CCS Disability Action’s Spring 2021 Newsletter
Reflections | Ngā whakaaroaro
Tēna koutou
Welcome to the Spring edition of Reflections, Ngā whakaaroaro, CCS Disability Action's national newsletter. This is a platform for sharing stories of people we support and serve, celebrating our team’s contributions in communities, and showcasing the views of disabled people.
Download the full PDF here (PDF 2.7MB).
Download the large print Word variation here (Word 153KB).
In this edition of Reflections, we focus on the following topics. We hope you enjoy this edition.
New Chief Executive Mel Smith
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of our new Chief Executive, Mel Smith. Mel brings a wealth of experience in disability support services and disability rights advocacy. We are confident that her leadership will help us continue to provide high-quality services to disabled people across New Zealand.
Covid-19 and Disabled People’s Rights
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on disabled people’s rights. We explore how inaccessible vaccination centers, testing centers, and a lack of access to basic necessities like groceries have negatively impacted disabled people. We also highlight the impact of a lack of consultation with disabled people during the decision-making process.
Enabling Good Lives and Disabled Maori
There is a disconnect between the messages being put out by the government and the reality for whanau when it comes to Enabling Good Lives reaching disabled Māori. We explore how to bridge this divide.
Disproportionate Impact of Covid-19 on Disabled People
Disabled people are disproportionately affected by Covid-19 and are significantly more at risk. When we disregard that, we disregard disabled people’s value in society and the human cost on them. We discuss why it’s wrong to ignore disabled people’s rights.
Stories of Disabled People
We share stories of disabled people we support through in-depth articles that highlight their experiences and how CCS Disability Action has positively impacted their lives, their leadership and achievements.
Tribute to Les Gilsenan and Dr Kihi Ngatai
We pay tribute to two friends of CCS Disability Action who have passed away; Les Gilsenan and Dr Kihi Ngatai. We honour their signfiicant contribution to the disability sector
Disabled Rangatahi Leadership Programme
We showcase disabled rangatahi (youth) who attended a leadership program in Christchurch. This program provides an opportunity for young disabled people to develop their leadership skills and connect with others.
CCS Disability Action Library and Information Service
The CCS Disability Action Library and Information Service is a free service providing information to disabled people and their families across the country. We profile this valuable resource.
Accessible Streets Project in Hamilton
We share an accessible streets project in Hamilton that trials ‘people-friendly streets.’ This project shows great promise for disabled people as it promotes inclusion and accessibility.
Manaaki Tairāwhiti Project
The Manaaki Tairāwhiti project is a collaboration between community-based agencies that aims to improve access to disability support services for families. We explain this project in detail.
