Travelling with a wheelchair
Sponsored When you or your loved one lives with a disability, options can be limited. Choice is something we’ve always strived for and thanks to the National Disability Insurance Scheme we feel we now have more opportunities opening up for our son. We are still getting used to having this choice and have only recently begun to explore different therapy options and activities for him.
Given BJ lives with cerebral palsy it seems only fitting we share a story in the lead up to World Cerebral Palsy Day. Although we are happy to share our story, we always like to include a broader perspective and that’s particularly important when it comes to Cerebral Palsy. Although it is the most common physical disability diagnosed in children, I feel there are many
Imagine a park that caters for the needs of a cross section of the community, including young children, seniors and wheelchair users. We visited just such a park today. Endeavour Park at Kings Langley in Sydney’s Western Suburbs offers some of the most unusual facilities we’ve come across. My friend Sue, who is an Occupational Therapist, enthusiastically told me about the park during the week
Last Saturday we had the absolute pleasure of hosting a Superhero picnic as an early birthday celebration for BJ, with the aim of raising money for Bear Cottage (a children’s hospice). If you haven’t heard how we became connected to Bear Cottage I’ll catch you up. A couple of months ago one of our readers invited us to visit her at Bear Cottage, where she was
When I started Have Wheelchair Will Travel I always envisaged the website, and particularly the Facebook page, should have a community feel. I didn’t want it to be clinical and over time I’m happy to say we’ve got to know many of our readers, sometimes virtually and many we’ve met in person. We love the fact people feel they know us well enough to introduce
Last week I had the pleasure of tagging along with the staff from Featherdale Wildlife Park to see their community outreach program in action. I had followed along on their Facebook page, seeing photos of their visits to nursing homes with cute and cuddly animals and I wanted in. The joy on the faces of the residents, who mostly cannot access the community, sums up
I had morning tea with someone special this week. I sipped on English Breakfast tea while he woofed down bite sized pieces of kangaroo sausage. Yep, you read that right. You see, the special someone I had morning tea with is a Labrador puppy named Ice. Ice is a puppy in training with Assistance Dogs Australia and is currently living with our close friends. I’ve
Today I had the opportunity to visit a therapy centre in Sydney. Over the years I’ve heard a lot about the NAPA Centre in Los Angeles and know that some of our families have travelled there to take advantage of the intensive therapy programs they offer. Until recently, I wasn’t aware that NAPA was in Australia and right here in Sydney where we live. One
My rule for this website is to always share positive can-do stories but life is far from smooth sailing. Our positive attitude and family support certainly helps but over the last 21 years I’ve lost the plot on more than one occasion. When I look back through photos it’s a reminder of the difficult phases but it also reinforces that we survived them. I’m well
In a matter of weeks, BJ will be 21. Twenty-one! I can’t believe it. I’m so proud of the person he is. He brings us all so much joy. As always, birthdays make me reflect on where we are and how far we’ve come. I thought in honour of his 21st I’d share 21 lessons I’ve learnt since BJ’s cerebral palsy diagnosis. I’d love to hear
Yesterday I attended the Cerebral Palsy Alliance’s information session about the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme). Like many people I feel hopeful and nervous about how this new funding will work for people with a disability. What I do know is that it’s time for us to truly get our act together and start planning for BJ’s future. The meeting was a positive affair with videos
Last weekend we had the pleasure of helping BJ’s best buddy celebrate his 21st birthday. Aside from the shock that it is only months until BJ is also turning 21, it was a day of reflection for me. BJ and his buddy have grown up together. We met at a conductive education program through the Cerebral Palsy Alliance when BJ was under 2 years old. We
We’ve had the pleasure of meeting some wonderfully passionate people who’s career involves working with people with a disability. Their passion and love makes it clear that working with people with a disability is more than just a job for them. This has shone through with their interactions with BJ and our family. These are the type of people we need working in the disability
A picture is worth a thousand words, so the saying goes. In BJ’s case this has certainly been true. Our family are reliant on photos for many reasons. Photos capture our special holiday moments, old photos are a reminder of BJ’s progress and the tough times we’ve survived. In recent years, photos have provided a link for BJ between home and school, home and respite and home and
I love Christmas: the festivities, the traditions and the kid’s excitement that bubbles over in the lead up to the day. However, there was one Christmas I found difficult. It was about a year after BJ’s diagnosis and reality had set in. It was going to be a long road ahead and I was starting to understand how slow progress would be. I had no
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