Meet Kevin Chan, Invacare’s Business Development Manager in New Zealand.
What Kevin loves most about his role at Invacare is that it allows him to help people and to improve their wellbeing. “I’m very lucky - my direct manager (Nicolette) believes in me and cuts me loose to follow through with ideas so we can drive positive change for ourselves, customers and the real people at the end of it the end users.”
Accepting Differences – by Alicia Kapa
Nothing is the same in this world and that includes people. Everyone is different which is what makes us unique, even twins! Differences make the world go round as everyone has different strengths, weaknesses, opinions and beliefs that all have a role to play. In saying this, a lot of people find it really hard to accept people who are different to them but it’s very important to accept people even if you don’t believe the same thing or have the same abilities.
Friends vs Workers - by Marlena Katene
“It's not what we have in life, but whom we have in life that matters”
Meet Rattanakorn Bunpatothamrong, Invacare’s Business Development Manager in Thailand.
Rattanakorn Bunpatothamrong loves her dynamic work team in Thailand. Her role involves finding new products and managing sales to customers as well as keeping them updated. Rattanakorn helps her clients match products that will achieve their desired lifestyle and fit within their budgets.
A degree in Humanities with a major in English helped Rattanakorn enter the medical equipment industry 10 years ago and her experience is largely working in sales with products such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, mattresses and patient lifters.
LIFE COACHING – TO IMPROVE AND ACHIEVE – By Ian Walker
Toward the end of every year, countless numbers of us set ourselves new year’s resolutions. These are usually aspects of our lives that we believe changes, positive changes would improve our ‘lot’. But how many of us actually do something about adopting these resolutions? Actually make them work for us to achieve what we want out of our life? How many of us truly look at our lives, seriously enough to set a course of direction to achieve the things we really want? Life coaching can be the answer to these questions we pose ourselves.
Healing with Animal-Assisted Therapy – By Susan Seipel
Historian’s quote Greek physician Hippocrates, the so-called ‘Father of Medicine’, as saying ‘Riding in clean air strengthens body muscles and keeps them in good form,’ referring to horse riding having therapeutic value. Thousands of years later and from my own experience, I couldn’t agree more!
Finding Work, as a Person with a Disability - by Tyrone Cook
“The Unemployment rate is at its lowest since 2007, it is at 4.0%”, every time the media announces the unemployment rate here in New Zealand I sigh because we are never included in the statistics... in fact, if we were, the total would be higher and never lower.
Unemployment is a huge issue for disabled people worldwide, and what’s worse is the attitude we get of “go get a job, stop taking hand-outs” or “people on benefits are lazy and drug addicts”. Then you have organisations like Occupational Health and Safety NZ which makes our lives harder still.
Meet Nannapat Pariyapatsakul (aka Kate), Invacare's Accountant in Thailand
Nannapat Pariyapatsakul (aka Kate) is our Thailand Accountant, and she would very much like people to know that Invacare is helping to make life’s experiences possible: “we really do!”
“I work as the Thailand Accountant. As part of my role, I have to make sure that the company is efficiently operating. My duties include studying accounting records, analysing data, creating financial reports and completing tax returns.”
Telehealth, The Silver Lining in 2020 - by Jessica Cochran
There are many lessons that New Zealanders and Australians have learnt throughout COVID-19. Whether it be the importance of getting daily sunshine and a walk, taking time for self-care or staying connected with friends, family and work colleagues. Even though there are many things that I’ve absorbed during COVID-19 in metro Melbourne, there is one thing particular that I will take with me as we go into the new “COVID normal” and it is something that I hope we continue to implement as time goes on and we rebuild our country.
How safe do you feel? - by Geoff Trappett OAM
How safe do you feel in your community? Do you feel disability leaves you vulnerable to abuse or assault? Ever thought what you could do about it?
I grew up sporty. Despite living with a disability my entire life I never saw myself as inherently vulnerable. I still don’t for the most part. But the world we live in certainly has been taking a weird and wacky turn lately so I came to examine not only my safety but being able to protect my family.