Breaking Barriers: A Candid Conversation on Disability Discrimination with Paralympian Barney Koneferenisi

Why is it that wheelchair users face outrageous extra charges to attend live rugby games? As a society, why do we remain silent about such discrimination? Join us as we get to the heart of this issue with Paralympic athlete and Disabled Rights Advocate, Barney Koneferenisi. In this eye-opening conversation, Barney shares his insights on the discrimination faced by disabled individuals and the challenges they go through in day-to-day life. We also explore reasons why someone might consider leaving New Zealand, such as the pay gap, but learn why our very own Duncan Garner ultimately decided to stay and forge ahead as a podcaster. Have you ever thought about setting up a rideshare service for the disabled community? That's exactly what Barney had in mind when he noticed the lack of accessible transportation options for disabled individuals. In this episode, we discuss his findings after surveying 200 disabled individuals and the difficulties they face, such as Uber turning them down and service animals being refused by drivers. Barney speaks about the estimated $180,000 cost for developing an app for this purpose, and the challenges of finding a van service that can accommodate wheelchairs. Finally, we tackle the world of fundraising for disabled individuals and the importance of corporate awareness of disabled accessibility. We discuss the NBI Rich List and how corporate individuals often exploit the disabled community for their own business promotion. Additionally, we address the extra costs imposed on disabled individuals when attending live events, and the issue of disabled car parks being occupied by those who aren't actually disabled. Don't miss this important conversation with Barney Koneferenisi that sheds light on the struggles faced by the disabled community daily. (0:00:10) - Considering Moving to Australia? (0:08:53) - Disability Ride Share App (0:16:53) - Fundraising and Disability Discrimination (0:22:35) - Safer Taxi Rides for Vulnerable (0:30:30) - Editor's Mum Takes Charge