LESS STRESSFUL SHOPPING WITH A MOBILITY PARKING PERMIT
Media Release: 1 November 2009
Christmas is rapidly approaching and we are all too aware of the hundred and one things that need to be done before the big day. CCS Disability Action Waitaki Branch Team Leader, Diane Talanoa, says that her organisation wants to remind people that having a Mobility Parking Permit can take some of the stress out of this time of the year for people with a mobility difficulty. “Having a Mobility Parking Permit can help a person with a mobility difficulty complete their shopping in a more relaxed way knowing they have some extra time.”
CCS Disability Action Waitaki can provide Mobility Park permit holders in Oamaru with a list of Mobility Parks, public and private, available to permit holders in Oamaru. Card holders can also download a copy of the Dunedin Mobility Park list for their trips to Dunedin, on the CCS Disability Action Waitaki website.
The Mobility Parking Permit Scheme is an officially recognised concession-parking scheme owned and administered by CCS Disability Action with the cooperation of local GP’s and all city and district councils. A Mobility Parking Permit enables the permit holder to park conveniently close to their destination in accessible reserved parking spaces or park longer than the stated time in some standard car parks and metered spaces.
Ms Talanoa says that permit holders need to meet a set criteria; “You must be unable to walk and be reliant on a wheelchair for mobility, or rely on mobility devices like crutches or a walking stick or walking frame, or be unable to walk more than two hundred metres unassisted because of the nature or severity of your condition. If you meet any of those criteria, you will receive an orange card stamped with a membership number and expiry date. The permit must be clearly displayed on the inside front windscreen of the vehicle while you are parked. A long term permit is valid for five years and costs $45.00. Someone with a temporary disability, like a broken leg, may also be eligible for a permit. A temporary permit is valid for twelve months and costs $30.00.” All applications need to be certified by a doctor.
To find out more, or to obtain an application form, phone CCS Disability Action Waitaki on 03 437 9005 or toll free on 0800 CCS CALL or call in at 316 Thames Highway, Oamaru. Alternatively, the application form can be downloaded from http://southern.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/
CCS Disability Action Waitaki AGM Held
The Waitaki branch Annual General Meeting was held on 21st October. A copy of the 2008/2009 Waitaki branch Annual Report is available here
CCS Disability Action Waitaki makes decision to close Fernbrook Road Supported Boarding
CCS Disability Action’s Waitaki Local Executive Committee has decided, on a recommendation from management, to sell its property at 38 Fernbrook Road, within seven months from 1 May 2009.
The seven month timeframe is dependant on all current flatmates being supported to find appropriate accommodation that meets their social, economic and general community needs.
The decision was based on two key issues; whether the service was consistent with CCS Disability Action’s strategic vision for the future and whether it was financially sustainable.
“We believe that it is better for people with disabilities we support to have housing that is independently owned, so that they can have greater control over their own lives,” says Paul Martin, Regional Manager for CCS Disability Action Southern.
The Fernbrook Road property comprises a four bedroom house and two separate one bedroom flats, one of which is owned by Community Housing. There are currently three people with disabilities boarding at Fernbrook Road.
Diane Talanoa, Branch Team Leader for the Waitaki branch said although the property will be sold CCS Disability Action will continue to operate and expand an effective Supported Independent Living service for a number of people with disabilities currently living in the community.
“Waitaki’s Supported Independent Living service will continue to provide support for many people including those leaving Fernbrook Road, unless they choose to be supported by another service provider,” says Diane Talanoa.
CCS Disability Action conducted a thorough consultation process before making a decision to sell the property. Meetings with flatmates, families, staff, and the branch’s Local Executive and Advisory Committees were held and a public meeting on the issue also attracted an audience of twenty two.
Families at the meetings and their written submissions expressed some anxiety about the proposed move and the implications for their family members. CCS Disability Action will be working on those issues to ensure that the transition for the current flatmates into individualised alternative accommodation is as smooth as possible and meets the concerns of families.
Russell Gill, chairperson of CCS Disability Action Waitaki’s Local Executive Committee, noted that this was not an easy decision to make.
“I feel that this decision was made with both the long term interests of the branch and the needs of the flatmates in mind. Those flatmates and their families remain a paramount concern throughout the transition process,” says Russell Gill.
ENDS
Read the detail of the decision here (Word document)
Summary of Consultation Feedback on the Proposal to close CCS Disability Action Waitaki's Supported Boarding service at Fernbrook Road
This summary of feedback pulls together the key points and issues raised by the 10 submissions received and the public meeting held, as a result of that consultation process.
The summary will be used to assist the Project Team to make recommendations for the future. Recommendations from the consultation process are to be finalised by the end of March 2009. A decision on any changes to the Supported Boarding services will be made in March / April 2009 after final feedback from the CCS Disability Action Waitaki Local Executive and Local Advisory Committees.
A copy of the summary of feedback can be downloaded here
To sign up for an email version of the CCS Disability Waitaki Newsletter click here
RECENT SUPPORTERS
Kingston Sedgfield (NZ) Charitable Trust – computers for Waitaki Training service
CCS Disability Action
Waitaki Charities Commission No. CC 23914