[blindza] SPONGE NEWS AND VIEWS, DECEMBER 2011

From: "Tony Webb" <tony.webb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "BLINDZA" <blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 17:22:16 +0200

Dear List,
The SPONGE is back!
Regards,
Tony Webb,
The.Sponge Project, Port Elizabeth.
+27-41-368 3707, Mobile +27-82-290 3764,
tony.webb@xxxxxxxxxxxx, http://thespongeproject.yolasite.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DECEMBER 2011
SPONGE NEWS AND VIEWS

(Sharing and commenting on info we receive from various sources)

For more about us see the ABOUT US/FAQ tab on
http://thespongeproject.yolasite.com

FORWARDS

Seasons Greetings to all our readers……

Tim and I would like to apologise for being off line since March 2011 due to
illness.

Please excuse this rather brief newsletter as we get up to speed again.

We promise you a bumper edition early in 2012.

As you may recall, we started the Sponge Project out of our passion to share
information on disability issues. We believe that all disabled people should
know about their rights to an accessible and inclusive society and environment,
free medical treatment, therapy and assistive devices, grants, housing,
education, skills development, employment, accessible buildings, transport and
tourism.

We make information about rehab resources available to anyone who sends an SMS
to -

072-172 2623.

And tells us their name, town, disability and the info they need.

NB Our semi-auto system ignores voicemail, missed calls and ‘Please call me’

PLEASE HELP US

* As you can imagine, most of the disabled people we are trying to empower with
information have very little communication with the rest of the disability
sector. Many live in rural areas with very limited health services. Therapists
and other health workers often can only provide the most basic forms of
rehabilitation.

* Please help us distribute our Community Notice (example at end of this
newsletter) to wherever it will be seen by disabled people and their families
such as in Clinics, Pension Pay Points and Post Offices. Please translate it
into any local languages.

ADVOCACY AND RIGHTS

* Does your municipality have a Disability Desk, a Policy on Disability, a
Strategy to Implement the Policy? Does it support your local Disability Forum?
What % of municipal employees is disabled?

* Does your organisation have a senior manager responsible for Disability
Management – employees and clients?

AWARENESS AND INFO

* We appreciate being on the mailing list of several newsletters.

* Social networks – please don’t take it personally if Tony ignores your
requests direct to him to subscribe to any of the social or business networks.
But Tim is registering SPONGE on several as we believe they are an essential
way to keep in touch and spread the word about our SMS info service.

* Does YOUR organisation have any info ready to give to disabled people or
parents or families when the adult or child is still in hospital or first
diagnosed?

REHABILITATION

* We still believe in the National Rehabilitation Policy (the green booklet
'Rehab for All') Do you?

* Does your local Rehab Programme Manager convene a Rehabilitation Forum in
your district to focus on service delivery and to get collaboration between
Health, SocDev, SASSA, Education, Housing, Transport and Labour and local NGOs,
for the greater good of disabled people?

* Why are some NGOs still persisting in raising funds for assistive devices
such as wheelchairs, long canes and hearing aids, instead of suing the
Department of Health for service delivery?

HOUSING

* Would someone, somewhere, please send us some good news about accessible RDP
housing.

EDUCATION-AND-SKILLS

* Earlier last year, HEDSA/FOTIM hired a consultant to review progress made by
universities in improving reasonable accommodations for disabled students.

JOBS

* The Disability Workshop Development Enterprise is a unique organisation
linking economic opportunities and service providers with the disability
sector. See www.dwde.co.za for video interview.

ACCESSIBILITY

* The S List – more next time.

* We have a few ideas that need developing –

> Combine accessible toilets and parking bays reserved for disabled people with
> those reserved for Mums with babies and small children (Jolly Tots). Why not
> combine forces to get the message across to owners of buildings and Joe
> Public that both groups have special needs.

> Introduce a national master key system for all public accessible toilets,
> including shopping malls, etc, and issue the key with parking permits.

> Negotiate with a national hardware chain such as Builders Warehouse for
> branches to set up displays of accessible toilet and bathroom equipment. The
> lay out to comply with SANS 10400 with a sliding door, WC, Grab Rails,
> Roll-in shower, Bath with sill, informative wall charts, handouts.

Local NGOs could organise volunteers to be on duty at peak times.

> Negotiate with a national ICT chain such as Incredible Connections for
> branches to set up displays of accessible communication technology, such as
> The Grid and associated AAC switches and environmental controls, Windows
> Eyes, Narrator, Magnifier, JAWS Zoomtech, Dolphin Pen.

Local NGOs could sensitise a couple of the bright sparks in each branch about
disability.

TRANSPORT

* Would someone, somewhere, please send us some good news about accessible
public transport.

SPORT

* The Department of Sport has a budget for developing sport for disabled
people. Contact them if you need facilities in your area.

TOURISM

* What’s new?

BACKWORDS

We thank AXXESS DSL of Port Elizabeth for sponsoring our SMS-to-PC system, and
all the organisations who have mentioned SPONGE in their websites and
newsletters.

We hope that our editorial content is driven by common sense, and not by a
comprehensive knowledge of law, or communities, or culture. The opinions
expressed in this newsletter are those of The.Sponge project team and do not
necessarily represent those of anyone else in the disability sector.

If you do not wish to receive future issues, please reply with UNSUBSCRIBE in
the subject line.

Regards

Tony and Tim Webb, the.sponge.project@xxxxxxxxx

SPONGE, Port Elizabeth.

^*^*^*^***^

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAMPLE COMMUNITY NOTICE

éé

SMS INFORMATION SERVICE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

SEND AN SMS WITH YOUR NAME, TOWN, DISABILITY AND

THE INFO YOU NEED TO

072-172 2623

NB Our semi-auto system ignores voicemail, missed calls and ‘Please call me’

We will reply by SMS and help you contact local organisations

who may be able to help you.

Or send your enquiry by email to the.sponge.project@xxxxxxxxx

Find out more about us on http://thespongeproject.yolasite.com

éé

-------------------------------------------------

[blindza] SPONGE NEWS AND VIEWS, DECEMBER 2011

Other related posts: