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Help improve Air NZ’s customer service
Published April 11th 2011, Posted in NationalWellington Airport’s Customer Services Manager is seeking feedback from disabled people on the customer service they experience and how it can be improved.
This is particularly relevent when you see the recent story on TVNZ’s Close Up programme last night where two very mobile ‘Attitude TV’ presenters were made to wait half an hour before boarding a Jet Star flight because they didn’t have carers with them.
Your feedback and experiences are important if we are to see improvement to travel & tourism services.
Continue reading: Help improve Air NZ’s customer service…
MS Glows
Published March 10th 2011, Posted in National / 1 CommentArticle by Gael Nankivell
Waipu Caves was set as the challenge for our exercise group. If we were MS-free, we would probably have leapt at this opportunity, but leaping was definitely out of the question! So I approached the idea with a degree of wariness. Walking and balance were not quite as they used to be, and going into a dark, slippery hole in the ground might pose a few problems…
Is the NZSL Act working?
Published February 16th 2011, Posted in NationalThe Office of Disability Issues is leading a review of the New Zealand Sign Language Act and is seeking feedback from people who use or value New Zealand Sign Language.
They want to know if it is working well and whether anything has changed as a result of the act. They also want to know if making New Zealand Sign Language an official language has made a difference, can Deaf people use it in legal proceedings and are competent interpreters provided for that purpose; have government departments reduced communications barriers experienced by Deaf people?
Continue reading: Is the NZSL Act working?…
NZ’s third official language recognised on Waitangi Day
Published February 02nd 2011, Posted in NationalFor the first time ever, the New Zealand deaf community will be fully included in Waitangi Day celebrations at Waitangi.
This year New Zealand Sign Language Interpreters of both Maori and English will sign during formal speeches at the Treaty Grounds.
The Office of Disability Issues has come to the party to provide this service in Waitangi this February as a direct result of lobbying by Whangarei-based Tiaho Trust, a Northland disability-led organisation
Continue reading: NZ’s third official language recognised on Waitangi Day…
Be. Leadership - Be the change
Published February 01st 2011, Posted in NationalThe closing date for Expressions of Interest (EOI’s) for the Be.Leadership - Be the change Programme has been extended. The closing date is now 5pm Monday 7th February 2011 - there are limited places left.
Please find below some information on Be.Leadership, the Programme and the Facilitators for your information.
Continue reading: Be. Leadership - Be the change…
Funding round opens for community projects
Published January 26th 2011, Posted in NationalThe first funding round is now open for community projects in New Zealand to improve attitudes and behaviours towards disabled people.
The Making a Difference Fund is part of the Campaign to Improve Attitudes and Behaviour towards Disabled People. The fund will give priority to projects that are collaborative, have support from across the community and have a well-thought-out plan to effect local change.
The funding description and application are available on the Office for Disability Issues website at
http://www.odi.govt.nz/what-we-do/improving-attitudes-and-behaviours/index.html
Continue reading: Funding round opens for community projects…
Pain Management Seminar a success
Published November 19th 2010, Posted in NationalA large audience recently attended the Arthritis NZ Northland Pain Management Seminar to listen to a number of guest speakers about how they can better manage thier pain.
Presenters included Chris Porter from Orr’s Pharmacy, Physiotherapist Isobel Finlayson and Medical Herbalist and Naturopath Joan Lourie. Atareta Pou, facilitator for the Arthritis New Zealand Fun Exercise Group, also demonstrated some stretching and breathing exercises.
The feedback about the seminar was very positive so if you were unable to attend but would like to read a report written by Arthritis NZ Educator Maggie Philip and presentations by Isobel Finlayson and Joan Lourie please open the attached documents.
Pain Management Seminar Report by Maggie Philip, Arthritis NZ Educator.pdf
Presentation by Physiotherapist, Isobel Finlayson.pdf
Presentation by Medical Herbalist and Naturopath, Joan Lourie.pdf
Bach Flower Remedies.pdf
Continue reading: Pain Management Seminar a success…
National Disability Conference Update
Published November 06th 2010, Posted in National‘Making it easy to speak up conference’
Good News for Parents & Families:
Parents of children with disabilities and the family members of disabled people can now register together as a ‘family’ by paying only $40 for the entire family. This means, more than one person from a family can now attend the conference by paying only one ‘consumer’ rate of $40. You will still need to send us a separate registration form for each person attending but you have to pay for only one person. Please feel free to contact Mauryse Dix on 09 373 1028 if you have any questions regarding this.
Continue reading: National Disability Conference Update…
‘Health Passport’ feedback
Published October 26th 2010, Posted in NationalThe Health and Disability Commission invited you to take part in a nationwide public consultation of the ‘Health Passport’, a document desing to be used by disabled people when accessing hospital services.
The documents were circulated widely amongst disability service users, service providers, consumer organisations, health professional bodies, District Health Boards, and other networks.
Feedbac has now been collated and can be viewed at the HDC website http://www.hdc.org.nz/about-us/disability/health-passport-consultation/health-passport——public-consultation-summary
Continue reading: ‘Health Passport’ feedback…
The Living Well Project
Published September 30th 2010, Posted in NationalKia ora, talofa lava and hello, you are invited to take part in a study aiming to explore ways disabled people stay (or become) healthy. We are particularly interested in finding the best ways for disabled people to take part in physical activity and healthy eating.
We want to talk with disabled people and other key stakeholders (such as family/whanau of disabled people or people who work with disabled people) about what they see as the barriers and facilitators to engaging in health behaviours. We also want to find out how you think some of the existing strategies could be modified to make them more responsive to the needs of disabled people.Living well for people with a disability or with a disabling health condition.
Continue reading: The Living Well Project…

Minnie’s presentation on Be Accessibe was truly inspiring. disappointing to see those most in need of ‘enlightenment’ were absent….a great build up for the RWC and way beyond so up to those who did attend to be vocal! and spread the Be word!