Public urged to shape disability blueprint
Heavy shop doors, uneven footpaths and limited job opportunities were among bugbears raised by Marlborough residents at a workshop on the government’s new draft disability strategy.
Office for Disability Issues director Megan McCoy explained the government blueprint and gave people the chance to offer feedback on the document at a meeting at the Nativity Church in Blenheim on Friday.
The strategy will guide the work of government agencies on disability issues from 2016 to 2026.
Marlborough Stroke Club secretary Vyvienne Dunlop said some doors to get into shops and public buildings in the centre of Blenheim were difficult to open for people using a walking stick or walker.
‘‘They’re horrendously heavy for someone who is frail.’’
Fellow Marlborough Stroke Club member Jill Scoble said she would like to see an improvement to the quality of footpaths around Blenheim to make it easier for people who used mobility scooters.
Marlborough had a high proportion of people aged 65 or older, and the aging population had implications for many services within the region, Scoble said.
‘‘Council and everyone else has to be mindful of it.’’
Blenheim resident Darlene Purdie is the Top of the South coordinator for People First, an organisation that helps people with learning disabilities. She said common issues that came across her desk were housing problems and a lack of jobs.
McCoy said the draft disability strategy covered eight key areas, including education, employment, health and leadership.
‘‘We want to find out if the draft strategy is on the right track. It’s really important for us to get it right as this strategy will guide the direction of government agencies on disability issues for the next decade.’’
Times had changed since the existing disability framework was developed in 2001, McCoy said. The Government received more than 600 submissions during the first round of consultation in April and May.
‘‘One of the things that people said in the first stage of consultation is that they wanted the strategy to have teeth.’’
One million New Zealanders had a physical, sensory, learning, mental health or other impairment, McCoy said.
Blenheim was one of 16 centres where meetings were being held, with consultation on the draft strategy set to close on August 21.
The draft strategy was available in large print, braille, audio and New Zealand Sign Language. For more information: jointheconversation.nz