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Parents busted for making their healthy child use a wheelchair to claim benefits

<p>A cruel mother and father have been jailed for over six years for forcing their healthy child to use a wheelchair in order to claim benefit payments. </p> <p>In 2012, Louise Law and her ex-husband Martin forced their then seven-year-old daughter into the wheelchair, as a ploy to gain a mobility car and disability allowance payments despite their being nothing wrong with her. </p> <p>The parents carried on with the scam for four years while they "fabricated illnesses and exaggerated symptoms" to teachers and NHS workers, all while raking in the extensive payments. </p> <p>The crown court in East Yorkshire, England, heard that the child suffered "gratuitous degradation" at being forced to use the wheelchair, as they were bullied at school and deprived of an ordinary childhood. </p> <p>In court, Louise Law admitted an offence of child cruelty, however she changed her plea on the day of a scheduled trial and was jailed for six years and nine months.</p> <p>Martin Law, now split from his wife, is now a long-term resident of a care home and was ruled unfit to enter a plea - although a jury convicted him of child cruelty, and was made subject of a guardianship order.</p> <p>Passing sentence, Judge Kate Rayfield told Mrs Law, "She missed out on so much of her childhood because of what you put her through."</p> <p>"Despite all of her tests revealing nothing wrong, you continued to subject her to appointments and investigations. You did the talking yourselves, telling the doctors lies."</p> <p>"This was a scam... You were telling her to report symptoms that she never said that she had."</p> <p>When the child reached the age of 18 in 2022, she was interviewed by police as she said the faux medical treatment from her parents began when she was six years old. </p> <p>A few initial medical appointments progressed to around 30 hospital appointments, including overnight stays.</p> <p>Prosecutor Louise Reevell told the court, "Her parents made her think that she could not walk properly. She would go to school in a wheelchair but she didn't really need it."</p> <p>Despite medical professionals proving that the child did not need the extensive medical treatment, her parents still claimed that the illnesses and symptoms of their daughter were genuine.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

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Disabled woman dies after firefighters go to wrong address

<p>A disabled woman has tragically died after being trapped in a burning home while firefighters went to the wrong address in an attempt to save her. </p> <p>Vivianne Rodger, who relies on using a wheelchair, called emergency services after her home in Victoria sparked a fire. </p> <p>She was then left for over two hours as firefighters, who were relying on a paper map, went to the wrong house trying to find her. </p> <p>When they eventually reached Ms Rodger, she was dead. </p> <p>According to a Victorian coroner, the blaze was "clearly avoidable" and she may have survived if they had arrived sooner, with their delayed response being directly linked to her death. </p> <p>The 54-year-old lived alone and was unable to move around independently after suffering a stroke and acquired brain injury, meaning she relied on a wheelchair and needed assistance to get in and out of bed.</p> <p>In the early hours of the morning on January 17th 2019, a service coordinator received a distressed call from the woman who said "my blanket is on fire", but the call was disconnected before more information was taken.</p> <p>Firefighters initially went to the wrong house on Ms Rodger's street, after becoming confused with the street numbers and using Melways, a printed street directory of Melbourne, to find the property.</p> <p>The process at the time was to send the fire station an A4 printout of the fire call with the address and a Melways reference.</p> <p>Fire crews didn't arrive at Ms Rodger's home until 5am, when smoke was billowing out of her home, and the woman was found dead in her bedroom. </p> <p>Coroner Paul Lawrie said the failure to find the correct address was "a missed opportunity to try to rescue Ms Rodger" and she would have had an "improved" chance of surviving if they found her sooner.</p> <p>He found the delays were "significant", "clearly avoidable" and questioned the fire brigade's reliance on Melways maps over a GPS map application.</p> <p>"It is also concerning that reliance on a Melway map may have contributed to the failure to identify the correct property," he wrote.</p> <p>The coroner urged for firetrucks to be equipped with modern navigation technology, and to implement policies, procedures and training to ensure firefighters can better identify the location of a call to prevent further deaths. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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"Do better": Baggage handlers captured recklessly throwing wheelchairs

<p>American Airlines has been forced to apologise after two baggage handlers were captured recklessly throwing around wheelchairs. </p> <p>The video of the staffers was captured and posted to TikTok, showing two men in hi-vis at Miami Airport throwing a wheelchair down a slide. </p> <p>The chair hits the bottom with such force that it is catapulted off the chute.</p> <p>In the caption of the video, the poster revealed it was not the first mobility device to suffer such a fate, as she wrote, "Dang, after I saw them do this and laugh with the first two wheelchairs I had to get it on film."</p> <p>She added that it wasn't what she would call "handling with care" for a mobility device.</p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7303306999909960990&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40haez93%2Fvideo%2F7303306999909960990%3Flang%3Den&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast8-p-0068-tx2%2FoIRPINBLSaBIEAVIxqpEaik1LBxVjiEZAq5m5%3Fx-expires%3D1700863200%26x-signature%3DumASXIu6Qa1eNNxX0Jshk1pfrJQ%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>The video has racked up over 2 million viewers, with many flocking to the comments to share their thoughts.</p> <p>"This makes me rage. That is literally someone's lifeline," one person wrote. </p> <p>"Knowing our healthcare system that basic wheelchair was soooooo f-ing expensive," another added. </p> <p>A commenter clarified, "these chairs cost upwards of $3k plus. They aren't easily replaceable and insurance only covers new chairs every 5 years".</p> <p>Another person wrote, "From a wheelchair user, thank you for posting this and raising awareness," while another angry viewer simply wrote, "Do better American Airlines". </p> <p>After the video quickly went viral on social media, the airline issued a statement on the incident, as American Airlines spokesperson Amy Lawrence told <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2023/11/20/american-airlines-wheelchair-miami-mishandling-video/71655649007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>USA Today</em></a> in a statement: "We recognise how important it is to support the independence of customers with disabilities by ensuring the proper care of mobility devices throughout their journey with us."</p> <p>"This visual is deeply concerning and we are gathering more details so that we can address them with our team. We will continue to work hard to improve our handling of assistive devices across our network."</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Shocking footage exposes police officer attacking “defenceless” wheelchair user

<p dir="ltr">Shocking CCTV footage has captured the moment a police officer strikes at a wheelchair user in Shepparton, North Victoria. </p> <p dir="ltr">Kevin Scott was at home celebrating his 36th birthday on February 28, when the officer arrived in response to a noise complaint. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the footage, Scott can be seen wheeling towards the police officer and appeared to lightly kick the officer in the leg. </p> <p dir="ltr">In response, the officer strikes him in the head and is later seen shoving Scott backwards. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I couldn’t do nothing,” Scott recalled.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I seen him shut his fist and I wheeled back. Next minute he just hit me straight in the mouth, in the jaw. When I pointed at my camera, that’s when he walked off,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to <em>7News</em>, Scott said that he was “defenceless” and that the attack was unprovoked. </p> <p dir="ltr">Kay Scott, his sister, has also spoken out on the incident and said that the attack was “shocking” and “disgusting”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It would be different if my brother spat or tried to throw a punch or put up a fight with them but he never did,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was in a wheelchair, defenceless. We need to be able to feel safe in our community, people need to be aware that this does happen,” she added. </p> <p dir="ltr">Scott struggles with his health due to drug and alcohol addiction. </p> <p dir="ltr">Victoria Police have confirmed that they are aware of the incident and have launched an investigation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The male sergeant in the video has been identified and transferred to other duties while the investigation is carried out,” they said in a statement to <em>7News</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Watch the entire footage <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/vic/cctv-footage-emerges-of-police-officer-striking-defenceless-wheelchair-user-in-shepparton-c-9987037" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">7News</span></em></p>

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Woman slammed for asking disabled man to move on the bus

<p dir="ltr">A woman has been slammed online for asking a disabled man on a bus to move so that she and her daughter could sit together. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 32-year-old mother took to Reddit’s “<em>Am I The A**hole?</em>” platform to ask social media users if she was in the wrong. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the post, she wrote that her and her five-year-old daughter boarded the bus at a “busy stop”, noting that “there were no empty seats available, except for one near a person using a wheelchair” – who she described as a man aged about 40. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I asked the person if [he] could move [his] wheelchair to another spot so that my daughter and I could sit together, but the person declined,” she wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">The man in the wheelchair responded to her request and said no, saying he needed the space for his “mobility device”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was taken aback and frustrated by his response,” she wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">She told the man that her daughter “was very young and needed to sit next to me for safety reasons” – yet the person still “refused to move”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I ended up having to stand for the entire ride with my daughter in tow, which was uncomfortable and tiring for both of us,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman recalled how she told her friend about the public transport incident, to which her friend told her she was being “insensitive and ableist”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The writer’s friend told her “that the person in the wheelchair had a right to the space” he needed, and “that it was unfair” of her to ask the man in the wheelchair to move on such a crowded bus. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Now, I’m questioning whether or not I was wrong for asking the person to move,” the mother concluded her post.</p> <p dir="ltr">The post, which has racked up thousands of comments, was flooded by horrified users questioning how someone could ask a disabled person to move out of their designated space.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Imagine being so entitled that you genuinely think standing up on your perfectly good, working legs is so awful and tiring that you ask someone who is physically unable to stand to get out of your way,” one person wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The five-year-old could have just stood. Seriously, when did five-year-olds become so fragile that they can’t stand for a bus trip. Parenting like this damages children. They are being taught that they are pathetic,” someone else wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another person defended the mum’s insistence that her daughter be able to sit down for the bus ride. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s about safety. Children can easily fall in buses because they can’t reach the places to hold onto, since those are made for adults,” they wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">But others who “used to take the bus a lot” declared that “mothers with kids are the most entitled bus users [that] exist”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“One can only hope [the woman] comes to realise how lucky she is she can even stand and walk without any trouble at all, and that the next time there are no seats on the bus, she would just suck it up for a few minutes of the ride,” one wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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Disabled woman slams Jetstar for “extremely humiliating” treatment

<p dir="ltr">A woman has said she was humiliated at the end of her flight after Jetstar staff couldn’t provide her with a wheelchair for her, forcing her to leave the plane by crawling.</p> <p dir="ltr">Natalie Curtis has been in a wheelchair since high school but said she has never been as humiliated as she was left to crawl to her wheelchair after flying from Singapore to Bangkok.</p> <p dir="ltr">While she was provided a standard “aisle” wheelchair to board the plane, Ms Curtis was told she would have to pay to use another chair to get off the plane - a service which is usually free.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I didn’t really comprehend it and I was like, ‘No, I’m not paying to be able to get off this plane’,” Ms Curtis told <em>Sunrise</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">With her friend Natasha Elford unable to carry her due to a knee injury, Ms Curtis crawled on the floor past eight rows until she could reach her chair.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was extremely humiliating,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Elford said she was in shock while watching the ordeal and that she was “absolutely gutted”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was like, ‘Is this actually happening?’” she told the program on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I couldn’t physically lift her so I felt really hopeless and I couldn’t believe this was really happening.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5074d5cf-7fff-8dbb-d33e-bba54635ce43"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">She added that she tried to find out if a wheelchair could be fast tracked to Ms Curtis, but said the flight attendants “didn’t really try to do anything”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnatalie.hodges.50%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0ewJHd3156WaV46vd8LHJWCwLrxBQraSgSfAP1dZqcfPc47oo4WkNmCj7VWjda6Rl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="393" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">A spokesperson for the budget airline said Jetstar had sincerely apologised to Ms Curtis and had offered her a refund and additional compensation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We unreservedly apologise to Ms Curtis for her recent experience while travelling with us,” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are committed to providing a safe and comfortable travel experience for all our customers, including those requiring specific assistance.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The spokesperson added that Jetstar staff don’t charge for using a wheelchair, and that an inquiry into the incident had found a language barrier led to the miscommunication of a fee.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At no point was an aisle chair withheld due to a request for payment,” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Curtis isn’t the only person to have experienced such an incident over wheelchair use, and her experience comes as disability advocates call for a complete overhaul of the treatment of passengers by airlines.</p> <p dir="ltr">In August, Brad Wszola had to be carried by his wife and a staff member over the gap between the air bridge and the Jetstar plane he was trying to board to fly from Darwin to Cairns, per <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/oct/06/second-class-citizen-man-lifted-on-to-plane-as-darwin-airport-had-no-ramp-for-wheelchair-users" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Watching these people having to lift me, to bend down, Jen had to bend down below the level of the floor of the plane, bend over and grab the bottom of the aisle chair to lift me … That put myself at risk, also the staff at risk and Jenny at risk,” Mr Wszola said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“She was the one helping lift me into the plane.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Wszola even encountered issues prior to leaving Darwin, with his wheelchair being sent to the baggage carousel rather than the air bridge on his arrival.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-959917b9-7fff-c8f5-f194-0fd6a3ef5a8c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">After his wife made multiple requests via email to Darwin airport and Jetstar, she was told a ramp wasn’t provided to bridge the gap as it was a low-cost airline - but a ramp has since been provided to the airport after <em>The Guardian</em> contacted Jetstar.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Just made a cute little video about how <a href="https://twitter.com/Qantas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Qantas</a> broke my wheelchair and won’t fix it 🙃🙃🙃🙃 <a href="https://t.co/CnFXazJ1ox">pic.twitter.com/CnFXazJ1ox</a></p> <p>— Zoe Simmons | she/her (@ItbeginswithZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ItbeginswithZ/status/1577502974796247041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Earlier this month, Qantas reversed its decision not to refund Zoe Simmons, whose wheelchair was damaged on a flight from Sydney to Canberaa, after she took her complaints to social media.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a column for <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/disability-advocate-lashes-qantas-over-broken-wheelchair/news-story/72ae759ca7960ab607610c5ebd6c8bca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>, Simmons explained that damage to her chair brakes had left it “unusable” and was initially told Qantas wouldn’t reimburse her or repair her chair, which she needs as someone living with the nerve disorder fibromyalgia.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am so angry that this is how wheelchair users are treated by airlines, over and over. And it’s not just Qantas: it’s a systemic issue, because the system is so very broken,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the airline reaching out to apologise and offering to pay for her wheelchair repairs, Simmons questioned whether she would have received such a response if she hadn’t taken matters into her own hands.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wonder: would this resolution have occurred, had I not made a fuss about it?” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I shouldn’t have to hope to be an exception to the norm. The norm should be that disabled people are looked after, treated well, and able to get the same resolution I’ve been able to get here.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-650b6358-7fff-1acf-83b2-095ff2b36a84"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Sunrise</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Sir Elton John responds to images of him in wheelchair

<p>Elton John has insisted that he's fine after pictures surfaced of him in a wheelchair during his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour earlier this week.</p> <p>The 75-year-old music legend assured fans via Instagram that he was in "top health," explaining how his team offered to push him in a wheelchair following their arrival at Leipzig Airport, Germany, and another long show ahead.</p> <p>"I want to thank all my fans for reaching out to ask about my health, after the tabloids ran a silly story about my 'looking frail" in a wheelchair," his post began.</p> <p>"The true story is that I'm in top health, loving my shows and playing and singing at my very best. I give 100% every night and never want to disappoint, especially after everyone has waited so long to get back to seeing shows. Your response to every show has been phenomenal and I'm loving every minute of it."</p> <p>John went on to explain that upon their arrival at the airport, part of it was closed, meaning that "it was an extremely long walk" for the singer "to get to the plane."</p> <p>"Last night was another blockbuster show in Bern and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at this weekend's sold-out show in Milan. Thanks for all your kind words of support!" he concluded his post.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeTOUmIjanf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeTOUmIjanf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Photos of the Rocketman hitmaker surfaced on Thursday of John being pushed by one of his team members at the airport. Several outlets reported that the performer "looked frail" and "fragile" as he stepped out with his crew.</p> <p>In November 2021, John discussed his recent hip injury publicly. He explained that he was forced to postpone some dates on his tour but has since had surgery.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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Paralympian told she can’t board plane with wheelchair

<p dir="ltr">A paralympian has been left embarrassed after Jetstar staff refused to allow her to board with her wheelchair. </p> <p dir="ltr">Karni Liddell represented Australia at the 1996 and 2000 Paralympic Games and had booked with Jetstar to fly from Brisbane to Proserpine on Wednesday. </p> <p dir="ltr">She was however told she would not be allowed to board the plane because there was a lithium battery on the wheelchair - even though she had a dangerous goods certificate issued by Qantas and Jetstar.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was told on the phone beforehand that I could fly, but I couldn’t bring my wheelchair,” she said on Sunrise on Thursday. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I asked her again to repeat it because I actually thought it was quite funny.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I said ‘that would be like me telling you to take your legs off, to jump on the plane and fly without your legs’ and she said ‘stop being so rude’.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeQYUC0lJ3m/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeQYUC0lJ3m/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by karniliddell (@karniliddell)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Karni explained that this is not the first time she has been discriminated against on recalling about 10 incidents over the past few years.</p> <p dir="ltr">She said every time she arrived at the airport she was riddled with anxiety and is questioning why it’s so hard to accommodate those who need a bit of extra help.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s so common for us, we are always fighting to fly. So I just want to find out why? Why is it so hard?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Jetstar has since made a statement in response to the horrific incident which saw Karni miss out on an income. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Unfortunately her booking was made through a travel vendor and did not include the requirement to travel with a 25-kilogram lithium-battery-powered wheelchair,” the statement read. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Carrying a 25-kilogram lithium battery on our aircraft requires special clearance in advance of the flight’s departure.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"Prisoner in his own home": Veteran's battle for freedom

<p>An Aussie veteran is battling for his freedom after being stuck in his apartment for over a year. </p> <p>Eric Bouvier, a 92-year-old veteran, wants nothing more than to sit outside in the sun without having to rely on others. </p> <p>Despite being in a wheelchair, Eric is capable of getting himself around. </p> <p>The only problem is, he lives on the third floor of an apartment block in the eastern Sydney suburb of Maroubra, which doesn't have lift access. </p> <p>After serving in World War II, the Department of Veteran Affairs stepped in and purchased him a chairlift, saying they would also pay for the installation in his home unit block.</p> <p>But well over a year after its approval, it still sits in a box waiting to be installed.</p> <p>"He is a prisoner in his own home," Jason, Eric's carer, told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/sydney-war-veterans-battle-with-body-corporate-over-chairlift-installation-inaction/dd3d3f4f-c54b-4859-bbab-ff578e48d977" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em></a>.</p> <p>"Eric and I have asked the body corporate to put the chairlift in, but discussions are still going on and meanwhile Eric is stuck inside."</p> <p>"I've been trapped inside my home now for nearly 18 months," Eric said.</p> <p>The problem is the building's 1960s internal hand-railing is not to standard and needs to be replaced at the body corporate's expense before the chairlift can be installed.</p> <p>The building's body corporate have been getting quotes and debating the price of the renovations for well over 12 months. </p> <p>"It's my home and I have no rights," said Bouvier, who has now engaged a lawyer to battle the body corporate and get freedom.</p> <p>"It's everyone's legal right to access their home and if a hand railing needs to be installed, it should be done immediately," Amanda Farmer, Bouvier's Strata property lawyer said.</p> <p>Eric is continuing to wait patiently inside his home until the day his chairlift gets installed.</p> <p>"I may have lost my freedom for now, but at least I can still smile," he said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair</em></p>

Retirement Life

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World first: paratriathlete bungee jumps from 50m in wheelchair

<p dir="ltr">An Aussie paratriathlete has become the first to bungee jump from a whopping 50m while in a wheelchair.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rohan Sills, a former carpenter, became paralysed following a serious workplace incident that saw him fall three metres down a stairwell at a construction site in 2019.</p> <p dir="ltr">Three years later, Rohan continues to refuse to allow his condition to stop him from doing what he loves. </p> <p dir="ltr">He has now broken the previous record of bungee jumping from 50m while in a wheelchair thanks to Sky Park in Cairns. </p> <p dir="ltr">Several thrilling videos were shared to Rohan’s Instagram showing his excitement to roll his wheelchair off the rooftop. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaVtRpYlgH4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaVtRpYlgH4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rohan Sills (@rohansills)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“First ever wheelchair bungee jump off the roof in Australia and it was epic!” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Massive shout out to the crew @skyparkcairns for making it possible. If you’re interested in giving it a go then give them a call and they will do their best to help you out.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Fans were left in awe at his bravery and commended him for not giving up on his dreams.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Man you are the real hero because you are chasing your own dreams. God will give you the power,” one wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This is superrrrr inspiring! What a lovely spirit!” another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Congratulations!!! It looks amazing!” someone else wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rohan did another bungee jump last year at the same park but this time wanted to go higher. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Man who abducted wheelchair-bound partner dies two days after her

<p dir="ltr">A man who <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/man-charged-with-abducting-wheelchair-bound-partner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abducted his wheelchair-bound partner</a> from a Perth nursing home and attempted to cross the border with her has died just two days after her.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ralph “Terry” Gibbs, 80, died after his car collided with a utility truck on Wednesday morning south of Bowen, in Queensland’s north.</p> <p dir="ltr">His death came just 48 hours after that of 84-year-old Carol Lisle, his partner of 15 years.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 84-year-old, passed away in an aged care facility in Mandurah, Western Australia, where she was living with dementia and Parkinson’s disease.</p> <p dir="ltr">They died just a week after Mr Gibbs appeared before a Perth magistrate over charges of deprivation of liberty and endangering Ms Lisle’s life, after he took her out of her aged care home in January and tried to drive her across the border during heatwave conditions.</p> <p dir="ltr">He received a seven-month suspended sentence and a restraining order to prevent him from contacting Ms Lisle.</p> <p dir="ltr">Outside court, Mr Gibbs described Ms Lisle as “my little sweetheart” and said he fought “for over a year to get her back so we can see each other because she has dementia and may not last much longer”.</p> <p dir="ltr">A close friend of Ms Lisle, who didn’t want to be named, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-24/ralph-gibbs-kidnapped-partner-from-nursing-home-dies-after-her/100856128" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the <em>ABC</em></a><em> </em>she passed away in the early hours on Monday morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">Having known Ms Lisle for 24 years, the friend said she was loved and well-looked after at the nursing home, and that she had been very unwell since she was taken by Mr Gibbs in January.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Carol’s friends are devastated at her passing and believe the separation from her loved ones contributed to her death,” the friend said.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a <a href="https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/news/2022/02/23/fatal-crash-bowen-4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, Queensland Police said Mr Gibbs was driving north along the Bruce Highway early on Wednesday morning when he collided with the other vehicle which was being driven by a 60-year-old man.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gibbs died at the scene of the crash, while the other driver was airlifted to a local hospital and is believed to be in a serious condition.</p> <p dir="ltr">Queensland’s Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: WA Police</em></p>

Caring

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Man charged with abducting wheelchair-bound partner

<p dir="ltr">An 80-year-old man has been charged after allegedly taking his wheelchair-bound partner out of a care facility and driving her 1500 kilometres away in an attempt to cross the border.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/ralph-gibbs-allegedly-removes-sick-partner-from-care-home-drives-across-the-country-c-5190590" target="_blank">allege</a><span> </span>that Ralph Gibbs was visiting Carol Lisle, 84, at her care facility in Mandurah, WA, and took the opportunity to remove her from the facility, placing her in his car and driving away.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846623/lisle1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/35e3e992e0b148daabd7ed41408b6a46" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Missing couple Carol Lisle and Ralph Gibbs were found just shy of the NT border on Tuesday. Image: 9News</em></p> <p dir="ltr">It is also alleged that he made plans prior to visiting her to remove her from the facility and leave WA.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Gibbs allegedly did not have the legal authority to remove Ms Lisle, his partner of more than a decade, from the facility.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Lisle suffers from Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and allegedly did not have the capacity to make the decision to leave the facility for herself.</p> <p dir="ltr">Due to Ms Lisle’s need for a high level of care, Mr Gibbs has also been accused of putting her health and safety at risk, as well as not considering the level of care she required.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair were first reported missing on the night of Sunday, January 2, and were located two days later near Warakurna, just over an hour away from the NT border.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846624/lisle2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a99c6772e9c54c1b9dffd07974e5f53d" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Carol Lisle, a wheelchair-bound woman living in a care home, was found 1,500 kilometres from her home. Image: Western Australia Police</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Lisle required urgent medical attention and was taken to a Warakurna nursing home. She was later flown to Perth and admitted to the Peel Health Campus.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Gibbs<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/news/wa/wa-man-charged-with-kidnapping-woman-c-5190348" target="_blank">has been charged</a><span> </span>with deprivation of liberty and endangering the life, health and safety of a person.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was due to appear at Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday, with<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://thewest.com.au/news/court-justice/ralph-terry-gibbs-granted-bail-over-alleged-kidnapping-of-sick-partner-carol-lisle-from-care-home-c-5189916" target="_blank"><em>The West Australian</em></a><span> </span>reporting that he was granted bail.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Western Australia Police</em></p>

News

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Wheelchair-bound bride's amazing feat on her big day

<p>A Los Angeles bride has given her husband-to-be an emotional surprise when they met at the aisle. </p> <p>Chelsie Hill, who uses a wheelchair, walked proudly down the aisle with her father and a decorated walking frame to be eye-to-eye with her groom Jay Bloomfield. </p> <p>"As soon as I saw Jay, his jaw dropped", the 29-year-old bride told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.insider.com/bride-wheelchair-surprised-groom-by-walking-down-the-aisle-2021-11" target="_blank">Insider</a> of the emotional moment. </p> <p>Chelsie was paralysed from the waist down in a car accident in 2010, but nothing could stop her from standing next to her groom on their big day. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVl4CX2FGHV/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVl4CX2FGHV/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by intimate wedding photographer (@ashabailey_)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The moment was captured by their wedding photographer and shared to Instagram, with the caption reading, "There wasn't a dry eye in the crowd."</p> <p>In order to help Chelsie's dream become a reality, she wore leg braces under her gown and had the support of her father, who Chelsie said is her biggest supporter. </p> <p><span>"My dad and I have talked about this moment forever," Chelsie gushed on Instagram. </span></p> <p><span>"He’s always had his tough guy face on trying to keep it together but he’s always been my big teddy bear."</span></p> <p><span>"Walking with my dad down the aisle was so special, every step, every breath, I didn’t take it for granted whatsoever. I’ll never forget this moment with my daddy."</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CV0ieZMjw2b/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CV0ieZMjw2b/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Chelsie Hill (@chelsiehill)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>The videos from the wedding have racked up thousands of views, with commenters saying how moved they were by Chelsie's </span>strength. </p> <p>Later in the evening, Chelsie was also standing for her first dance with Jay, in their first moments of being husband and wife. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram @ashabailey_ @chelsiehill</em></p>

Relationships

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Veteran alleges he was refused service because of his wheelchair

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A war veteran has claimed he was refused service at a suburban restaurant because of his wheelchair.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Joel Sardi, a former soldier who served in Afghanistan, became a quadriplegic when he fell three metres onto his back almost seven years ago.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Sardi said his attempt to make a reservation at Ginger Garlic in Eltham, Victoria, on Saturday night was refused due to the space he and his wheelchair would take up, despite having visited the venue many times before.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He was quite aggressively telling ‘you don’t know anything about the restaurant and you won’t fit in there because there’s sizzling hot plates and you take up too much space,” Mr Sardi told </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">7NEWS</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Last night was the worst I’ve ever felt because of my injury. I was infuriated.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Sardi, who is a public speaker, shared his story about the incident in a video posted to Instagram.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CQnf3N1pT1d/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CQnf3N1pT1d/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by JOELS JOURNEY (@joelsardi)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His post received hundreds of thousands of views, as well as messages from others sharing their sympathy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Sardi is considering lodging an official complaint with the Human Rights Commission.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But he has warned against those showing criticism down on the restaurant, and has said: “I don’t want to see people suffer from this. I want people to learn from it.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ginger Garlic declined to comment.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: 7NEWS</span></em></p>

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ACT Senior Australian of the Year tragically perishes in crash

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Disability advocate Sue Salthouse, the ACT's 2020 Senior Australian of the Year has passed away in a motorcycle accident.</p> <p>She was riding her wheelchair-accessible motorcycle when it was involved in an accident with a car.</p> <p>Salthouse was well-known in the Canberra community, as a long time advocate for people, particularly women, with disabilities.</p> <p>She was co-chair of the ACT Disability Expert Panel advising on the National Disability Insurance Scheme and influenced the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.</p> <p>"Arriving by surprise in the disability sector means that you're on a very steep learning curve to understand what it is that affects the lives and mentality of people with disabilities," Ms Salthouse told Nikki Henningham in an interview at the National Library of Australia in 2011.</p> <p>"The practicalities of 'having a place at the table' are difficult to confront for someone who needs two hours in the morning to get up.</p> <p>"Success in promoting the issues is one thing, another measure is seeing more women with disabilities in the workforce and more woman outside the ages of 40-60 involved in advocacy organisations."</p> <p>A spokesperson from the National Australia Day Council said that they were "saddened" at the news of Salthouse's death.</p> <p>"Sue was such a vibrant woman who lived life to the full and seized every opportunity. She was a huge force for change and for good in the disability sector," they said.</p> <p>"We will always remember Sue's beaming smile and great enthusiasm.</p> <p>"Our hearts go out to Sue's family and friends."</p> <p>Chief executive of the Disability Leadership Group Christina Ryan gave a statement, as she worked with Salthouse for 25 years.</p> <p>"She was a passionate part of our community, she was really a big part of the disability sisterhood," she said.</p> <p>"We were all working together, it wasn't about any of us individually it was a collective effort.</p> <p>"She was one of the most outstanding mentors of young talent right up until today."</p> <p><em>Photo credits: </em><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-21/canberra-sue-salthouse-dies-in-motorcycle-accident/12475816" target="_blank" class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtflink">ABC News</a></em></p> </div> </div> </div>

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Son opens up about murder of wheelchair-bound mother

<div class="body_text "> <p>The son of South Australian wife killer Peter Dansie has opened up about the drowning murder of his wheelchair-bound mother.</p> <p>He spoke to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/son-of-south-australian-wifekiller-opens-up-about-drowning-murder-of-wheelchairbound-mother/03a2d210-6922-4c9c-b4e4-4f00216bcc87" target="_blank"><em>9News</em></a><span> </span>exclusively about the murder, where Grant’s mother Helen drowned after her husband Peter pushed her wheelchair into a pond in the Adelaide parklands in April 2017.</p> <p>"To think that's how she spent her last moments, just in utter fear in a dark cold, pond and there was nobody to help her… there was nothing she could do, she was completely alone," Grant said sadly.</p> <p>In December, Peter was sentenced to 25 years behind bars for Helen’s murder and Grant revealed how he helped detectives arrest his father.</p> <p>"I always knew that he was a horrible person, a vindictive person, focused on power and control, but I didn't think he had it in him to do that," Grant said of his father.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7835038/peter-dansie.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7da41441e0534afb84b73a5b1191da0f" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Peter Dansie</em></p> <p>Grant said that detectives had just two questions for him.</p> <p>"They had two questions – first, are you willing to testify? And second, are you willing to wear a wire?"</p> <p>Grant quickly agreed to both and met with his estranged father for the first time in 17 years to hear why he did it.</p> <p>"He didn't care. He showed no emotion. He showed no remorse. He showed no love for this woman," he said.</p> <p>Inconsistencies in Peter’s story to his son helped police arrest and ultimately convict the 70 year old.</p> <p>However, Grant worries as to how he’ll tell his children what happened to their grandparents.</p> <p>"I still haven't concluded how to do that properly - it's kind of hard. We've just said that their grandparents have died," he said.</p> <p>As Peter is trying to appeal his conviction, his son is confident he won’t be going anywhere.</p> <p>"The thought that he will be in jail for life is actually quite nice," Grant said.</p> <p><em>Photo credits: <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/son-of-south-australian-wifekiller-opens-up-about-drowning-murder-of-wheelchairbound-mother/03a2d210-6922-4c9c-b4e4-4f00216bcc87" target="_blank">9News</a></em></p> </div>

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Cheeky! Prince Harry pens hilarious note to Wimbledon wheelchair champion Dylan Alcott

<p>Wheelchair tennis champion Dylan Alcott received a nice surprise in the mail, as he took to Twitter to show off a cheeky letter from none other than Prince Harry himself.</p> <p>The royal heaped praise on Alcott, commending him for his Wimbledon win and most popular new talent at the Logies.</p> <p>He also appreciated him for his work “raising awareness and changing perceptions of disability”.</p> <p>But while the top half of the note was quite formal, it was the PS that had fans chuckling, as Harry hilariously asked about Alcott’s underwear situation.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Pen pals with the Duke of Sussex himself - Prince Harry.. What an absolute legend ... Also very impressed he watches the <a href="https://twitter.com/TVWEEKmag?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TVWEEKmag</a> logies..! <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyalFamily</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KensingtonRoyal</a> <a href="https://t.co/I328TqnMaX">pic.twitter.com/I328TqnMaX</a></p> — Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanAlcott/status/1163385140308918273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">19 August 2019</a></blockquote> <p>The letter reads: “Dear Dylan,</p> <p>I wanted to pass on my congratulations for your recent win at Wimbledon and your most popular new talent award!</p> <p>Thank you for the special contribution that you made to sharing the stories of wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women on the Invictus Games Today show.</p> <p>Your achievements are extraordinary, and the impact you have had in raising awareness and changing perceptions of disability is really inspiring.</p> <p>I wish you the very best of luck for the future, on-air and on-court!</p> <p>All the best, Harry</p> <p>PS – I’m wondering if you wore your Invictus Games budgie smugglers on the big night to accept it? Mine have come in handy in this recent UK heatwave!”</p> <p>The 28-year-old won the Wimbledon title in mid-July for his ninth wheelchair Grand Slam title, including third straight this year as he nears a calendar Grand Slam.</p>

Body

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Airport officers under scrutiny after prolonged pat-down of 96-year-old woman in wheelchair

<p><span>A daughter has recorded the moment her 96-year-old wheelchair-bound mother was subjected to a prolonged security pat-down at a US airport.</span></p> <p><span>The video, which has over 9 million views, shows Evelyn LaBrier being searched at Dulles Airport in Washington DC.</span></p> <p><span>Evelyn’s daughter, Jeanne Clarkson, becomes irritated throughout the search and is heard saying: “What the hell do you think she’s going to do? Set off a shoe bomb?</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjeanneclarkson%2Fvideos%2F10211494393131675%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=264" width="264" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe><br /></span></p> <p><span>“I was just shocked. I’ve travelled with her before, I’ve been in a wheelchair myself unable to walk through the machines and I’ve never had that kind of a pat-down ever,” Jeanne said.</span></p> <p><span>"I couldn’t believe they were doing this to my 96-year-old mother. It was just shock and frustration because they would not talk to me. I felt helpless.”</span></p> <p><span>In the footage, a Transportation Security Administration officer is seen manoeuvring the woman’s arms to search her.</span></p> <p><span>Another TSA officer moves in front of Jeanne, blocking the phone camera and her view.</span></p> <p><span>“She didn’t know what to say. She does not want to fly again ever,” Jeanne said.</span></p> <p><span>“She didn’t know what they were looking for. She was scared.</span></p> <p><span>“She was just following directions. She said she didn’t know what to do.”</span></p> <p><span>Washington Dulles Airport released a statement in response to the controversy surrounding the viral video.</span></p> <p><span>“Many of you have reached out to us to express concern over a video of a security screening taking place at Dulles International Airport. Security screening at our checkpoints is directed and conducted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). We have shared customer comments with the TSA for their immediate review and appropriate action,” the airport said.</span></p> <p><span>Many who viewed the footage expressed their concerns over the treatment of the elderly woman.</span></p> <p><span>“This was a 96 year old woman, who was searched repeatedly over and over. I think my concern would have been to treat this elderly woman more kindly with Compassion, not subjecting her to this uncalled body search.”</span></p> <p><span>Another said, “That lady looked like she was going to cry!! That is BEYOND harassment... to give her bad memories like that!”</span></p> <p><span>However, some viewers did not think there was anything wrong with the way the TSA officers conducted the search.</span></p> <p><span>“I know I will probably receive a lot of backlash, but it seemed to me that they treated her with nothing but respect. Their job is to keep people safe. And sometimes that includes searching people,” a Facebook user wrote.</span></p> <p><span>Do you think there is anything wrong with the way the elderly woman was searched? Let us know in the comments below.</span></p>

Travel Trouble

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Meet the goldfish with a “wheelchair”

<p>While it’s not uncommon to see dogs using custom wheelchairs to help them walk, a goldfish with one is certainly not something you see every day. An inventive aquarium worker named Derek has become an online sensation, after he crafted a makeshift “wheelchair” to help a goldfish. The cute little aquatic critter was brought into the shop by its owner, who said it was struggling to float upright due to a bladder disorder.</p> <p><img width="499" height="665" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34289/image__499x665.jpg" alt="fish (1)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Derek sent the sweet photo to his friend, Taylor, who then shared it to Twitter, where it has been retweeted more than 25,000 times and received over 75,000 likes.</p> <p>Chatting to <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/tanyachen/goldfish-wheelchair" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">BuzzFeed</span></strong></a>, Derek revealed how he created the clever apparatus. “I got some airline tubing that people usually use in their tank and just placed it around the goldfish. I added some valves to the bottom of it, which acted as a ‘chair’ to prop him up. I added weights to the bottom of the ‘chair’ and something to keep him afloat on top (Styrofoam), and slowly removed pieces until I achieved just the right buoyancy to make it easy for him to swim around without feeling like he’s dragging around a chair.”</p> <p>Yesterday, Taylor issued an update to the goldfish’s many new fans, writing, “just wanted to let you guys know wheelchair fish is still doing well and got an even more comfortable wheelchair.”</p> <p><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34290/fish-wheelchair_498x245.jpg" alt="Fish Wheelchair" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><em>Images: @taylorndean / Twitter.</em></p>

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Dad transforms son’s wheelchair into Ghostbusters car

<p>A father in the US has come up with the most ingenious way to give his disabled son the perfect costume for Halloween. Each year, Ryan Scott Miller transforms 9-year-old Jeremy’s wheelchair into the perfect Hollywood hot-rod, and this year – by popular demand – Jeremy will be rocking around the neighbourhood in a Ghostbusters car.</p> <p>Jeremy took votes from his schoolmates as to what his next costume should be, and they decided on the Ecto-1 car featured in the classic 1984 film, complete with a ladder, siren, and speakers – to blare out the Ghostbusters theme song, of course!</p> <p>In previous years, Ryan has turned Jeremy’s wheelchair into a snowspeeder from Star Wars and a motorbike from Captain America (see gallery above).</p> <p>Ryan shared the photos on <a href="http://imgur.com/a/6xsZg" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Imgur</span></strong></a> with the caption, “nailed it”. We couldn’t agree more!</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/10/video-captures-moment-tooth-fairy-collects-boys-tooth/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Video captures moment tooth fairy collects boy’s tooth</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/10/baby-gets-jealous-and-cries-when-her-parents-kiss/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Baby gets jealous and cries when her parents kiss</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/10/liver-donor-marries-woman-he-saved/" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Liver donor marries the woman whose life he saved</span></strong></em></a></p>

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