AT Maningrida airport, the lack of a wheelchair lift has made life hard for residents Stephen Dennis and his wife Elva Gindjerakama – as well as a host of others. 

Stephen is in a wheelchair, receives palliative care and is a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant. 

Sometimes he needs to travel from the remote community to Darwin for medical treatment, but both he and Elva are unable to walk up the steps into the airport to get a plane out of the remote community. 

Elva told the Koori Mail: “Very hard to get on plane. My knee, my back. I had accident last couple of years”. 

For years, the local community supported by Darwin Community Legal Service (DCLS) has been advocating to have a wheelchair lift installed at the airport. 

So, the recent news that the NT government will finally fund the lift has been welcomed by Stephen and Elva as a big step toward creating a more inclusive community. 

“My leg, hard to push wheelchair myself,” Stephen said. 

“Having lift will make it easy for people with disability and old people…