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Senecio Association for persons with disabilities was privileged to be able to partake in the Waterstone Birthday celebrations. On Saturday, 2 October, shoppers were challenged to take part in an obstacle course which was laid out in the centre of the mall. Participants had to negotiate their way up a steep ramp, over wooden beams, taking short turns to avoid bumping into obstacles, picking up shopping bags, putting it in and pushing it in a shopping trolley, making a wheelie before speeding to the end – in a wheelchair! Ernie Hodgson, who is a wheelchair user, was on hand to show the non-disabled participants the basic techniques of handling a wheelchair.
Not only was it great fun, it elicited a healthy respect for wheelchair users. As one of the participants, Hannes Theron, stated: “I realised once again how a person can go through life wearing blinkers never realising the challenges that a person with a disability have to face daily. This firsthand experience created a whole new understanding.“
After the obstacle course, participants took part in a wheelchair relay. The winners were two of Waterstone’s security guards, with the car guards as runners up.
The organisers would like to thank all the sponsors and volunteers who made this event possible.