Parkinson's Disease Knows No Language Barriers
Media statement
For immediate release
29 October
2009
Parkinson’s Awareness Week from 1 to 7 November 2009 will be marked by the launch of pamphlets in the 10 most commonly spoken languages in New Zealand.
The
theme ‘Korero Mai – Speak to me’ will see
Parkinson’s New Zealand, and their 20 divisions across the
country, focus on reaching out to families affected by
Parkinson’s disease who may find English-only material a
barrier to access to vital information.
‘A
diagnosis of Parkinson’s can be hard to comprehend and for
people who speak little or no English it can be even more
confusing, stressful and alienating,‘ says the National
Director of Parkinson’s New Zealand, Deirdre
O’Sullivan.
In addition to the English and Te Reo
Māori versions, An Introduction to Parkinson’s, which
describes Parkinson’s disease symptoms, treatments and
related services, will be available in Arabic, Hindi,
Korean, Samoan, Spanish, Tongan, traditional Chinese and
simplified Chinese.
The multilingual pamphlets were
launched at Parliament on Thursday 29th October to a crowd
of Parkinson’s New Zealand members, community figures and
cultural leaders.
According to the 2006 census, 2.2
percent of New Zealand’s population, or 88,000 people,
cannot maintain an everyday conversation in English, and
over 671,000 people in New Zealand speak two or more
languages.
Parkinson’s New Zealand is proud to work
towards being more accessible to all New Zealanders affected
by Parkinson’s, as Parkinson’s does not discriminate –
it can affect anyone of any age and ethnicity.
More
Informatipon About Parkinson's
* One in every 500 New
Zealanders has Parkinson’s – around 9,000
people.
* Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological
condition that occurs when insufficient quantities of the
chemical dopamine are produced by the brain
* People
with Parkinson’s tend not to refer to themselves as
‘sufferers’, opting for a more positive ‘people
affected by Parkinson’s’.
* The main motor
symptoms of Parkinson’s are:
-- Tremor
(shaking)
-- Stiffness and rigidity
-- Slowness
of movement (bradykinesia)
*Other symptoms can include
changes in mood and anxiety, poor balance and altered
speech
*A large number of people with Parkinson’s
are aged over 65, however the average age of diagnosis is
59, and many New Zealanders are diagnosed with early-onset
Parkinson’s in their thirties and
forties.
*Parkinson’s New Zealand is a national
not-for-profit with 20 divisions throughout the country and
35 Field Officers who work with people with Parkinson’s as
part of multi-disciplinary
team
ENDS