[ruth]

Hi

Hubby and I are thinking of emmigrating from the UK. As I have only been out of Europe once, I have little experience of other places, so I thought I would ask the 'people on the ground'. If you live in an English speaking country, could you tell me a little bit about it?

What I want to know is:

Where you live
Climate
Poisonous things
Ease of access (or lack of it)
Ease of me getting a decent job (am a university lecturer)
Ease of hubby getting a decent job (he is a nurse)
Attitudes towards disabled people
Cost of living

Any really good up - sides
Any really bad down - sides

Possibilities include Canada (great, but cold!), Australia (poisonous things), NZ (a long way away and the weather isnt much better than here), USA (hard to get a visa?)

Thanks!

[HiltonP]

I live in South Africa, but I cannot recommend it.
Here the poisonous things walk around on two legs!

Having travelled the USA, Canada, Oz and NZ fairly extensively I would say Oz is by far your best bet. The poisonous things there are really minimal, particularly if you're in one of the major centres. Climate is excellent, lifestyle is brilliant, and the access is the best I've seen thusfar.

I'd move to Adelaide in a heartbeat if I could !! . . .

[Tim13]

What I want to know is:

Where you live
Florida, USA

Climate
Excellent in the central and northern parts of the state.

Poisonous things
Yes, but they tend to keep to themselves.

Ease of access (or lack of it)
I've found very little in Florida that isn't accessable- you can even use a standard w/c on Daytona Beach. One thing I really like is that most all houses are built on a concrete slab so that there is at most a few inches to go up to get inside instead of a bunch of stairs, makes visiting friends (and finding a place to live) much easier.

Ease of me getting a decent job (am a university lecturer)
There are a lot of universities.

Ease of hubby getting a decent job (he is a nurse)
There are a lot of hospitals.

Attitudes towards disabled people
Honestly, most people don't seem to notice the wheelchair, I'd call that a very good attitude.

Cost of living
Varies from very low to very high-depends on the city/county.

Any really good up - sides
Florida in general is a great place to live compared to other places I've lived in and the friendliest by far.

Any really bad down - sides
Occasional hurricane or tornado or other foul weather but most of that can be avoided by choosing the right part of the state. You're going to have some sort of evil weather no matter where in the world you choose to live.

This post has been edited by Tim13: 12 May 2008 - 12:36 PM

[Webwych]

You might find this BBC article helpful. BBC Scotland reporter Ian Hamilton went round Europe and looked at each country's attitude to disability.

After reading that, I quite fancy Denmark. I had considered Canada and the US at one point but having spoken to people about jobs, health services and wotnot, I'm no longer as keen on those two options.

[dom]

i would move in a shot from wet uk,portugal,spain,new zealand,california,the list goes on and on............

[Illinois Boy]

I wanna move where there ain't no f*@king zipcodes, no bill collectors and I can watch naked women on the beach all day......

I want no job, no phone, just satellite tv, the internet, plenty of booze and Rock N' Roll......

Far away from
Jim

This post has been edited by Illinois Boy: 12 May 2008 - 06:23 PM

[nomis]

Illinois Boy, on May 13 2008, 06:22 AM, said:

I wanna move where there ain't no f*@king zipcodes, no bill collectors and I can watch naked women on the beach all day......

I want no job, no phone, just satellite tv, the internet, plenty of booze and Rock N' Roll......

Far away from attachment
Jim

Try Gaza.

[Illinois Boy]

nomis, on May 12 2008, 06:58 PM, said:

Illinois Boy, on May 13 2008, 06:22 AM, said:

I wanna move where there ain't no f*@king zipcodes, no bill collectors and I can watch naked women on the beach all day......

I want no job, no phone, just satellite tv, the internet, plenty of booze and Rock N' Roll......

Far away from attachment
Jim

Try Gaza.

nomis,
Just when I was bragging on your guy Scott Dixon in the Pub............

I want my own Island!

Jim

[jass1]

to Illinois Boy go to thailand

[edlee]

Nobody seems to like it where they are.......till they move....

If you plan to change counties, or countries,,,,,,visit there first. Whatever the costs are, they will pale with comparision with those of picking the wrong place.

Those of us who like where we are, can easily tell you why, but someone next door may hate the place.

Happiness with a location is a personal thing. You need to study it first hand to make any reasonable decision.

If you decide to visit western Pennsylvania, give me a call,,, I'll be happy to show you around.
ed

[dom]

yeah the old saying is you can move a million miles away from home but you always have to take your 'head' with you,still i wanna go thailand now

[qbounce]

Dom,
not so sure about accessability in Thailand, and the weather's unbearably HOT!!
Only good thing about it are the women and the massages, and the women, too!!

[ruth]

Thank for all the replies - One of my top possibilities was Perth in Western Australia. Glad to see someone else ranks Oz.

Am put off Florida by too much weather!!!!

Having said that there is a lot going for the UK - its just there is not enough nice weather and the houses cost a fortune!

[HiltonP]

ruth . . . I would be curious to know if you have any feedback from the Aussie embassy re. your disability. The Aussies subject their able-bodied immigrants to a really extensive (and costly) medical examination, so I would be surprised to see if they will accept existing disabled people. They're becoming very twitchy about immigrants free-loading onto their state system.

[Becca82]

HiltonP, on May 14 2008, 04:26 PM, said:

ruth . . . I would be curious to know if you have any feedback from the Aussie embassy re. your disability. The Aussies subject their able-bodied immigrants to a really extensive (and costly) medical examination, so I would be surprised to see if they will accept existing disabled people. They're becoming very twitchy about immigrants free-loading onto their state system.

We would also be really interested to hear if its possible, as we were under the impression that its not possible to get residency in Oz if you have a disability.....even if you are not going to use the state, ie have enough money to go private for everything!!
Maybe its different if you had your accident there (as my other half did) and have to go back to the UK....they wont let you come back into the country rather than if your applying to live there for the first time??
hmmm could be interesting if its not the case!!! : )

becca

[Kev-O]

ruth, on May 14 2008, 03:45 PM, said:

Thank for all the replies - One of my top possibilities was Perth in Western Australia. Glad to see someone else ranks Oz.

Am put off Florida by too much weather!!!!

Having said that there is a lot going for the UK - its just there is not enough nice weather and the houses cost a fortune!

you could live in Phoenix, AZ or San Diego, CA i heard both are super nice. Flat ground, tons of things to do an it rains there like 5 times or less a year. I want to move out there later on down the road.

[HiltonP]

Kev-O, on May 14 2008, 05:56 PM, said:

. . . you could live in Phoenix, AZ or San Diego, CA i heard both are super nice . . .

I think you will find that even the US of A is unlikely to accept disabled immigrants. I've visited the USA on four separate occasions and every time I have had to undergo a medical, and obtain medical certification (as well as proof of medical insurance, and other finances) just to visit Disney!

[Kev-O]

HiltonP, on May 15 2008, 07:31 AM, said:

Kev-O, on May 14 2008, 05:56 PM, said:

. . . you could live in Phoenix, AZ or San Diego, CA i heard both are super nice . . .

I think you will find that even the US of A is unlikely to accept disabled immigrants. I've visited the USA on four separate occasions and every time I have had to undergo a medical, and obtain medical certification (as well as proof of medical insurance, and other finances) just to visit Disney!

The good thing about the US is every building an what not has to be accessible for wheelchairs. Im not sure how the other country's are

[Illinois Boy]

Kev-O, on May 15 2008, 01:39 PM, said:

HiltonP, on May 15 2008, 07:31 AM, said:

Kev-O, on May 14 2008, 05:56 PM, said:

. . . you could live in Phoenix, AZ or San Diego, CA i heard both are super nice . . .

I think you will find that even the US of A is unlikely to accept disabled immigrants. I've visited the USA on four separate occasions and every time I have had to undergo a medical, and obtain medical certification (as well as proof of medical insurance, and other finances) just to visit Disney!

The good thing about the US is every building an what not has to be accessible for wheelchairs. Im not sure how the other country's are

I don't know where you live Kev,
But there isn't about 3 stores in my home town, that I can get in.........

Most still have steps.........
Jim

[ruth]

It never occurred to me they might not let me in!!!! I have had a look online and the reasons why they might say no on health grounds are:

There are three areas of concern to the Australian Health Department. Firstly, there is TB; secondly medical conditions where a person requires treatment, support or assistance which are considered by the Australian Authorities to be in short supply; and thirdly conditions which are likely to result in significant health treatment and costs in Australia.


(taken from some agent's website)

Seeing as I dont have TB, dont really have any treatment, support or assistance and only see a doctor once every 3 years regarding my spinal injury (how expensive is that?!), I think I may be OK.

Also it looks as though everyone who earns a decent salary is expected to go private anyway.

What epxeriences have people had getting any spinal injury related care from their insurance companies? Do they insure people like us???

The NHS may be a bit duff, but at least I have never had to think about anything like this before

[intrin]

USA of course, lots of disabled friendly laws in many states. some have better than others, if your looking for health benifits, Minnesota has great ones, and Hot summers, and Cold winters I moved to montana from minnesota, I will talk more about my life at my website if you wanna hit it up www.lifeinawheelchair.com ya i am promoting my site would just like to share my views

[Becca82]

ruth, on May 15 2008, 08:39 PM, said:

It never occurred to me they might not let me in!!!! I have had a look online and the reasons why they might say no on health grounds are:

There are three areas of concern to the Australian Health Department. Firstly, there is TB; secondly medical conditions where a person requires treatment, support or assistance which are considered by the Australian Authorities to be in short supply; and thirdly conditions which are likely to result in significant health treatment and costs in Australia.


(taken from some agent's website)

Seeing as I dont have TB, dont really have any treatment, support or assistance and only see a doctor once every 3 years regarding my spinal injury (how expensive is that?!), I think I may be OK.

Also it looks as though everyone who earns a decent salary is expected to go private anyway.

What epxeriences have people had getting any spinal injury related care from their insurance companies? Do they insure people like us???

The NHS may be a bit duff, but at least I have never had to think about anything like this before

"and thirdly conditions which are likely to result in significant health treatment and costs in Australia."

I guess that one could be the issue, they might think that anyone with a disability could cost the health system money in the future, even if they are not doing so at this moment in time???!!!

It could depend on your injury level, and the amount of independance you have i suppose.....i wonder if there is anywhere that you can find out the info, without having to actually go through the process of applying for a visa!

I also wonder how easy it would be to get medical insurance in a 'foreign' country...it could end up being catch 22, you cant get a residents visa until you have insurance, but you cant get insurance until your resident???

You would think that there might have been some kind of reciprical agreement between OZ and Uk, but then again, they would probably find there wouldnt be many brits left here if it was that easy!!


How much money do you think you would need to bribe your way in?????

[eleanorigby]

Kev-O, on May 14 2008, 10:56 AM, said:

ruth, on May 14 2008, 03:45 PM, said:

Thank for all the replies - One of my top possibilities was Perth in Western Australia. Glad to see someone else ranks Oz.

Am put off Florida by too much weather!!!!

Having said that there is a lot going for the UK - its just there is not enough nice weather and the houses cost a fortune!

you could live in Phoenix, AZ or San Diego, CA i heard both are super nice. Flat ground, tons of things to do an it rains there like 5 times or less a year. I want to move out there later on down the road.

I live in Phoenix and weather wise it's quite friendly for my chair. During the summer it can be hellish though and I have to keep a very close eye on my temperature and water intake as I don't sweat very much so I can't cool myself down. That goes for pretty much everyone in Phoenix though as it does reach into the 120s in the summer and a lot of people overheat because they aren't used to it. For the most part I find Phoenix to be pretty accessible, but I don't have a lot to compare it to as I've always lived in Arizona. The nice thing is that we have Barrows Rehab here and ASU has one of the best disability support programs in the country. A lot of disabled people (many learning disabled) come here just for that reason. If you have any questions about the area, hit me up.

[HiltonP]

Becca82, on May 17 2008, 04:39 PM, said:

How much money do you think you would need to bribe your way in?

No need to . . . hand over Aus$500 000 to the Aussie government for a couple of years and they will hand you an Aussie passport. All perfectly legal and above board, all you need is the Aus$500k up front (you get it back after a couple of years anyway).

[topperf]

Webwych, on May 12 2008, 06:09 PM, said:

You might find this BBC article helpful. BBC Scotland reporter Ian Hamilton went round Europe and looked at each country's attitude to disability.

After reading that, I quite fancy Denmark. I had considered Canada and the US at one point but having spoken to people about jobs, health services and wotnot, I'm no longer as keen on those two options.

Denmark is ok. i like it here. the weather isn't sunny since we got 4 seasons, but that being said, move here!

[Webwych]

topperf, on May 29 2008, 06:26 PM, said:

Denmark is ok. i like it here. the weather isn't sunny since we got 4 seasons, but that being said, move here!

Straight from the horses mouth, thank you! . I have never been to Denmark but I have always fancied going their for a holiday.

Where are the best places to go with a wheelchair?

[topperf]

Well, what would you like to see? I think it's possible to get around most places here.. so?
I can see that you're from somewhere in the UK, so denmark wont be that much different than what you're used to. (I think)

t.

[Webwych]

topperf, on Jun 16 2008, 11:48 AM, said:

Well, what would you like to see? I think it's possible to get around most places here.. so?
I can see that you're from somewhere in the UK, so denmark wont be that much different than what you're used to. (I think)

t.

I think art, music and natural history are my main interests. Also visiting gardens and especially ones with butterfly houses. Does that give you any ideas?

I'm not sure when I'll actually get the chance to go to Denmark, but if I do I'll certainly take it

[topperf]

loads of places to go, but actually getting the chance yes, thats a different matter
i tried to look butterfly house up, cause i'm not shure whats on your mind? but nice garden with old houses in it, we have that.
great art museums to.
hope you get the chance, it is nice.

[Webwych]

topperf, on Jun 16 2008, 06:41 PM, said:

loads of places to go, but actually getting the chance yes, thats a different matter
i tried to look butterfly house up, cause i'm not shure whats on your mind? but nice garden with old houses in it, we have that.
great art museums to.
hope you get the chance, it is nice.

Thanks . Butterfly houses are like a conservatory with tropical plants where the Butterflies are flying free. There is a lovely one at Longleat Safari Park (that's my tip for a good, wheelchair friendly day out if you come to England ).