With Apologies for Any Cross-Posting

SPONGE NEWS - OCTOBER 2010

COMMUNITY NOTICE 072 172 2623

é SMS for anything to do with disability é

Send an SMS with your name, town, disability and what you would like to know and we will reply with your nearest service provider. (You can use your free SMS’s but we are not a call centre and we do not respond to ‘missed calls’ or ‘please call me’) You can also send your enquiry by email to [email protected]

To find out more about us and download our newsletters and other information, go to http://thespongeproject.yolasite.com/

This is your personal copy of SPONGE NEWS, the only newsletter in South Africa spanning all disabilities

INTRODUCTION * SPONGE is about advocating for better rehabilitation for all disabled people. * We think that everyone should know about their rights to medical treatment, therapy and assistive devices, grants, housing, education, skills development, employment, buildings, transport and tourism. * We make information about rehab resources freely available to anyone who sends an SMS to 072-172 2623. * Please help us distribute our Community Notice to wherever it will be seen by disabled people and their families such as clinics, pension Pay Points and Post Offices. Translate it into other languages. * This will help us to put disability issues on the map in South Africa. We may not be reaching many disabled people in rural areas yet but as in the Star Fish Story, we hope we are making a difference to a few. * Our database of resources is posted on our website. You are free to download it (about 2MB), and use it for your own non-commercial purposes. If you would like us to add a new resource or update your contact details, please complete and return the Registration Form. * Our mission is to put disability on the map and to plug some of information gaps. * We distribute this newsletter to all our contacts (currently over 4000) and share information about disability issues. We hope that this assists individuals, government departments and NGOs to network with each other.

ADVOCACY-AND-RIGHTS-FOR-ALL

1 * Over a year ago, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs rolled out the National Disability Framework for Local Government. * Some municipalities reacted positively, reviewed their own disability policies and compiled strategic action plans for the implementation of improved service delivery to disabled people. * Does your local municipality have a disability desk, a policy on disability, a strategy to achieve the policy? Does it support your local Disability Forum? What % of municipal employees are disabled? * Does your organisation have a senior manager responsible for Disability Management? * Who is fighting for the rights of blind people to keep their guide dog with them in local shopping malls and restaurants? * The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund is planning an awareness workshop for parents of disabled children. Lungile Buthelezi, Programme Specialist – Disability, [email protected]

INFO-FOR-ALL * Dial 0800 DISABILITY for the National Call Centre. (No, don’t bother, just our little joke – we are still waiting for the SA Disability Alliance to launch one) * In the meantime, we are doing our best with our SMS Info Service. * Sharing-is caring. See our website to download various snippets of information. * We have a large library of reference documents. To share these we are posting the SPONGE reference list to on our website. * A network of NGOs in the Eastern Cape wants to put a directory of services onto a website. We have suggested options to avoid re-inventing the wheel. www.hiv911.org.za already has a national database with nearly 20000 items, a call centre on 0800012322 and several other methods to contact them. Try them on *120*448# * Several organisations are making good use of Facebook and other social networks to generate more interest, particularly from the youth. Check www.sancb.org.za and www.nmmu.ac.za * ListServes are one way to keep in touch with disability issues, and to help you to share info and to have your say. By subscribing you can improve networking and collaboration between organisations in South Africa and other parts of Africa. See our May and August newsletters for how. * Did you get information about your disability while you were still in hospital? Did a local support group or NGO contact you and offer their services? The QuadPara Association visits patients who have had a spinal injury and gives them a Bag-of-Hope. The bag contains information about spinal injury, a copy of Know Your Rights and details about the local branch. Action-for-Autism has a survival kit for parents. Please tell us about your own experiences. * Can you help a “deaf girl Muslim looking for deaf Muslim friends” Send an SMS to 073 917 6778. * Can you help us to contact disabled people and their organisations in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Lesotho? * Here are some of the recent additions to our database – >Action-in-Autism >Afrinead >Aspergers Syndrome Support >Black IT Forum >JumpStart and Lift up a Life programme >Magazines and Newsletters (new section under Media) >NAWONGO >Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund >Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) blindness support >Prader-Willi Syndrome Support >Public Service Accountability Monitor >SANParks sites >Young Voices (Cheshire Homes)

FUNDING-FOR-ALL

2 * The DTI appear to have removed the requirement for first time Lotto applicants to produce audited financial statements. See http://www.dti.gov.za/mediareleases/lotto.pdf * Bay Consultants will prepare business proposals/ requests for funding. Contact [email protected]

REHAB-FOR-ALL * Are you a doctor or therapist in a rural hospital fighting to get wheelchairs or other assistive devices or related services from the Department of Health? Do you depend on donations of wheelchairs that are often not suitable for the patient? Tell us your story about such unacceptable management performance. Budgeting and other aspects of financial management is not rocket science. * We still believe in the National Rehabilitation Policy (the green booklet 'Rehab for All') Do you? * Does your local Rehab Manager convene a Rehabilitation Forum in your district to focus on service delivery and to get collaboration between Health, SocDev, SASSA, Education, Housing, Transport and Labour for the greater good of disabled people? * We have had several enquiries from people who have survived a brain injury or stroke and need to chat with others in a similar situation. Is there a need for a dedicated ListServe (BIASSS) for them? * We have also had enquiries from parents concerned with what will happen to their adult disabled children when they are not able to care for them. There are also groups trying to start a residential care centre for adults with various disabilities. Although the needs are very similar they are all taking different approaches. We think that there is a need for AmaZingZing Self-Help centres. Is there a best practice for residential care facilities for disabled adults? * Do your local NGOs network together and speak with one voice? Ask Vivienne van der Merwe, [email protected], at the Western Cape Network on Disability.

SUBSIDIES-AND GRANTS-FOR-ALL * Did you read about the success NAWONGO had in the High Court in Bloemfontein to force SOCDEV to budget properly and pay subsidies on time. We hope that NGOs in all provinces will now follow this lead and work together to have the ruling actually implemented. * Did you read in PE&A NEWS that many disabled South Africans are living in poverty without access to the government's disability grant. What is your organisation doing about that?

HOUSING-FOR-ALL * Is your local municipality giving priority to building accessible RDP houses for disabled people?

EDUCATION-FOR-ALL * Are you familiar with the JumpStart Handbook? It is all about getting on with your education and getting a job. It is a great motivator for the youth of South Africa. Contact [email protected] if you would like more info.

HIGHER-EDUCATION-FOR-ALL * The National Student’s Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has rejected some bursary applications as it does not think that Epilepsy is a disability. We have asked Epilepsy SA to talk to them. * HEDSA/FOTIM hired a consultant to review progress being made by universities in improving reasonable accommodations for disabled students. We are waiting for feedback.

SKILLS-TRAINING-FOR-ALL * In 2009 the NCPPDSA launched a training programme for disabled people and others to assist them to give talks on disability issues and generally participate in the improvement of disability awareness. * We think that this training programme could make a significant difference to disability awareness in South Africa. For more info contact your Provincial APD or Fanie du Toit [email protected].

JOBS-FOR-ALL

3 * Lubabalu Mbeki has been appointed national Work and Employment Officer by NCPPDSA in partnership with QASA. Contact [email protected], 083 666 5089, 011 452 2774. * We have asked him to investigate why vacancy notices are appearing regularly on [email protected] but not on the other lists. * The BANKSETA wants to appoint a service provider to recruit disabled learners for placement in appropriate learning programmes (such as learnerships, work readiness programmes, internships and new venture creation) - Could lead to jobs in the banking industry.

ACCESS-FOR-ALL * Who was sleeping last year when the national Road Traffic Act was changed to include the provision that only disabled drivers can park a vehicle in a disabled bay? * SANParks have a user-friendly set of guidelines for accessibility for their sites including accommodation, ablution blocks and hides – we will post them on our website. * Ekurheleni Municipality wants to make their libraries accessible to all. We suggested that they take advice from local universities who should have been there, done that. * A quadriplegic student at NMM University needed hands-free access to communication and door control. There was some great networking and DIY ideas came from all directions, including reference to an article on home automation by Caroline Rule in Rolling Inspiration, Sept/Oct 2006. * We have noticed several interesting aspects of accessibility that are not covered by the traditional building regulations including – > Blind people need access to websites, screen readers and other software and to see the colour of fonts and cells. > VIPs need large buttons and fonts on cell phones and remote controls. > Deaf people need accessible communication. > Quads need hands-free devices. * We have reported these to the National Access Officer, [email protected], 073- 345- 3805 or 011- 452 2774. Contact him if you need advice on accessibility rights and discrimination issues, or an accessibility audit of your buildings.

TRANSPORT-FOR-ALL * Who is following up the promises made during 2010 World Cup for accessible transport for all? * What are our universities doing about driving instruction for disabled students? * Driving Ambitions – QASA have launched a new initiative in Gauteng to provide driving instruction for disabled people who need to learn to drive in a car with hand controls. We were contacted by QAEC to comment on their draft business plan for a similar project in Port Elizabeth. Initially we did not think that such a service would be viable here until we heard from Aurora Hospital that they see about 500 patients per year who would benefit from adapted vehicles/methods to return to driving. Most of them cannot afford vehicles and don’t have a drivers license.

TOURISM-FOR-ALL * The SPONGE database has been updated to include all the SANParks sites. We also added several of our favourite accessible B&Bs and other hospitality venues that we know of in the Eastern Cape. See www.disabledtravel.co.za for other provinces.. ^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^

REMINDERS * Please put a dot between your first and last name when you create your email address. * Always use a subject heading that relates to the contents of the email. * Don’t be anonymous – add your organisation and contact details to your signature.

TAILPIECE

4 SPONGE is a privately funded initiative and offers a free community service to cell phone users in any part of South Africa. We are supported technically by AXXESS DSL of Port Elizabeth. We thank all those organisations who have been supportive and those who have mentioned our services on their websites and in their newsletters.

Disclaimer – the opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of The.Sponge project team and do not necessarily represent those of anyone else in the disability sector. We hope that our editorial content is driven by common sense, and not by comprehensive knowledge of law, or communities, or culture.

We apologise if you have received this newsletter more than once as it is distributed by email to thousands of individuals and organisations using various lists. If you do not wish to receive future issues, please reply with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Regards Tony and Tim Webb, SPONGE, Port Elizabeth. ^*^*^*^*^*^*^