With most South Africans with disabilities living in KwaZulu-Natal, it is only logical that the major city in this province addresses their needs. ANLERIE DE WET takes a look at eThekwini Nina Saunders, a city architect at eThekwini Municipality, says the City acknowledges that its infrastructure needs to be more...

One creative wheelchair user has found a way of making her home accessible without breaking the bank. MARISKA MORRIS asks Penny Metcalf about DIY home modifications especially for wheelchair users Penny Metcalf, author of I Can Do It, opens the glass door leading to the study. The door was formerly...

Living with a disability is difficult enough for people with disabilities and their families. Making the situation tougher is having to deal with an uncooperative medical aid. ANLERIE DE WET does some research oeye Swart has been fighting with medical aids for many years. Her 24-year-old son, Anton-Pierre Swart, was...

Personal trainer SUNE VAN NIEUWENHUYZEN shares her exercise routine for wheelchair users. I put this programme together so that wheelchair users can exercise without getting out of their wheelchair. The programme is designed for the Human Sport Equipment and Kinesis machine, which allows wheelchair users (who are not strong enough...

Universal design is a strategic approach to ensure that the 2030 agenda for sustainable development is realised. This is what you need to know about universal design. Persons with disabilities are often excluded from opportunities, services, and family and community life due to the design of an environment, services and...

Despite various grading systems and regulations, numerous establishments are still not accessible even though they claim otherwise. It might be time for change. I am compelled to write this article to vent some of my frustration with accessibility within the hospitality industry. I have been involved with trying to get...

The Garden of Eden forest boardwalk in Garden Route National Park is perhaps the most accessible forest trail in South Africa What could be a more accessible forest trail than one that is roadside to the N2, and a boardwalk running the entire distance of several hundred metres through pristine...

The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) hosted its 16th World Congress in Cape Town in May, where professionals from the industry shared their knowledge on assistive devices Professionals and manufacturers from the world of prosthetics and orthotics gathered at the Cape Town International Convention Centre to showcase the...

Despite an accident which ended his career as civil engineer and dream of becoming a helicopter pilot, Ryan Madden tells MARISKA MORRIS that his life has changed for the better. Ryan rolls up to the step leading to the patio at Primi Piatti in Somerset West. Without a moment’s hesitation,...

After years of frustration with uncomfortable wheelchairs that broke, DIETER MARZINGER, with the assistance of his company Integrated Convoy Protection, designed the ultimate all-terrain wheelchair – the Reva Wheelchair I was at the end of my tether, endlessly negotiating with a local wheelchair manufacturer to get my wheelchair back from...