Posts by Rosemary McDonald
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Hard News: The war is still with us, in reply to Ross Mason,
David Kelly, possibly the first casualty of the war on the war on terror.
Deserves to be remembered here.
-
Up Front: Fringe of Darkness, in reply to ,
it’s like having to clean grease out of the London sewers.
I didn’t just let it go, because some things are to important.
Respect, Steven.
PS. Thanks from those who failed to live down to their expectations...
-
I'd add to the previous post that we are not very good at demanding our 'rights'.
I know ACC funded disabled who honestly believe they have rights and entitlements and approach ACC with that attitude. They are backed up by legislation and any number of wriggly arsed lawyers who will defend their rights and entitlements.
Non-ACC disabled entered into a twelve year process to establish the 'right' to an adequate level of funded care and the 'right' to have a family member paid to provide that assessed care....and look where we ended up.
A clear message from the government that MOH:DSS disabled have no rights and entitlements and we will punish you harshly if you have the audacity to demand any.
-
What really, really distresses me is that this family, who are at the start of their disability journey, are going to have a harder time sourcing supports than those who have been battling the system seemingly forever.
How the hell have we let this happen?
I recall Brian Easton saying (for the Atkinson case) words to the effect that if that is what it costs to support eligible people...then so be it.
BUT...I suspect that he was idling under the illusion that disabled Kiwis (not supported by ACC) have actual entitlements.
We really need to find a way of turning this around.
-
Must be the season for it.... parents of boy with Down Syndrome told 'you're on your own.'
When this little shit storm broke, the resulting discussions suggested that if parents chose to continue a pregnancy knowing the baby had a disability they should not expect the state to support them and their 'mistakes'....
Looks like the the seeds took root....
Kia kaha, Mikkelsen family.
-
Access: Disability as a wicked policy problem, in reply to Sacha,
Similar rubbish with continence supplies apparently. Someone in Thorndon decided that disabled/older people only piss themselves twice a day max.
Oh yes indeedy.
Luckily, we can buy the extras we need.
One wee paradox that we highlighted in our little flyer (aimed at raising the consciousness of our ACC cousins) was the fact that the median household income of Miserly of Health spinal impaired was half that of the ACC crowd….and they are not having to use their own funds to augment supplies. ACC are more than generous.
Arrrggh….I’m a bitter, miserable old so and so….
-
Access: Disability as a wicked policy problem, in reply to Angela Hart,
It must also be increasing costs because UTIs cost money to treat, especially if they result in hospitalisation.
Yes...and especially in the case of those born with spinal impairment, repeated bladder and kidney infections can lead to permanent kidney damage. Can lead to loss of kidney/s, limbs, and ultimately shorten life.
And if feeling like crap pretty much all the time becomes too much....there will be PAS to solve all our problems.
Result.
-
Access: The Universal Basic Income and…, in reply to Hilary Stace,
We have an appointment next week with a real person
You might need to check that they are, actually, a real live human being.
Replacing petty bureaucrats (and their ilk) with robots is well on the cards....
Hilary...rips one's undies, does it not, having to deal with these stuff ups despite one's every effort to avoid?
Good luck sorting this out...seriously.
-
Yes!
More than 20 people protested outside an early screening of the film at the Embassy Theatre in central Wellington last night, chanting "assistance to live, not assistance to die" and "tell sad stories about your own lives".
Protest organiser Esther Woodbury said negative attitudes towards people with disabilities were as disabling as physical problems.
-
Access: Disability as a wicked policy problem, in reply to Hilary Stace,
rather than ACC v Ministry of Health funding for disability support generally.
Interesting, and also disappointing, that he focused on the Trevethick case.
We were frustrated that the case took up the issue of vehicle funding when there were much more important areas of disparity that could have been highlighted.
For instance....an ACC funded crip wheels confidently into a public toilet, whips out a sterile packed, single use only catheter, feeds it up their urethra into their bladder and drains the urine therein. Removes catheter and discards. Goes about their merry way.
A Misery of Health funded crip wheels (with less confidence as the chances are the chair is not of the same quality) into a public toilet and removes from a snaplock bag the previously sterile packed, single use catheter, feeds it up their urethra into their bladder to drain the urine therein. They then use the sink in the public toilet to rinse said (supposedly single use) catheter and return it to it's snaplock bag to be used the next (up to 10 ) times. Leaves public toilet knowing that the chance of a serious bladder or kidney infection is high.
This is a real comparison. A situation we discussed at a recent meeting of spinal impaired organised by The Association for Spinal Concerns....an organisation which purports to represent ALL Kiwis with spinal impairment, including the 40% who are not supported by ACC.
Of course, the conversation was between the three spinal impaired at the 'do' who were not funded by ACC. Despite having handed out a flyer outlining the measured disparities between the two groups (from government funded research) only one of the ACC funded crips deigned to hold a conversation with us about the issue....and to be honest....that guy was a FOAF anyway.
A copy of the flyer was (again) emailed to TASC....as yet no response(again).
We do try to advocate, in our own pathetic way, but when the two groups in New Zealand representing spinal impaired refuse to take up this issue....we are farting in a strong wind.