshop and families will receive a workshop pack including some presentation notes.

To book onto this free workshop, please contact Lisa at Parent & Family Resource Centre on 09 636-0351 or lisa@pfrc.org.nz

Please advise if you have specific accessibility requirements or if you require a sign language interpreter.

Click here to view the flier as Word document

click here  to view the flier as pdf.

Human Rights and How to Complain: 19 November 2012

The Health and Disability Commissioner invites you to a …

Meeting

Where? Fickling Convention Centre, 546 Mt Albert Rd, Auckland

When? 10am – 12.30pm Monday, 19 November 2012

What is the meeting about?

The meeting is to talk about …

  • your rights; and
  • how to complain if you are not happy.

To come to the meeting:

         Call:     0800 11 22 33 (ask for Vanessa or Hemant); or

         Email:   seminar@hdc.org.nz

2012 Monitoring Report on the Rights of People with Disabilities in NZ Released

How NZ Treats People with Disabilities

In case anyone has missed this, here is a link to the full report launched last Wednesday 24 October.
http://www.dpa.org.nz/news/3-news/218-2012-monitoring-report-released

What Health Areas Do You Want Tracked?

The Health Quality and Safety Commission have been working with the Atlas team to involve consumers in The Atlas work programme. The Atlas is a way of mapping health and disability services in New Zealand in particular health topic areas.

This is one way consumers can have a say in what topic areas the Atlas might look at.

The link for more background information on Atlas is:

http://www.hqsc.govt.nz/our-programmes/health-quality-evaluation/projects/atlas-of-healthcare-variation/

If you would like to make a submission, or multiple submissions, please send by email by 5pm, Thursday 22 November 2012 to Natalie.ganley@hqsc.govt.nz.

Online Suicide Prevention Training Available!

QPR Online TrainingFoundations in Suicide Prevention

Ask a Question –   Save a Life

Fee $50 including GST

Worried about someone? 

Learn what to look for, when to be concerned and what to say to save a life!

Click here to Purchase QPR Online Suicide Prevention Training

The training programme includes:

  • Risk factors for suicide
  • How to get help for someone in crisis
  • The warning signs of a suicide crisis
  • The common causes of suicidal behaviour
  • Relationship of mental illness to suicide
  • When and how to Question suicidal people
  • How to Persuade people to accept help
  • How to Refer people to resources

QPR New Zealand on-line Suicide Prevention Training

Learn to save a life in as little as two hours, anywhere, anytime.QPR New Zealand offers a comprehensive online training programme, using the latest in educational web technology.  This training will arm you with the skills you need to help prevent suicide today.

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer – 3 simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people are trained in CPR to help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and how to question, persuade, and refer someone for help.

Community Consultation on The Ministry’s Mental Health and Addiction Service Development Plan

The Ministry of Health is releasing for stakeholder consultation Rising to the Challenge: The Mental Health and Addiction Service Development Plan 2012 – 2017.  The purpose of the Plan is to provide direction for mental health and addiction service delivery across the health sector over the next five years, and to clearly articulate Government expectations about what changes are needed to build on and enhance gains made in the delivery of mental health and addictions in recent years. The Plan incorporates key themes from Blueprint II and advances the Government’s focus on better performing public services. The plan has also been informed by input from preliminary sector consultations.

The consultation period will run from 8 October 2012 to 2 November 2012.  Feedback closes on Friday 2 November 2012 at 5.00 pm. Please note that any feedback forms received after this time will not be included in the analysis of feedback.

How to respond

You can respond using the consultation response questionnaire attached to the consultation document. Email your local coordinator to request a consultation document and feedback form.

Attend a regional consultation workshop in your region during October.

You may already be aware of these meetings.  If not, please email the contact person identified for further details if you wish to attend.

Your views and feedback are welcome and can be provided:

a) by email to:  SDP@moh.govt.nz

b)   in writing to:  April-Mae Marshall, Mental Health Service Improvement Group,  Ministry of Health,  PO Box 5013,  Wellington.

All feedback forms will be acknowledged by the Ministry of Health and a summary of feedback will be sent to all those who request a copy. We look forward to your feedback which will assist us to finalise this document.

Acclaim Otago Launches Independent ACC survey

As a support group for injured people, Acclaim Otago is concerned that there is very little in the way of current and independent data available that accurately describes aspects of an injured person’s experience with ACC.

Acclaim Otago’s president, Dr Denise Powell says, “This is especially obvious when talking about rehabilitation and Vocational Independence. We are hearing anecdotally, that people are being exited from ACC without first receiving meaningful rehabilitation”.

ACC has recently said that “rehabilitation always comes first” but Dr Powell says “We have no simple way of finding out if this is correct or not. ACC does not currently keep data that identifies what happens once a person exits the scheme and we believe that is a huge gap. This survey aims to find out what happens to people who are clients of ACC.”

“We hope to use the survey results to make recommendations that will substantially improve the experience of injured people in New Zealand. We believe any improvements we can identify to the scheme will benefit not just the ACC and their clients, but potentially generations of New Zealanders to come” Dr Powell states.

The survey can be found at

Auckland Disability Law Still Needs YOU

Public Launch of Open Letter

The Public Launch of Auckland Disability Law’s open letter to Minister Judith Collins held on Thursday 5th July 2012 at Trades Hall was a positive success.

A crowd of over 30 people attended.  Many of them signed as individuals and on behalf of their organisations.

As a result of this hui, the Herald featured a story about disability law, featuring Steering Group Chair Person, Martine Abel,

Click link below for the article

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10817730

You can also listen to Nicola being interviewed on Checkpoint last week: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2524294/auckland-disability-law-fights-against-closure

A week ago, Auckland Disability Law released and launched their campaign, Save Disability Law.

Since the launch, over 100 individuals have signed up to support Disability Law, and we have received support from these organisations (in alphabetical order):

  • Auckland Action Against Poverty
  • CCS Disability Action
  • DPA Dunedin
  • Green Party of New Zealand
  • Homeworks Trust
  • Kaitaia Community House
  • National Secretary on behalf of New Zealand Public Services Association (PSA)
  • People First
  • PSA Deaf and Disabled Members Network
  • Pukenga Consultancy
  • Service and Food Workers Union SFWU
  • Tamaki Ngati Kapo Inc
  • Te Roopu Waiora Trust
  • The Asian Network Inc.
  • Unite union
  • Youthlaw

It’s not too late to sign!

How to sign

Email your name to info@adl.org.nz and they will add you as an email signatory to our list.

If you are signing on behalf of an organisation, be sure to include your logo.

If your organisation has not yet signed, ask them if they would like to support the cause.

You can also save and print a copy of the Open Letter yourself and send it directly to Minister of Justice Judith Collins http://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/judith-collins

What else you can do

You can write your own letter to Minister of Justice Judith Collins.

You can lobby, write to or talk to your Local MP.  Click link for list of MPs http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/MPP/MPs/MPs/ Don’t forget to let Auckland Disability Law know how your communications with them were received.

Write to the newspapers, or put out your own press release

Contact Auckland Disability Law for further information

Follow on Facebook

Search and click the ‘like’ button on the Auckland Disability Law Facebook page

Come to the “Save Disability Law” public meeting

  • Monday 30th July 2012
  • Time 1pm – 3pm
  • Western Springs Community Garden Hall, 956 Great North Road, Western Springs, Auckland

Further Information

If you require any further information or you are able to help the campaign in any way, please contact us:

Nicola Owen, Development Manager, Auckland Disability Law