Subscribe to Whizz-Kidz NewsCardiff MP lends support to Whizz-Kidz in Wales
Kevin Brennan and Laura West play wheelchair services monopoly
MP for Cardiff West, Kevin Brennan, lent his support to Welsh disabled youngsters and pledged to raise awareness of the unmet mobility needs in the region, at a Whizz-Kidz networking event on Tuesday 7 April 2009.
Mr Brennan, also minister for the third sector, was attending a regional Ambassador club; chaired and attended by young wheelchair-users who voiced their concerns of discrepancies in wheelchair provision, training and other opportunities for disabled young people in Wales.
Mr Brennan said:
“It is crucial that we ensure that children get the right wheelchair and the ongoing support they and their parents need to enjoy a normal childhood.
“Disabled children and young people ought to be able to enjoy the same freedoms and experiences as non-disabled people do when they are growing up. Giving young people the confidence and independence they need to progress is hugely important for their development. Mobility is a big part of this.”
Whizz-Kidz has supported over 100 children and young people in Wales through equipment such as powered wheelchairs, training and work experience schemes – to raise the bar of aspirations and opportunities for disabled young people.
Laura West, Whizz-Kidz Ambassador from Cardiff said:
“Being a Whizz-Kidz ambassador has helped me develop new skills, and through the Kids Board I’ve had some great opportunities to raise awareness of mobility issues.
“It was great to meet Kevin Brennan MP, as he got to hear the voices of disabled young people from diverse backgrounds – I hope he found it as useful as we did.”
Ruth Owen, Whizz-Kidz Chief Executive, herself a wheelchair-user, said:
“We are very grateful for MPs like Mr Brennan for raising the awareness of young people across Wales – and the whole of the UK. There are around 70,000 young people that have an unmet mobility need– this is the challenge we face to ensure all children can lead active and full lives.”
The right wheelchair and mobility equipment is not automatically provided on the NHS, and disabled young people have virtually no chance of getting a powered wheelchair.
Whizz-Kidz aims to joint-fund mobility equipment where possible with local NHS services, and aims to ensure that much-needed improvements are made in delivering wheelchair services for children in the UK.
To learn more email us.
- Share:
