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accessibility.com.au - Travelling
Beyond The Front Gate By Matt Laffan
Exploring Regional Queensland
"Where to now?" |
Contents:
- The Importance Of
Oxygen
- Getting
Your Chair On A Plane
- The Interstate Taxi
Subsidy Scheme
- Local Contacts And
Support
- Accommodation
Details
Occasionally I am asked to attend various
places as a guest speaker. The topics about
which I am asked to speak range from the
motivational business talk to the disability
related area of interest. No matter what
the request and destination the experience,
for me, is always worthwhile and reaffirms
my belief in the value of the diversity
of the people of Australia.
However, when I received an invitation
from the Burdekin Disability Advisory Group
to travel to Ayr, Queensland I wondered
how things would go. As discussed previously
in this column travel for we folks with
mobility disabilities takes some planning
and at times, for better or worse, pushing
into regional Australia can sometimes seem
to be a tougher challenge than arriving
at a city on the other side of the world.
"Matt with
Scott & Helen at the Burdekin Disability
Advisory awards night." |
However Scott Stidston, a fearless campaigner
for people with disabilities in Queensland
and in his country town of Ayr who personally
has made a remarkable difference to the
way in which folks with disabilities live
their lives in the region, insisted it could
be done. Following his leadership I was
as ever determined to back him up and so
it was that I found myself among new friends
in the tropics of Queensland on 3 December
2002.
We were all gathered together on The International
Day for People With Disabilities for the
Burdekin Disability Advisory Group’s Awards
Night. However there were a few hurdles
to get over in between the time I agreed
to speak in Ayr and my arrival and it is
worth recounting them so that those of you
who want to push into regional Australia
can see how it can be done.
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OXYGEN
The first trick was that I was flying with
Qantas Link on one of their 717 aircraft.
These airplanes are smaller than the 747’s
that travel in between the capital cities
as they belong to the fleet formerly owned
by Impulse. The Qantas Link 717 aircraft
have a smaller carrying capacity and they
affected me directly in two ways.
"Getting on
board" |
Firstly they do not carry oxygen cylinders
on board for the likes of me who require
oxygen when traveling at altitude. And secondly
the aircraft are a little smaller and thus
their ability to get the electric wheelchair
on board took some extra effort.
For those of us who travel by air and require
oxygen it pays to be organised. Organization
requires diligence, good communication skills,
understanding, patience and planning!
In order to travel with oxygen aboard an
airline, whether or not you take your own
oxygen, the airline requires forms to be
filled out and strict procedures to be followed.
This is done to ensure that all parties
are well aware of the medical needs of the
passenger because once we are in the air
at twenty odd thousand feet we have committed
ourselves to the journey!
My requirement for oxygen requires a number
of communications to take place.
"Matt & Qantas
Link flight attendant Tiffany McGinty" |
Firstly a specialist is required to fill
in certain Qantas forms so that they know
of my medical history, of the flow rate
that I will be requiring when in the air
and of any other special needs that might
be related to my lung function.
Therefore you have to consider the fact
that your doctor is busy too and he or she
might not be available to fill in the forms
on the Tuesday you require them. So it is
best to give yourself as much time as possible
to speak with your doctor about your travel
plans and check with the doctor whether
it will be okay for the requisite documents
to be faxed straight to their office via
your agent or Qantas contact. This will
ensure the time will be halved and it will
save you having to do too much legwork yourself.
Once those documents are received Qantas
then have to run them by their own in-house
medical team, so there is no quick fix solution
to the problem. It has to follow a method
of development and you are crucial to its
smooth running by taking as much responsibility
for the process as you can.
Once that is underway it is important of
course that you get yourself an oxygen supply
for the flight if the airline are unable
to provide it for you. Qantas recommend
BOC Limited and it was for that reason I
used them. Having been recognised by Qantas
as a preferred supplier it meant that all
the safety requirements the airline required
were provided therefore it struck me as
being the simplest option. My dealings with
BOC Limited did not make me regret the decision.
BOC Limited can be contacted on 131 262
and their web site is www.boc.com.au
The BOC team required a note from my treating
doctor to indicate what type of flow rate
I required as well as my flight details
so that they good estimate how many cylinders
would be required during my journey. For
an extra cost the bottles were delivered
to my home in Sydney. When I arrived in
Townsville the BOC personnel collected the
empty cylinders from reception and left
a fresh supply for my return flight. Then
when I was back in Sydney they came by my
home again and collected the equipment.
As is always the case when one is dealing
with a number of organizations and with
material that is essential to your well
being it pays not to leave anything to chance.
So I recommend you keep a copy of the name
of the people with whom you are dealing
for easy reference and be sure to have the
oxygen delivered the day before you fly
out just in case something goes wrong with
the supply.
Similarly when you arrive at the airport
to book in for your flight be sure to let
the Qantas staff know at the baggage and
ticketing area that you have oxygen to go
on board. If the lines of communication
have been working smoothly they will have
those details alongside your flight details
but sometimes things slip through, so it
pays to be one step ahead. If it seems that
the details are not recorded don’t panic!
Breathe easy and Qantas will breathe easy
with you and will be sure to let the engineers
know the score before you go on board. As
you will appreciate oxygen cylinders are
of themselves classified as dangerous items
so the engineers must be made aware of their
presence before you fly and to assist with
setting them up. Similarly the purser and
captain’s log must have some reference to
the fact that a passenger will be traveling
with their own oxygen supply.
"The key is
communication - Matt is lifted into
his seat." |
If you have never traveled with your own
oxygen supply before be sure to have the
BOC personnel show you how to operate the
cylinder so that you feel comfortable and
confident. Take it from me you don’t want
to be in the air and then wondering how
it is you operate the mechanics of it all.
Being a born know-it-all yours truly thought
he knew how to operate it without proper
tuition that meant I nearly used up my four
hours supply of oxygen within the first
three minutes of the flight! So take your
time to learn the procedure and all will
go smoothly.
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ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIRS AND GETTING
ON BOARD
The other issue with 717 aircraft is the
smaller size of their hulls which means
they do not accommodate bulky electric wheelchairs
as easily as the larger aircraft.
"Is that a
wheelchair or a small aircraft?" |
For all of us who rely on wheelchairs the
great nuisance of flying is the getting
out of our wheelchairs. It does not matter
whether you are a Para-athlete who can run
wheelchair marathons or someone dependant
on an electric wheelchair such as me that
time when we have to bid our chair adieu
in order to board the airline is a moment
of some concern for all of us.
Our emotional torment is a combination
of not wanting to sit in one of the tiny
airline chairs that are essential for us
getting on board and our anxiety as to how
our precious other-self, the chair, will
be cared for once it is out of our sight.
We have all traveled at some time by air
to find at our point of destination that
our chair has been damaged in some way.
It is a matter of frustration and it can
be a mighty inconvenience.
Fortunately my journey was without any
problems whatsoever. Although as always
it pays to be aware of the way in which
your electric wheelchair operates so that
you can tell the staff as to what needs
to be done or has been done to disconnect
batteries.
"Once you have
landed it's time to escape!" |
In my case my chair is rather heavy and
tall. So getting aboard the 717 caused the
ground crew some difficulties, but they
did it and looked after the chair beautifully.
Nevertheless I think it is worth taking
along your chairs operational manual or
having a written script that details how
your chair works and how the batteries can
be disconnected and reconnected and proof
that your batteries are dry cell (if they
are). They are little attentions to detail
that can prevent unnecessary heartache during
your journey.
The fact that all of us are of different
shapes and sizes and mobility means our
experience of getting on board is entirely
different. I find the best thing to do is
communicate warmly and clearly with those
I am going to be working as I get on board
and to let them know the best way to lift
me, what hurts and what doesn't’t so that
they are informed all the way through. That
way they feel more comfortable and so do
I and essentially people are in the job
because they like dealing with people and
want to help, so again it pays to be courteous,
informative and patient.
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TAXI INTERSTATE SUBSIDY SCHEME
Traveling interstate means of course that
those of us who rely on accessible taxis
need to organise not only transport at the
other end but the discount vouchers for
which we qualify. The Taxi Transport Subsidy
Scheme is something that is promoted in
each State of Australia however one cannot
use a New South Wales subsidy scheme voucher
in Queensland; one has to apply for an interstate
booklet. This is easily done but it requires
planning and attention to detail.
For NSW residents, for example, you have
to give the authorities around 14 days notice
of your need. It is best to follow the procedure
in this way:
- Work out how many trips you will be
taking by taxi.
- Work out the dates you will require
them (for example from between 3 January
to 5 February).
- Write a short covering letter to the
Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme detailing
your account number in NSW (found on your
voucher booklet) and your account name
and the dates you will be away and the
number of taxi journeys you estimate you
will be undertaking.
- Fax the NSW Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme
on 96898813 that letter ensuring it clearly
shows your name, postal address and current
account details
I used Taxis in Townsville and Burdekin.
The service I used, Townsville Limousines,
is owned and run by Les Gist. If you should
venture to Townsville and require an accessible
taxi be sure to use the services he provides.
The phone number is (07) 4772 0200 and Les
and his team will take care of you. The
drivers were a friendly bunch and very helpful.
"Townsville
Taxi Service" |
The air-conditioned comfort of their vans
was a welcome relief when I first got off
the plane and stepped into the heat of the
Townsville day. The taxis arrived right
on time every time so with just a bit of
planning and good communication you will
be sure to get wherever you need too with
Les’ team.
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TOWNSVILLE CONTACTS FOR SUPPORT
AND LOCAL KNOW HOW
Richelle Walker who is the Assistant Coordinator
of North Queensland ParaQuad Personal Assistance
Services was the ideal agent to guide me
along the path to ensure my needs were met
as far as accessing care and equipment.
Thanks to Richelle I was put in touch with
good reliable carers who were able to offer
me the morning and afternoon services I
required both in Ayr and Townsville.
"Matt with Sandii
& Andy & clients from the Burdekin
Flexible Support Service." |
If you are traveling to North Queensland
and need some local know-how I recommend
you contact Richelle on either her phone
(07) 4729 8800 or on e-mail rwalker@pqaq.com.au
There is a free call number available to
people as well 1800.
As far as carers go I was well looked after
in both Ayr and Townsville. The Ayr team
were from Blue Care. The Burdekin contact
number for Blue Care is (07) 4783 2256 In
Townsville my needs were met by Pacific
Lifestyle Options and my contacts there
were Sandra Kelly or Debbie Lawrie on (07)
4771 6699. A again the assistance was first
class.
In Townsville I hired a shower chair from
Independent Living Solutions who are contactable
on (07) 4728 1200 and via ils@living-solutions.com.au.
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MY ACCOMMODATION DETAILS
I stayed in Burdekin at the Burdekin Flexible
Support Service Incorporated. The service
manager there, Sandii Hansen, is a wonderful
woman who works with a great team that provide
support and extended care on a one on one
basis for people with a range of disabilities
in the area. The folks they care for include
children through to adults who have any
number of disabilities including physical,
psychological, intellectual and acquired
brain injury disabilities. The care provided
allows for short-term respite for families
either within their own homes or by way
of short periods of support in the community.
"Heading towards
the scenic Strand Walk along the Townsville
Coastline." |
At the extended care facility where I stayed
I found a wonderful place totally equipped
for someone traveling through with a disability.
The spacious living quarters with the purpose
built bathroom is superb and I would recommend
you contact Sandii should you be traveling
that way and need a place to stay Phone
(07) 4783 5866 or via burflex@bigpond.com
In Townsville itself I stayed at the Quest
Townsville, located at 30-34 Palmer Street,
Townsville. Palmer Street has plenty of
restaurants and cafes and pubs which are
within easy reach of the hotel. The Quest
can be contacted by telephone on (07) 4772
6477 and via e-mail: questtownsville@questapartments.com.au.
It was first class as far as access goes.
My room had a large accessible bathroom
that allowed for easy manoeuvrability and
access. Although my exploration of Townsville
was limited to Palmer Street and the Strand
it was a wonderful escape and experience.
The sultry conditions of Townsville are
beautiful if you like the heat (as I do)
and sipping a cold beer in one of the local
pub’s beer gardens was the perfect escape
from Sydney.
Townsville is a place that has largely
been built around the mining and military
industries but the place has undergone a
major face-lift recently. The Strand is
a development that has taken place which
has opened up the coastline of Townsville.
It boasts a wonderful, accessible walk along
the beachfront. During the day the vista
of beach loving creatures is a delightful
distraction and at dusk the sinking sun
creates fantastic colours throughout the
sky, as Magnetic Island is lost in the closing
light. The restaurants all along The Strand
look inviting.
"Townsville
at dusk: Magnetic Island in the background."
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