Travelling with a wheelchair
Vivid Festival 2017 kicked off last night and we were there to see what was on offer. We’ve been regulars at this event since its humble beginnings and the popularity of the event grows each year. The festival is running from 26 May until 17 June allowing plenty of evenings for visitors to explore the many precincts it now covers, including Chatswood, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Martin
As we ‘boarded’ Titanic The Exhibition we were each handed a boarding pass. There we found our passenger name, class of travel and occupation. These details are those of real passengers who sailed on the Titanic. Much chatter ensued with us comparing our names and occupations. AJ decided to swap with me because the passenger card I was given was a passenger with her name. Unwillingly I gave up
Sponsored We are entering a new phase. I’m seeing BJ’s friends looking to spread their wings and assert their independence by travelling without their parents. It’s a natural progression for most teens and those in their early twenties. Gosh, had BJ not needed so much support and assistance in his life he may well have travelled for a gap year or backpacked with mates around
Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) to see the Bella Plus Connect program in action. This is a program for people with a disability or access requirements with the motto, “Art is for everyone.” My visit coincided with the monthly community drop-in day. What I saw was a dynamic environment where people can be creative and social with
Imagine staying in an accessible resort where a phone interview is conducted prior to check-in to tailor your accommodation to your needs. A place where you have a choice of mattress, a ceiling hoist in your bedroom, height adjustable features, a range of accessible recreational equipment to try and educational opportunities. Not only that, these facilities are delivered in a stylish modern beachside resort. I’m
We’ve just been introduced to the Loop Lock and it’s something we won’t be travelling without it in future. The strange thing is, I’d have never thought to go out and buy one and yet it makes total sense for us. Sometimes when we travel we’ve been so keen for BJ to access experiences that we’ve taken risks. Ordinarily we are cautious with security but
In the early days of BJ’s diagnosis I didn’t want to have any of the items on the list below. I didn’t think we needed any extra allowances, but over time I’ve found that these can make life easier. Particularly when we are out and about for a day or when we are travelling it’s crazy not to do everything possible to make things as
The other day I was searching for something in our bookshelf and unearthed a treasure. It’s a book which was given to BJ as a memento from the Sony Foundation camp he attended while he was still in primary school. As I flicked through it memories came flooding back, as they do with these kinds of finds. You see, sending BJ to the camp took
Knowing that we’ve just been through the NDIS process (National Disability Insurance Scheme) a few of you have sent me messages asking if I have any tips for your upcoming meetings. We received BJ’s plan just before we went away and it was only the week before Christmas that it became clear what his plan will and won’t cover. Before I knew the details, I
With only a weekend in Melbourne, I had a long list of accessible places I wanted to check out including Alice’s Playspace, a Touched By Olivia accessible playground. I remember seeing the photos of the opening several years ago, and it looked like a fabulous dynamic playground with many features to inspire play for children with mobility restrictions. I was keen to see it in
Today my friend Sue is guest blogging about the great day her family, including her 3 kids, had at the Early Start Discover Space. It sounds like a fabulous way to entertain the kids these holidays and an easy day trip from Sydney. Over to you Sue. With a background as an Occupational Therapist, I am always keen to find activities for my children that
Anyone that’s been following our page for a while will know that BJ loves any sort of motor activities. In planning our trip to Hamilton Island I spied ATV tours and immediately put that on the list of must-do activities knowing he’d love it. As soon as BJ saw the vehicles he was raring to go. The ATV tour was our first activity on Hamilton
“Our arms are wide open. Everyone has a space and is welcomed and catered for. You will always feel a sense of inclusion” That’s the opener on the accessibility tab on the Eagle Skylift Arthurs Seat website. The recently opened attraction has gone the extra mile to ensure that it’s accessible to all. And there’s certainly a feeling of inclusion with enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff keen to share information
On our recent trip to Melbourne we checked out three beaches which have outstanding accessible facilities. I’ve already written about Altona Beach (you can catch up here) but I thought I’d pop all three options into one post so if you’re a local, or visiting the area, you can pick one from the list. Or, why not try all three? It’s so wonderful to have choice.
We had the opportunity to attend the opening night of the Sydney Santa Spectacular at Rosehill. It was a charity night and each guest was asked to take along a gift which would be delivered to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The guys from Camp Quality were there with their puppets and enthusiastic staff selling Camp Quality Christmas crackers. I’m always keen to see if pop-up events
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