Friday 6 March 2009

Is this what Rodney Hide had in mind?

A disabled polytechnic student has been forced to urinate into a bowl in the corner of a classroom because his wheelchair did not fit in the toilet.

...

The student cannot access the bathroom on the first floor as his wheelchair is too wide. On Tuesday he was left no choice but to look for a corner of the classroom he was in and was passed a bowl to urinate in. (1)

It is shocking that a human being was subjected to this indignity, in New Zealand in 2009. It is a bloody disgrace that Unitec have been able to get away with inadequate provision for years. Will the new NACTional government do anything to change things? Unlikely, as ACT leader and cabinet minister Rodney Hide encourages people not to provide facilities for the disabled, even if it means flaunting the law (2).

[Hat tip: No Right Turn (3)]
1 - "Student forced to urinate in class," by Jaqueline Smith, published in the New Zealand Herald, 5th of March, 2009. (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10560073)
2 - "Disability Group Slams Rodney Hide," press release by CCS Disability Action, 5th of February, 2009. (http://ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/News/PressReleases/DisabilityGroupSlamsRodney/tabid/1070/Default.aspx)
3 - 'Apalling,' by Idiot/Savant, posted on No Right Turn, 5th of March, 2009. (http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2009/03/appalling.html)

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