Article - Disabled Parenting Resources from Around the World

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Disabled Parenting Resources Around the World

By Ben Sullivan

Disabled Parenting Today, Volume 2 Issue 2, November 1999

The challenges in respect to parents with a disability are much the same,

from country to country. Yet the resources and strategies for aiding

disabled parents vary from nation to nation. And while some resources and

information sources do hold true anywhere, such as the Community Living

movement and national disability specific organizations, like the Canadian

Institute for the Blind, or the American Heart & Stroke Foundation in the

US, there are different resources specific to where you live.

New Zealand

There is not a national group that works with parents with disabilities.

Instead parents get support through individual disability groups. " like the

Cerebral Palsy Society or the New Zealand blind Foundation, " says Nicola

-Mingins of Enable, a New Zealand wide disability information and

referral service. In the late eighties New Zealand had to privatize much of

its government services, due to huge national debt. So many of the services

for the disabled in New Zealand are run by pseudo-private industry. The

nation also has 21 local disability resource centers, which are good sources

of information, and listed in the New Zealand directory.

Enable is a department of the New Zealand Disabilities resource center, they

can be reached on line at www.nzdrc.govt.nz/

Australia

There is no national strategy for meeting the needs of disabled parents, but

does have some good information sources. There is a strong independent

living movement in Australia. But like Canada, Australia is a huge country

with a small population, so information tends to be centered in the larger

cities, and can be hard to get a hold of in smaller more remote areas. There

is a web page that details all the assistive products produced in Australia,

its at www.iinet.net.au/~ilcwa/ilc/australianresources.html There is also a

good source of written info at www.dircsa.org.au

United Kingdom

In the UK, where the disabled parenting movement may be the strongest in the

world, " there is no legislation specifically aimed at disabled parents,

although there is strong family and disability law here. " says Beverly

of the magazine Disability, Pregnancy & Parenthood International. There are

small local groups throughout the country which provide support and

information to disabled parents, but these are loosely aligned and have no

single national voice.

One of the first international resources for disabled parents was DPPI,

which is entering its 7th year of publication. This groundbreaking

publication was instrumental in all disabled parenting resources that have

come after it.

The largest supplier of adaptive equipment in the UK is REMAP, an

organization that builds specialty aids for a nominal fee. REMAP has been

doing this for more than 30 years.

Disabled Pregnancy and Parenting International

5th floor 45 Beech St.

London EC2P2LX.

E-mail at dppi@...

REMAP

www.remap.org.uk

E-mail:

john.wright@...

Sweden

In Sweden the government plays a larger role in the support of disabled

parents. They have compiled a handbook through interviews with disabled

parents. We have yet to see a copy in English, so we are unsure of its

content. The Swedes also have national technical aid centers, which design

and make assistive devices. We are not aware of any nationally organized

groups of disabled parents in Sweden.

United States

Support comes mainly from different disability associations, although there

is an organization that works to assist disabled parents, Through the

Looking Glass provides suggestions, adaptive baby equipment and legal

advocacy for disabled parents, they also have a free newsletter.

Of course the independent living movement had its start in the US, so there

are many independent living centers across the nation.

Also the Parent Empowerment network, (see interview with Trish Day, pg. 2)

which is an international peer support network that provides indispensable

help to many. ABLEDATA is a directory of assistive technology products which

has more than 20,000 listings.

As well the Tetra Society has 9 offices in the US. Tetra like REMAP in the

UK designs specialty products for individuals, they only work with ideas

that are not they produced commercially in an effort to encourage private

industry to develop these products. There are some local based groups

offering help to disabled parents that are now starting to pop up.

Through the Looking Glass

1-

Tetra Society of North America

#27 – 770 Pacific Blvd. South

Vancouver BC V6B 5E7

www.reachdisability.org/tetra

AbleData

#935 – 8455 Colesville RD. Silves Spring MD, 20910

1-

Canada

Like in the US there are many disability specific organizations that can and

do support disabled parents. The Center for Independent Living in Toronto -

CILT. puts out a guide for disabled parents, listing resources and

information found in the Toronto area. The Tetra Society began in Canada,

and they have 40 centers across the country, although they are more heavily

concentrated in the west. The Rehabilitation Center, in Ottawa has developed

an outstanding wheelchair accessible crib, as well as other parental aids.

Ottawa Rehabilitation Center

1-.

CILT

E-mail: cilt@...

#605 – 205 Richmond St. West

Toronto ON, M5V 1V3

Disabled Woman's Network (DAWN)

www.indie.ca/dawn

E-mail: dawnca@...

China

The Tetra Society is in the process of opening centers in Hong Kong , and

Guangzhou.

India

In India there are some private organizations that are aiding the disabled

in their pursuit of an independent life.

The Tetra Society has an office in Bangalore, e-mail:

barkatbg@...

There is also a medical center in Bombay which includes some disabled

parenting information,

HELP - Health Education Library for People

Om Chambers, Kemps Corner

Bombay 400 036. India.

www.healthlibrary.com

If you feel you need more contact and support consider joining one of the

forums for disabled parents. If you want to start a group contact some local

disability centers and try to arrange a group of like minded parents. And

know that the great progresses made in the UK will be easily duplicated

across the world with consistent effort and time.