IHC

Parents and disabled children in the Central Otago region have to travel significant distances to access good information and support, the IHC Advocacy to the Heartland forum in Queenstown was told on Wednesday.

They deal with seizures, have been physically attacked, and say they would love to see a politician do their job for a day.

The deinstitutionalisation of care for the intellectually disabled in this country - moved during the 1980s and beyond from large "homes" where they were cared for by staff employed under public service conditions into small groups in community houses - was considered socially desirable and also provided fiscal benefits.

IHC workers are to receive six months of a backdated pay increase as part of a new collective agreement.

IHC workers took their pay dispute to the picket line in Dunedin yesterday.

Industrial action at 30 IHC residential homes in Otago last night was not expected to cause problems.

About 200 people turned out to farewell the Very Rev Father Ilyan Eades in Dunedin yesterday.

Former IHC fundraising manager Lynn Fiebig today admitted to defrauding the intellectual disabilities charity of $600,000.

A woman accused of ripping off $600,000 from IHC is in hospital after being run over by a Wellington bus just hours after police laid charges against her.