The Department of Transport (DoT) has released its annual travel survey which aims to determine the accessibility of the transport systems for people with disabilities, the elderly, women and children. “The purpose of the travel survey is to benchmark progress in rolling out the White Paper on National Transport Policy, 2021; which indicates that all forms of transport must be universally accessible,” the DoT said in its official press release regarding the survey. Among the disability community, all people with disabilities and their caregivers are encouraged to complete the survey, and share ..read more

In the run up to the 2024 election year, Ari Seirlis poses a few questions for voters to consider Let’s look ahead. The next national election is near. I guess in May 2024. This article might seem too soon for its agenda, but it’s not. The time is now to assess. Ask yourselves a few questions. Has the present government given you the rights that you believe, as a person with a disability, you deserve? What I mean by that is not whether the legislation is in place, but whether the implementation of the legislation, the policing of legislation and the freedom that the legislation should be givin ..read more

Theo Mdodana overcame his disability with determination and by embracing life’s challenges. He shares his story Life often presents us with unexpected challenges. How we respond to them can define our journey. For me, the path took an unexpected turn when, at the age of six, a speeding vehicle forever changed the course of my life. The accident left me with a spinal cord injury, specifically a C5 spinal cord injury, resulting in paraplegia. While it was a daunting and life-altering moment, it became the catalyst for a journey of resilience, self-discovery, and personal growth. The initial days ..read more

A tale of the courage, resilience and love of life that helped Dejané de Bruin overcome hardship It is rare but it happens. When it happens, it lifts the states of mind of all that share in the circumstance. It happens when a terrible event is met with courageous positivity and an upbeat joy of life regardless of circumstance. Helen Keller, born deaf and blind, stated that the source of her life-optimism was founded in the realisation that the world was full of hardship, but that it was equally full of the overcoming of hardship. This is the story of Dejané de Bruin who grew from a scared youn ..read more

Even after his spinal cord injury, Cheyne Hoareau is living his passion of cars and bikes by running his auto repair shop Eight years into opening his own auto repair shop, at the age of 32, Cheyne Hoareau was in a motorbike accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury. The accident nearly cost Cheyne his life, but this self-confessed natural born fighter pushed himself to the limits to rebuild his life and his business, C&G Auto Tune in Durban. As a member of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA) for 15 years, Cheyne’s passion from a young age was cars and bikes – or as he puts ..read more

There are major changes coming to learnerships that will affect the way we know it Learnerships have become a good way for persons with disabilities to get a qualification and work experience while earning a stipend over a 12-month period. Companies have found that persons with disabilities on learnerships provide them with valuable B-BBEE Scorecard Points. These learnerships could be on an NQF level, primarily at the lower levels, where learners spend time in theoretical training and gaining work experience in a workplace. Learnerships are quality assured by a SETA. This process has been tran ..read more

Our beliefs and values inform our view of the world and ourselves. To change, we need to consider our beliefs and values Core to our worldview is our beliefs and values. While different, they impact on each other. For example, our belief that family is important will impact on the value we put on spending time with our family. Understanding what our beliefs and values are, and how they are formed, are the first steps in reviewing them. Building beliefs Beliefs are convictions we generally accept to be true, often in the absence of actual proof. They are the assumptions we have about our world ..read more

The Outeniqua Chair Challenge (OCC) is only three weeks away! In the run up to the event, we spoke to Shaun Butler, OCC Chairperson, to learn more about this much anticipated event which is specifically designed for people who use wheelchairs or mobility devices.   ROLLING INSPIRATION (RI): What was the motivation behind starting the OCC? What has it come to mean for the community? Shaun Butler (SB): The race was started in the early 2000s by Esther Watson, a therapist here in George. She saw what the community needed to empower persons with physical disabilities, and what it would mean t ..read more

It can be a battle to obtain and maintain healthy, regular bowel movement. Fortunately, there are some simple things that can help It is common for people with spinal cord injuries to battle with bowel movement. Often, they are constipated and require laxatives to encourage movement. While, for some, their dependence on laxatives might be a life-long requirement, there are ways for everyone to improve their bowel movement and reduce the amount of laxatives taken. Dr Virginia Wilson, during a webinar hosted by QASA in September, shared her tips for a healthy bowel. It starts with knowing “what ..read more

Photo from the Wings for Life World Run website. The annual Wings for Life World Run returns on Sunday, 5 May 2024. The global event is aimed at raising funds to find a cure for spinal cord injuries with all entries going to the Wings for Life Foundation, which funds several research programmes. The event can be joined in-person at several locations across the globe, or run virtually with the Wings for Life World Run App. Last year, we tested the App. Read the article here. Some big sports starts are participating this year and you can join their team, including South African rugby icon Siya K ..read more