Over at InterDependence, a group of 3rd-year Otago University design students have come up with an illustration for Otago’s Disability Support Services, featuring an image of a man in a ‘wire-frame’ wheelchair, with the caption “see me for me, not my wheels”. They say: We tend to see someone in a wheelchair, for example, and allow their disability to colour our perception of them as a person. It is presented in a way that creates empathy instead of avoidance of

Want to get on the internet? Email? Well, you’re already here, but maybe you know someone with a disability who wants to learn more about these new technologies but is a bit nervous, or can’t afford the set up costs? Then have a listen to this! The Get Connected programme is a fantastic initiative set up by the Cerebral Palsy Society in Auckland, and it aims to empower people with cerebral palsy to use the internet to communicate, discover, and

Now these are exciting times. The fact that it is now being acknowledged that there is a real need for disability focus and representation around legal issues, and not just letting us ‘fall through the cracks’ is great to see. Leading that charge is the newly-launched Auckland Disability Law community law service, which aims to help disabled people access legal services and support lawyers to understand the needs of disabled clients. From stuff.co.nz: Auckland Disability Law is the result of

Gosh I love my readers. Thanks to Rachel I’ve discovered the Kiwiable card! Not that it’s of any particular use to me considering I live in Auckland hehe, but it’s great to know these sort of local initiatives exist! Basically, the ‘Kiwiable card’ gives people with disabilities and their support person discounted entry to various leisure activities around Canterbury, including the movies and Kaikoura whale watching! It’s free to join, but to get the Kiwiable card you need to be

I stumbled across an interesting article on CNN.com the other day which discussed how yoga classes can benefit disabled people. Specifically, the yoga teacher mentioned multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and arthritis as impairments yoga can especially help, but added “”Pretty much if you name a health condition, yoga can help with it”. I can vouch for this on a personal level, having had yoga sessions on a weekly basis for the past 10 years. I get private sessions with a lovely

“Don’t worry, we won’t be removing your support, it’ll just take 3 weeks for you to get your notes from your notetakers from now on.” That’s the message that disabled students are getting from the Manukau Institute of Technology, as they look to make budget cuts. As it is, the disability support office has had one of its three staff culled, and while students are assured they’ll still receive support, it will “operate under a more constrained budget”, MIT’s PR

Well in case you were worried that we were still living in a country where disabled people weren’t expected to go to Uni until they were 21, you can now rest easy again. Thanks to a hasty Cabinet meeting to correct an archaic funding anomaly which prevented Ryan Leitch going to Uni, Ryan can now get funding for the support he needs, and start his Geography degree. Good stuff, I reckon, but wow – not before time!

I’ve written about Ryan Leitch before, but for those of you who don’t recognise the name, he’s the 18 year-old Auckland boy who topped the world in the Cambridge Geography exam last year. He’s also got muscular atrophy, and I reckon he’s a real inspiration for young disabled people in this country. Yet despite this, for some absurd reason, he can’t get funding for a support person at University, despite wanting to continue with his passion – Geography – at

Auckland – North | Manawanui InCharge | $80,000 and upwards Challenging strategic position in a growth area A chance to combine business excellence with social change Salary $80,000 upwards Manawanui InCharge, a charitable company contracted by the Ministry of Health, seeks an experienced General Manager to promote & manage Individualised Funding for disabled people. The principle function of Manawanui InCharge is to support disabled people to have an efficient, effective and culturally competent way of managing their invidiualised funding (IF).

The most recently-established Community Law Centre is one with the specific purpose of addressing the unmet legal needs of disabled people in the Auckland region, while making sure all other community law centres also accommodate disabled people as best they can. Auckland Disability Law are now seeking an experienced solicitor to join their small team. This position would be great for anyone committed to social justice who wants to have the chance to work autonomously and build strong community partnerships.