Possible export business for our Indigenous Australians and a way to bring inclusion about for many globally?
I have sent this post link and an email to http://www.indigenousjobsaustralia.com.au & http://www.fairfaxmedia.com.au to see if they would like to get a project started and look at creating possible new business and employement opportunities for our indigenous Australians and create a model we could replicate all around the world in time. The media have the voice to share big things, lets see what we can do together?
After attending the Yiwarra kuju – The Canning Stock Route – Art Exhibition Novebmer 2011 – http://www.canningstockrouteproject.com/yiwarra-kuju-exhibition/yiwarra-kuju-the-canning-stock-route/
I was so impressed with the Art and the technology used to share so many wonderful stories. So many of the stories made me cry, they were very heart felt by me as it is very close to the work I have been doing over the past two years globally. I would certainly like to visit again as I got so emotional I could not continue.
I am now sharing a little bit about my and a few of my global colleagues quest to give the world! – Mobility, accessibility, equality and inclusion for all. http://www.accessibleworld.net
Attending this exhibition has given me many grand ideas of how with such organisations as FORM, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Chevron, Woodside, Qantas, Virgin and the many other long term networks that have existed for hundreds of years, like the Freemasons, churches, Rotary etc. They already have existing networks and perhaps if we UNITED and collaborated our efforts, we would see HUGE global results! The plans I have will help to reduce the number of wheelchairs / devices / prosthetic body parts we need globally – we could really provide tangible noticeable results globally in many communities and put the face of the Art work and give the Artists, FORM, BHPB, the big corporates and AUSTRALIA a very big name in communities all over the world.
Lets be the Aussie global leaders of changing lives (getting people off the ground, out of beds, back onto their land, into their churches – so they can continue sharing their stories & cultural history) and then helping us make Papua New Guinea (PNG) be a leader of change to demonstrate to the world that with the people helping the people we can make a global difference and show tangible measurable results.
Below is an email I received last year from an Indigenous Womens Group in Western Australia, looking for a durable wheelchair that would be suitable for our rough terrain, funny the email was sent to an American Group who in turn passed it onto me. Why are our Australians going overseas to seek assistance I ask?
So in saying all this how good would it be to get all our artists to either paint our wheelchairs / walking sticks / frames / make covers / bags for wheelchairs etc. – as mentioned my journey starting by questioning why wheelchairs are so dull and not so attractive in the first instance, its now turned into potentially a global movement.
All this will provide advertising for the art work, the Artists and we can have the likes of a BHPB, Virgin, Qantas their logo and possibly FORM as sponsors and we can provide the Rough Rider wheelchairs I mention below all over the world. Sorry crying right now as I see such possibility in making this a reality with the right networks and minds behind this.
If you feel and see an opportunity for us to get together to see how we could do this I would be honoured to meet with you and whoever else you think to talk about getting an Australia project started first and then go PNG and global. Just like the Aboriginal Art on Qantas planes we can do this to physically change people’s lives and their families and friends around them. THIS IS REALLY MAKING a tangible DIFFERENCE & MAKING THE RIGHT REAL for hundreds of millions all over the world.
Please find at the end of this post the request I received late last year in relation to an Aboriginal elder women of Kapululangu Women’s Law and Culture Centre (Kapululangu Aboriginal Women’s Association AC) – http://www.kapululangu.org. – This request was actually sent to a USA group that I have become connected with and they were kind enough to pass the request onto me as they thought I could help.
I posted this on my website in response to this request – http://www.joinhelen.com/wheelchair-for-indigenous-australians-why-are-we-asking-the-usa-94.html
It is now with regret and sadness that I must inform you that this elder has now passed away. And sadly we never got a durable rough terrain wheelchair to her to allow her to continue to hunt as she wanted and to continue to pass her ways onto the next generations. Let us not allow this to happen again! Help us help them!
As I have mentioned there are approximately 100 Million people globally that need a wheelchair and do not have one, based on the World Health Organisation.
I have been on my journey for over two years and we continue to raise awareness about this. I am proud to say I have learnt a whole lot and have been all over the world to make the right connections and feel we now have a tangible resolvable solution to helping reduce this number of people needing wheelchairs. I have been working closely with many parties in Papua New Guinea (PNG) – over 50,000 wheelchairs needed their based on the World Health Organisations info.
http://www.joinhelen.com/we-made-front-page-of-the-papua-new-guinea-png-newspaper-102.html
http://www.joinhelen.com/papua-new-guinea-png-national-disability-day-29th-march-131.html
I am proud to say that we had three samples of the Rough Rider wheelchair http://www.whirlwindwheelchair.org that we had planned to get to this Aboriginal elder last year – now to my connections in PNG, they are now being trialled, its not just giving some old bike wheels with a plastic seat on it or some bike wheels with a plastic BBQ seat it is about the correct device for the persons condition. You try sitting in a plastic chair for most of your day.
Yes there are many groups building less than acceptable wheelchairs for third world countries and with my connections we are about raising awareness and education that it must be a wheelchair that is up to the standards of the World Health Organisation. It must be made and fitted correctly to suit the persons condition. With the wrong type, second hand etc. it can do more damage.
I do not support groups making sub standard wheelchairs that are not good for a person’s condition and generally do not last very long either, donors money would be best spent on a quality product for in some cases just and extra $50. – The wheelchairs we are sending to PNG and would like to introduce into our Australian Indigenous community cost around $200 (a cost of a pair of shoes) and are ISO standard approved and generally last around 5 years when looked after.
I could go on forever, but I am sharing all this with you to see if you or any of your connections would like to help share our work and see if any groups out their would like to purchase wheelchairs based on a demand model so the wheelchairs to change lives. We are about transparency and providing what is necessary to those in true need. Many big group like BHPB / HWE / Exxon / Qantas / Virgin etc. may like to consider purchasing / rather than donating just dollars and not ever really knowing where the money went. If we provide evidence of what we need then we can ensure the person gets what they need.
I am not a supporter of donating to many charities as so many people are becoming very suspicious as to where all the money is being spent and seeing very little result. As per my website I am about Achieving Results Together! – I believe if we can identify definite need we can then purchase in bulk which will then also reduce the cost of a wheelchair. Actually the model / IT solution I have in mind can be adapted to any device ie. Walking stick, frame, hearing aid, prosthetic leg / arm etc.
Please feel free to share this with any others who may know of other elders or groups in need of a durable long lasting wheelchairs to help with their daily lives. We can start to gather our demand today just let me know.
I am also working with two wonderful gentleman in the UK who contacted me earlier this year, we have a website – http://www.accessibleworld.net – Steve Wilkinson founder – also introduced – International Wheelchair Day – 1st March of each year. – If you would like to help raise awareness for this we would love to hear from you. Steve’s desire since we connected was to have someone like Stevie Wonder be an advocate for our work. –
A special request – if anyone has a way of connecting us to Stevie Wonder that would be very much appreciated.
We have also recently connected with two airlines and are recording a real life case study, which we will be blogging – into how we can make flying a better and more inclusive experience for those with additional access needs.
I have also included Dr Zohl de Ishtar – former CEO – Nobel Peace Prize Nominee 2005, on this post as I also spoke with her recently and she informed me of the passing of the elder. Dr Zohl de Ishtar no longer works with the women’s group but is still very much in support of our work and will continue to share if she finds the need for this type of wheelchair etc.
I look forward to hearing from anyone who maybe interested in touching base to see how we can help our own country and people also.
Helen
http://www.joinhelen.com
http://www.accessibleworld.net
http://www.whirlwindwheelchair.org
—–Original Message—–
From:
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 11:01am
To: helen@joinhelen.com
Subject: FW: Wheelchair for Indigenous Australians?
Helen,
I just read your blog; http://www.joinhelen.com
We received the request from Western Australia and I wanted to pass it on to you as you may be able to find a solution.
President
UCP Wheels for Humanity
North Hollywood, CA91605U.S.A.
Web: www.ucpwfh.org
Skypes: wheelsforhumanity
________________________________________
From: ceo@kapululangu.org [mailto:ceo@kapululangu.org]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 4:07 PM
To: Info
Subject: Wheelchair for Indigenous Australians?
Hi Wheels for Humanity Folks
I’m wondering whether you have the capacity to provide your wheelchair to an Indigenous women elder living in a remote desert community.
She does have a wheelchair currently – but your design is better suited to our desert environment.
This elder continues to go hunting and connecting with Ancestral Country and camping out so that she can pass her cultural heritage number onto younger generations
And I keep on pushing her wheelchair through the tufts of Spinifex grass which is the main plant growing in our area because I believe in what she is trying to do for her young people.
If you could help her in some way that would be absolutely wonderful. .
If not, that’s fine – you are clearly doing extraordinary work with few resources for so many thousands living in more difficult circumstances than we do here.
Thank you for your brilliant contribution to humanity.
For more information about what we are doing in Western Australia’s Great Sandy Desert please go to www.kapululangu.org
Many thanks for your consideration.
Chief Executive Officer
Coordinator and Cultural Program Manager
Nobel Peace Prize Nominee 2005
Kapululangu Women’s Law and Culture Centre
(Kapululangu Aboriginal Women’s Association AC)
PRIVATE MAIL BAG 116 BALGO
via Halls Creek
Western Australia 6770
Australia
Ph & Fax: +61 (0)8 91688 848
Mob: +61 (0)429 422 645
ceo@kapululangu.org
http://www.kapululangu.org
ABN: 491 378 71641
Benevolent Instit., DGR & TCC
