LOCAL community and business leaders received a taste of what it means to be disabled in Jeffreys Bay at Kouga\u2019s first Wheelchair Wednesday challenge last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Twenty-two participants, including Mayor Horatio Hendricks and his Mayoral Committee, took part in the programme, which challenged able-bodies persons to complete everyday tasks from the confines of a wheelchair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was an eye-opening experience which none of us will forget and will set the tone for improvements to our region when it comes to wheelchair-accessibility,\u201d said Hendricks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI would like to thank APD (the Association for the Physically Disabled) for giving us the opportunity to experience first-hand what it is like for someone in a wheelchair to live and work in Jeffreys Bay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tasks participants had to complete, included shopping, drawing money from an ATM, getting in and out of their cars in parking areas, using disabled toilet facilities and a visit to the beach and their offices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur proudest moment was visiting Dolphin Beach, described by APD as one of the most wheelchair-friendly beaches in South Africa,\u201d the Mayor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n \u201cThe hardest pill to swallow, on the other hand, was realising just how inaccessible the municipality\u2019s offices are to people in wheelchairs.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWere the Speaker and I disabled, we would not have been able to get to our offices on the top floor of Kouga\u2019s headquarters or chair meetings in the Council chamber. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe look forward to working with APD to make the municipality more accessible to wheelchair-users.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thirty wheelchairs are set to be given to Kouga beneficiaries in October thanks to the funds raised through Wheelchair Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n APD Kouga spokesperson Jakkie Pieters said the organisation and the municipality\u2019s Special Programmes unit were currently identifying potential beneficiaries, with specific focus on residents from smaller rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe wheelchairs are basic entry-level chairs. We, therefore, also need to assess each potential beneficiary\u2019s situation so as to ensure the wheelchair is right for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pieters said APD considered Kouga\u2019s first Wheelchair Wednesday a great success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe main aim was to create awareness and understanding, and I believe we definitely achieved this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe would also like to thank the participants for the spirit in which they took to the challenge. There was no cheating. Everyone tried to accomplish everything from the confines of their wheelchairs and provided honest and heartfelt feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wheelchair Wednesday was initiated by APD Nelson Mandela Bay six years ago. Almost 700 wheelchairs have been donated to beneficiaries through the programme in addition to funds being raised for the organisation\u2019s work centres for the disabled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For information, contact Jakkie at 083 376 6764.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" LOCAL community and business leaders received a taste of what it means to be disabled in Jeffreys Bay at Kouga\u2019s first Wheelchair Wednesday challenge last 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