Ah it has been too long since I posted on here. Unfortunately, internet connection is not unlimited here in Cape Town. Cathy and I learned this the hard way. Last Sunday, we ran out of our July allotment of gigabytes - partly due to the uploading of pictures. I will wait to put up pictures (of which I have a great deal to share along with stories, Ex. pictures of me eating chicken feet) until Saturday or Sunday when I return to Dallas (whenever I tell people of a certain age where I am from, they respond "Ah Walker Texas Ranger and JR... Everything used to stop on Tuesday nights to watch Dallas.").
I don't really know where to start since I am so behind in updates! I could write about my day visit to Athlone School for the Blind, part 2 of my time with Orien Center (that includes the Chicken feet so I will wait), my two days in Johannesburg (seeing SOWETO and how they opened the apartheid museum just for me) , going to Robben Island, the dinner I hosted with some of the people that I interviewed, the Olympic opening watch party, the 2 plays that I saw, some of the final interviews I conducted, or even more about public transport!
For now, I am going to keep it brief and write about my project. Today, Nicky, Cathy, and I met to discuss the information I gathered and the ideas that we developed during my time here.
In terms of developing a way for Nicky to evaluate applicants for car adaptations, I have decided to focus on how Nicky's Drive can work w to empower recipients in addition to providing assistance. This means emphasizing relationships with other non-profits and institutions in order to find great applicants. It also means working with recipients on how they can invest in their car in the short term and to Nicky's Drive in the long term. I am excited about the prospect of Nicky's Drive finding people to assist so that they can receive independence through driving.
The other exciting development that we discussed is the planning of an expo focused on people with disabilities driving. In organizing this event, we are seeking to
inspire in addition to provide tangible information to people with disabilities about the possibilities of driving. There will be speakers, presentations, a place for people to see cars that are adapted, and more. Last week, I hosted dinner with a group of leaders from the disability sector. They were all very excited about the potential of this event. In the past, there has been so much focus on public transportation for people with disabilities that the subject of private transport gets ignored. I look forward to seeing this event come together.
In sum, I am leaving knowing that many exciting things are happening with Nicky's Drive. It was sad to say goodbye to Nicky after the meeting, but at least, I said goodbye knowing that many ideas are taking shape! Off to bed. Check back soon for more posts and pictures.
- Feldman
