A legally blind New Plymouth man who is gutted about plans to carve up Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People, and shift some of its responsibility to the Ministry of Social Development told Checkpoint: “Lord have mercy on the disabled community”.
Harry, 72, went into his local Ministry of Social Development office in New Plymouth last month to report his landlord’s rent increase to see if the accommodation supplement could be adjusted, but the experience did not go well.
Despite carrying a 1.3m walking stick and wearing a hi-vis vest and black fitover glasses, the MSD employee asked him to show a driver licence for identification.
“I produced my Gold Card photo ID and I’ve got a total mobility card so I produced that and he said, ‘no, I need your driver’s licence’,” he said.
“My moment’s reaction was, …” Continue reading