Steve

You lucky things!! Do you guys want to keep him?  We don't want him back!!!

Rayna

On Sun, Mar 04, 2001 at 02:40:09PM -0000, I. S. M. wrote:
    Rayna,

    We've got Singer @ Princeton, NJ for a stay. To think Einstein lived there.

    Guess everything's relative.  G

    Good to read you.

    Steve



    >From: Rayna Lamb <[log in to unmask]>
    >Subject: Re: Today
    >Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 21:19:15 +0800
    >
    >Well, Mag, I have finally got around to answering your question.  I
    >really should be studying, but it is 35 degrees celcius at 7pm here
    >and I just can't be bothered!!
    >
    >I can only speak for Western Australia as far as access goes, I
    >haven't been to any of the other states since I moved to Australia.
    >Accessibility of footpaths vary depending on the suburb.  In the newer
    >suburbs on the outskirts of Perth everything is all brick paved,
    >smooth and wonderful to drive on, there are curb cuts everywhere.  But
    >in the older inner suburbs of the city, where I live, the footpaths
    >are shocking, the paving slabs in a lot of areas are broken, or move
    >with time, and it makes life very bumpy, hell on my back, and I lost
    >an entire set of ball bearings out of the front left wheel of my
    >scooter last year, due to the shocking state of the footpaths where I
    >live.  There are also a lot less curb cuts, and the ones there are are
    >steep, and often stop half an inch from the road.
    >Shopping centres are all mostly accessible (if you don't mind crowds -
    >and I do!), but a lot of shops and businesses are still inaccessible,
    >it is an ongoing battle to convince them of the benefits of being
    >accessible to everyone.  Most public buildings are accessible, I have
    >yet to come across an inaccessible library (yahoo!!), and the majority
    >of govt. departments are accessible.  A lot of primary and secondary
    >schools are NOT accessible, and things don't look like improving.  The
    >universities are better.
    >The newer train lines are all accessible, with platforms that are
    >level with the train floors, but the older train lines, like the one
    >I'm on, have still got a way to go, I have to book a passenger service
    >attentant with portable ramps for the train an hour before I go
    >anywhere on the train.  They are gradually phasing in accessible
    >buses, but it is taking a long time, and because the bus system has
    >been privatised, it is very difficult to find out which buses routes
    >are accessible.  There are some shuttlebus routes that are accessible
    >24/7 though.  We have an accessible taxi system using Maxi taxis, but
    >there are not enough, and you have to book several hours ahead to get
    >one at the time you want.  But eligible people get taxi subsidies of
    >up to 75% off their taxi fares.  They have this in all states.
    >There used to be a scheme that would help PWD in purchasing cars, but
    >it was cancelled a year or so ago.  There are disability parking bays
    >in most areas, but some able-bodied people are clearly illiterate
    >(poor darlings!!!) and park in them as well.
    >Each state has something called a Home and Community Care system,
    >subsidised by the government, which provides various assistance to
    >disabled and aged in their homes, it is a user pays system on a
    >sliding scale of fees (used to be free under the previous government,
    >but then then the Liberals got in, and they are NOT at all liberal
    >with the cash and support to PWD).  I get by on two hours of home help
    >a fortnight plus meals on wheels.  I should probably have more help
    >just to take the strain off slightly, but I think I'm very lucky to be
    >so physically independent.  It is very difficult for people with high
    >support needs to get the help they need (unless they are independently
    >wealthy!) and too many are reduced to living in government run nursing
    >homes and hostels, too many of which are in an APPALLING condition.
    >Funding for the disability sector is always the first to go when the
    >govt. is making cutbacks.
    >Finding work is difficult (tried for 6 years and only ended up with
    >two nervous breakdowns, suicide attempts and hospital stays), even for
    >people with mild to moderate disabilities such as myself.  And it is
    >getting worse.
    >There is the Disability Support Pension, which is just enough to get
    >by on, and a few other goverment funded assistance schemes, but they
    >are always being cut back on.
    >And the Disability Discrimination Act is a toothless tiger.  More
    >loopholes than a circus act.
    >Australia's human rights record as far as PWD are concerned is awful.
    >Criminals get treated better.
    >The general attitude to PWD is the same as in the UK and US.  Cure
    >them, kill them (sorry - euthanase them!), prevent them from being
    >born or keep them out of sight!  After all the infamous `ethicist'
    >Peter Singer is Australian.  So our lives and basic rights are always
    >at risk.
    >But the weather here is fabulous!!!
    >
    >Rayna
    >
    >On Wed, Feb 21, 2001 at 12:11:17AM -0500, Magenta Raine wrote:
    >     Rayna,
    >     tell us how things are over there for people with disabilities. Are
    >the
    >     streets accessible for chairs, etc.?
    >
    >     do you have personal care assistants?
    >
    >     Mag

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