News from the South Africa TM Support Group

Transverse Myelitis Association
Volume 5 Issue 1
December 2002
Page 34

News from the South Africa TM Support Group
Tanishka du Plessis

First Meeting to Be Held

Plans are underway for the first meeting/social get-together for people with TM in South Africa; it will be held during the first week of November in Johannesburg. One of our members, Paul Swart, has kindly offered us the use of a house overlooking the tranquil Vaal River. The aim of our meeting is firstly to get to know each other, to share our TM experiences and to look at ways in which the SA TMA can become more proactive in creating awareness regarding TM.

Creating Awareness: Workshop on Accessibility

TMA member, Tanishka du Plessis’s employer – the Provincial Legislature – held a workshop on accessibility at the Legislature on the 24th of July, as to educate those in government circles about the needs of the disabled regarding accessibility of government institutions. This workshop follows a petition submitted by Tanishka to the Legislature in 2000 citing that the inaccessibility of the Legislature building was discriminating to the disabled community and hampered their participation in legislative proceedings. Tanishka was given the opportunity to address the Members of the Provincial Legislature and Government Department representatives on the importance of their role in ensuring that the voice and concerns of the disabled community is heard and seen to. She also shared her TM experience and the aims of the TMA. The feedback was incredible. The provincial chairperson of Disabled People of South Africa, who was a participant at the workshop, expressed a keenness to learn more about TMA and to look at the possibility of including SA TMA in its activities.

Rehab Meeting

Tanishka was invited by the Provincial Rehabilitation for People with Physical Disabilities to share her TM experience at a monthly Forum for People with Disabilities meeting on 15 August 2002. She encouraged people to become actively involved in disability issues as this would help to guide society in understanding the special needs of those who are disabled.

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