Unable to Get to a Polling Booth?
You can still vote: Here’s how.
Advice for voters who are unable to get to a polling place because of special circumstances.
From www.election.org.nz (pdf file)
The Open Door-Documentary on Autism ;
The Open Door: Autism documentary is now available online - anyone can now watch it for free on the NZ On Screen website. CCS Disability Action was involved in the documentary's production.
Open Door is a community-based TV series where groups or individuals make a documentary about an issue that concerns them. This episode on Autism features interviews with parents of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The parents talk about how their children were diagnosed, how best to help them, how to be fair to their siblings, working with the school system, and dealing with public attitudes to Autism. There are currently around 40,000 New Zealanders diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Here's the link to the show http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/open-door---autism-2009
Make a mother’s day
Media Release: CCS Disability Action National Office
24th May 2010
CCS Disability Action is launching a ‘Make a mother’s day’ campaign which goes to air on 24 May and will run through until the end of July. The TV commercial features a real kiwi mum going about a typical hectic day with her disabled son and siblings. While many mums get a bit of a break on Mother’s Day, the campaign highlights there are thousands of mums caring for disabled children who need emotional and practical support all year round.
There are over 12,000 families in New Zealand with disabled children, who need extra support to get through each day. Every seven minutes, someone reaches out to CCS Disability Action for support.
The campaign microsite makeamothersday.org.nz invites the viewer into the home of Andrea and Ben who we get to know in the TV commercial. It provides insight into the extra energy and effort needed to get through every day. The site shares stories from other New Zealand families who face the additional challenges of caring for a child with a disability.
Donations go to support Kiwi families in local communities. For $20 each month you could help give a mother the support she needs. If you would like to make a donation call 0800 20 20 70 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0800 20 20 70 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or go to makeamothersday.org.nz.
~ENDS~
For further information contact:
Sarah Peacock or Jo Boyle
Communications Advisor
TEL 04 801 0851 or 04 801 0846
EML comms@ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz
Time4Us document released! (Southland Branch)
6th May 2010
A document entitled 'Time4Us' was publicly released by CCS Disability Action Southland yesterday to a group of families and later funders and community groups. The document collates the ideas, issues and concerns of Invercargill families of children with disabilities about the lack of adequate break for families, or respite . The report proposes a way forward to develop the wide range options articulated by the families , and particularly the development of a respite house option for people with disabilities in Invercargill.
The Invercargill City Council have kindly agreed to help facilitate the early stage development of a family directed Trust which can manage the development of the various options outlined in the document.
You can read the report here
Making it Work
As part of our Journey to Work project we are launching an online forum to give people with disabilities a space to share their experiences of school, training and employment.
We created the Making It Work wiki (http://makingitwork.wikispaces.com) to encourage discussion around the barriers that the disabled community faces in education and employment.
Wikis are a great way to connect people, talk online and share personal experiences. The Making It Work wiki is free to use but if you want to contribute to the discussion you’ll need sign-in online. See below for more information about wikis and signing in if you’re unsure about what to do.
If you’re more a reader than a talker, see the case studies about other people’s journeys to work as well as the full text of the recently released Journey to Work report.
We have used a wiki so that staff are able to participate in the discussion and it is more accessible than other online forums such as Facebook. Read the rest here
Entertainment Book now Available for Waitaki, Otago and Southland!
Copies of the brand new Entertainment Book for Dunedin, Invercargill, Queenstown and surrounds are now available from the Oamaru Dunedin and Invercargill CCS Disability Action branch offices.
Priced at $50 the books offer discounts in:
Fine and Contemporary Dining
Casual Restaurant and Family Dining
Informal Dining and Takeaway
Arts, Sports and Attractions
Retail, Travel, Leisure and Accommodation
25% to 50% off and special offers on a wide range of good and services and activities.
$10.00 from the sale of each book goes directly to the CCS Disability Action Southern branch you bought it from.
To find about more about the new Dunedin, Invercargill Queenstown and surrounds Entertainment Book, visit their website here
Download the order form for Waitaki branch here
Download the order form for Otago branch here
Download the order form for Southland branch here
Review of Special Education 2010: Discussion document: Assoc. Minister of Education
The Associate Minister of Education, Hon Heather Roy, has launched the following discussion document for consultation. The feedback from the consultation process will be a key input to the Review of Special Education and you are encouraged to download the document, consider the issues it raises and send your feedback to the review team at the Ministry of Education
Consultation feedback required before 5pm Friday 19th March 2010
Download a copy of the Ministry's consultation document here (pdf, 2.85 mb)
or read a CCS Disability Action summarised version of the key points in the document here (Word)
or give your views on Inclusive Education on Facebook
or read the latest press release from the Assoc. Minister of Education, Heather Roy, here
Read a list of CCS Disability Action compiled resources on Inclusive Education here
Read the Inclusive Education Action Group Feb 2010 Newsletter here (pdf)
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - ARE YOU WILLING TO HELP TRIAL STATISTICS NEW ZEALAND'S DISABILITY SURVEY?
What is it all about? Every five years, Statistics NZ surveys people with disabilities to get a better picture of the well-being of all New Zealanders. This survey collects important information that Government and community organisations use to make decisions that affect everyone living with a disability, including their families and carers.
Between January and April 2010, Statistics NZ will test the survey to make sure the questions are easy for everyone to understand and answer.
Would you like to help? Statistics NZ is looking for people aged 15 years and over who would like to help improve this questionnaire. If you have a disability or look after a disabled child, they would like to talk to you. They are looking for people with impairments that have lasted, or are expected to last, 6 months or more. This can be, for example, a physical, hearing or vision impairment or a mental health condition.
What's involved? There will be interviews in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. Either someone from Statistics NZ will visit you, or you can go to their offices to answer questions about the surveys. The date and time will be arranged to suit you. The interview will last about an hour, and you will be given vouchers to cover any travel expenses and thank you for your help. Information you give Statistics NZ in the interview will be kept confidential.
If you are interested in helping test these surveys or would like more information to help you decide, please contact Ninya Maubach on (04) 931-4172 (by voice or through NZ Relay) or email Ninya.Maubach@stats.govt.nz
See the Statistics NZ website for more information about the survey: http://www.stats.govt.nz/reports/people/2011-disability-survey
What is fair and what is not fair for you?
Below are two questions the Human Rights Commission are asking people to answer. Next year the Commission will do more work and ask more questions, and then will write a report. The report will look at the human rights issues in NZ today and what needs to happen. This report will be an update to the Human Rights Action Plan 2004.
Below are two questions. These are very early questions. Answers to these questions will help the Commission in planning more work on this report next year.
We want to make sure that disabled and Deaf peoples issues are included in these early questions. Please answer these questions.
You can answer these questions on-line or you can email your answers to me (VictoriaM@hrc.co.nz). If you email your answers to me I will pass them on to the project team.
Two questions on-line click here, or answer in this email below:
Questions:
1) What is fair, what is not fair in your life? (What are the biggest human rights issues for you?)
2) What do you think should happen instead? What would make the biggest difference for you?
Please help us by responding to these questions and sharing this email with other people too.
Deadline for answers is 25th November. Email to VictoriaM@hrc.co.nz
Review of Progress on "The Accessible Journey": Disabled people's views sought
The Human Rights Commission is reviewing the progress towards making all public land transport services accessible to disabled people. It is now three years since the Commisson published the Accessible Journey report. As part of the process the Commission wants to hear about disabled people's experience of using public land transport services.
The Commission wants to hear both positive experiences and also of situations where barriers still remain. Disabled people have until the 30th July 2009 to fill in a survey about their experiences over the past year of using or tying to use public land transport services.
The review is also seeking information from the orginal submitters, regional and local government, central government agencies, public transport providers and professional associations.
If you would like to take part in the survey and the review of progress:
The fact sheet and survey are also available in Braille and audio formats. Assistance to fill out the survey is available and the Association of Blind Citizens, New Zealand (ABC NZ) is assisting us with this aspect of the survey. If you could like either of these formats or need assistance with completing the survey please contact Rose Wilkinson, ABC NZ rwilkinson@abcnz.org.nz or Ph. 04 389 0033).
New CCS Disability Action Five Year Strategic Plan
The CCS Disability Action national board has approved a new national strategic directions document for the organisation entitled "Our Priorities 2009-2014". The seven page document notes seven key work priorities for the next five years, and re-emphasises that the organisation works within a human rights framework based on the new UN Convention on the rights of People with Disabilities, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the New Zealand Disability Strategy.
A copy of "Our Priorities 2009-2014" is available here
Help create a new web site about the$$ financial impact of physical impairment $$ in New Zealand!
$support + $ my own time + $equipment + $ modifications + $ transportation = $$$$$$$$$
It all adds up! How do these costs impact on your life?
Check it out now and add your two cents worth!!!
www.impactofimpairment.com
Over the next few weeks this web resource will be developed for disabled people, disability organisations, and other stakeholders to provide information about the additional equipment, support, transport and time people with a physical impairment need to live an ordinary life and achieve an adequate standard of living. Even more important, when this site is finished, it will present what people are currently spending on disability-related resources and what they would have to spend if they were to meet all their needs for an adequate standard of living.
The survey questionnaire will be available on-line here until May 29th, 2009. Paper versions of the survey are also available by Laura Wilkinson-Meyers or by phoning
FREE PHONE 0800 100 560.
Laura Wilkinson-Meyers
The Impact of Physical Impairment Project
University of Auckland, School of Population Health
Health Systems Department
Private Bag 92019
Auckland
FREE PHONE 0800 100 560
or 09 373 7599 extn 87659
The first 400 participants to complete the survey online or return it by post will receive a $10 MTA voucher.
New research says 'no' to special schools: IHC
Press Release: IHC
Date: Wednesday, 3 June 2009
New research has exploded the myth that special schools are better at teaching children with intellectual disabilities.
In her book, Learning better together, to be launched at Parliament on 3 June, education researcher Dr Jude MacArthur makes a powerful case for including disabled students in regular classrooms. Her book examines current thinking about inclusive education.
The research, with an accompanying DVD, was commissioned by IHC to argue the case for inclusive education in New Zealand. Dr MacArthur says that an examination of research here and overseas shows school students do better when they learn together.
"Disabled children and young people are advantaged socially and academically when they attend regular classes," she says. "The research provides a clear mandate for us to say "No" to segregated special education, and to develop inclusive education in regular schools. This is how we move forward."
Dr MacArthur says disabled children do better in maths and literacy, and in friendships, if they are taught in regular classrooms.
The advantages are even more obvious when school staff work at including all students.
But she is concerned that the Ministry of Education seems to have gone silent on inclusive education and hopes her book will make a difference.
"I hope it will challenge those views that need to be challenged, and sustain those people who have always known that inclusion is the just, fair and right thing to do."
IHC Chief Executive Ralph Jones says the organisation has been arguing for years for disabled students to be fully included in their local schools. Some schools are working hard, often with insufficient support, to include disabled students, but many children are still being denied opportunities available to other children.
The issue has driven IHC to take a complaint to the Human Rights Commission against policies and practices that prevent disabled students participating fully at their local school. "The overwhelming response to the complaint from parents and families indicates the issue is much wider than IHC first thought," Mr Jones says.
The Human Rights Commission has now asked the Ministry of Education to respond to the complaint.
"To achieve inclusive education for all children, we need better education policies; we need schools to be better supported; and we need to listen to what disabled students say," Mr Jones says.
Dr Jude MacArthur is an independent researcher based in Dunedin, working in the area of education and disability. She has worked at the University of Otago and the Donald Beasley Institute in Dunedin.
Learning better together and the DVD will be launched at the Grand Hall at Parliament, on Wednesday 3 June 2009, from 5pm to 6pm.