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Posted February 25th, 2009 in general news

Have wheels, will travel

24/02/2009 4:00:00 AM
CHILDREN with disabilities are experiencing the excitement of bicycle riding.Northmead charity Technical Aid to the Disabled (TAD) has launched the Freedom Wheels program for 2009.

The program provide modified bicycles to disabled children at a reduced cost.

Lions clubs, including the Winston Hills branch, have donated $1500 to the program and each time cricketer Adam Gilchrist hits a six in this year’s Indian Premier League competition, Amway will donate $600 to TAD.

The money will be used by the charity’s 300 volunteers to customize bicycles. Linda Langton’s intellectually disabled daughter Georgia, 11, first started riding a TAD bike when she was six.

She attended an assessment clinic and was fitted with a bicycle equipped with foot straps on the pedals, large training wheels, a device so she can’t steer more than 60 degrees in each direction and a handle attached to her handlebars which Mrs Langton can use for steering.

“It’s enabled her to get out and about like the other kids,” Mrs Langton said.

To find out more visit tadnsw.org.au or call 99123400.

A follow up on the man behind the accessible.travel site:

Craig Grimes broke his back 12 years ago. From Nicaragua, he launches the first online booking engine for disabled travelers.

The winding turns, potholes, open sewers, and stray dogs make the streets of this northern Nicaraguan town tough to negotiate – let alone in a wheelchair.

“It’s the worst ever, without a doubt,” says Craig Grimes, with a laugh, as he grasps a signpost to pull his wheelchair up onto a street curb. “A lot of people in Matagalpa don’t know how to use their wheelchairs, because no one has ever taught them. I’ve been showing people in wheelchairs how to get around their own city, and they’ve lived here their whole lives.”

Read More….

FYI for those of you interested in finding accessible rooms around the world. It is in the very beginning stages so there database is small but you gotta start somewhere right!

Accessible.travel, the site is currently in Beta and some of the features are not yet functional. They will shortly be adding photos, maps and 3 new destinations, which will be Brussels, Paris and Melbourne. If you have any comments or ideas for improving accessible.travel, please do not hesitate to let us know as our aim us to make this site as user friendly and inclusive as possible.

“The world’s first instant hotel booking engine for people with disabilities