Weekly update: 24 February 2023

This was originally sent out by email on 25 Feb 2023. If you’d like to join our mailing list, please contact us.

Kia ora tatou,

Hello to all of us,

Tatou, as I use it every week, means all of us. I am sure right now that we are all thinking of our connected friends in the upper north and east of the North Island and sending our aroha out to you.

You will also need practical action to support you so if there is anything beyond the links and information below that you need please do not hesitate to reach out. Sarah and I will be offline next week as we are attending the 7th Pacific Regional Conference on Disability in Nadi, Fiji wth the theme “Nothing without us – Deepening partnership for an inclusive and equitable Blue Pacific Continent for persons with disabilities”.

Kevin will be at the end of the phone and inbox for you so this is another great opportunity to connect. We will be back with you on Rapere, Friday, 10 March. Remember to fill in your census in your preferred format!

If you want to be a part of the Pacific Disability Forum from New Zealand then there are two ways of doing this. One is complete the Indigenous Persons with Disabilities survey, which [closed 24 February] and the other is because we are sharing the Aotearoa waiata information.

7th Pacific Regional Conference on Disability

Survey information

As part of the build up towards the main conference this year which will be held next week, the Pacific Disability Forum would like your assistance in participating in a Survey on Indigenous Persons with Disabilities in the Pacific Region.

Findings from this Survey will help PDF to formulate the outcomes Document on Indigenous Persons with Disabilities which will then be presented during the Opening of the main conference.

The Survey will take approximately take between 7 – 10 minutes of your time. Deadline for them to complete the survey [was] Friday this week (24.02.23).

The link is as follows: https://ee.humanitarianresponse.info/x/V1gH1IcX

For any enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact Ruci Senikula on Ruci.Senikula@pacificidsability.org

Waiata: Tutira Mai Nga Iwi

With thanks to Prudence and Emily from Disabled Persons Assembly for organising this.

NZSL version on YouTube (there are ads to get through or skip at the beginning):

Tutira Mai NZSL – YouTube

Lyrics in te reo Māori and English

Lyrics in reo Māori

Tūtira mai ngā iwi,

tātou tātou e

Tūtira mai ngā iwi,

tātou tātou e

Whai-a te marama-tanga,

me te aroha – e ngā iwi!

Ki-a tapa tahi,

Ki-a kotahi rā

Tātou tātou e

Tatou tātou e E!!

Hi aue hei !!!

English translation

Line up together people

All of us, all of us

Stand in rows people

All of us, all of us

Seek after knowledge

and love of others – everyone

Think as one

Act as one

All of us, all of us

All of us, All of us!!

Hi aue hei !!!

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Sat 25 February is International Cochlear Implant Day

International Cochlear Implant Day on Saturday 25 February helps raise awareness about implants and how they support social connectedness and communication for those who are profoundly deaf.

Today, Friday was to have been Loud Shirt Day, which is New Zealand’s fundraising campaign, recognising International Cochlear Implant Day, however this has been postponed until later in the year due to the national state of emergency and the Cyclone Gabrielle recovery efforts.

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From Whaikaha Communications

Ministry of Social Development community support package

Information is available on the MSD website, and we have pulled out some of the information below.

Community Support Package for people impacted by North Island floods and Cyclone Gabrielle – Ministry of Social Development (msd.govt.nz)

Support for disabled people ($0.5 million)

This funding will support disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori and/or their households to access support for immediate and unexpected needs due the recent North Island floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.

Disabled people do not need to be receiving Disability Support Service funding from Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People or from another Government agency to be apply for this support.

Please note, this dedicated funding to support disabled people is in addition to the funding that is outlined above, and which is available to organisations who are supporting disabled people.

If you currently receive funding from Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People Disability Support Services, you may also be eligible for an increase in your allocation due to impact of the North Island Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. Contact your disability support service providers for more information on this.

More information about Community Support Package funding support for disabled people

Civil Defence payments

Civil Defence Payments are available if you’ve been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle or the flooding. Following is a link to a PDF factsheet.

Financial support for Cyclone Gabrielle – link doc

Help

A range of services are also available if you our someone you know needs help with anxiety, distress or mental wellbeing

  • Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.
  • The Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202 (to talk to a trained counsellor about how you are feeling or to ask any questions).
  • Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat.
  • The Lowdown Text 5626 for support to help young people recognise and understand depression or anxiety.
  • Alcohol Drug Helpline (0800 787 797)
  • There is also GROOV which is the mental wellbeing app which is free and also suggest Mental Health Foundation All Sorts

Disability helpline

A free Disability helpline is also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support deaf, disabled people and whānau.

Call 0800 11 12 13 or text 8988. You can also access this helpline using the NZ Relay Service www.nzrelay.co.nz

It can help with:

  • any queries relating to COVID-19
  • connecting you to support and information about the recent severe weather and flooding
  • any general health concerns you have
  • if a support worker/carer is unavailable or hasn’t arrived.

The COVID-19 Disability Helpline is run by Whakarongorau Aotearoa // New Zealand Telehealth Services.

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Auckland Disability Law’s free online legal education sessions

Thank you to Board Member Frysna Rimoni for bringing this to our attention. These introductory Zoom sessions about the law to do with employment and reasonable accommodations at work are designed for Disabled and Deaf People and supporters. The sessions are designed to be easy to understand.

Pre-employment and disability disclosure

Wednesday 15 March 2023, 10.00am – 11.00am

  • When to tell an employer about your disability.
  • What to tell an employer about your disability.

Register by 8 March 2023

Reasonable accommodations and the law

Tuesday 21 March 2023, 10.00am – 11.00am

  • What are reasonable accommodations at work.
  • Asking for the accommodations you need to do the job.

Register by 14 March 2023

To register give us your name, email address, contact phone number, and where you live, along with the date and name of the sessions you want to attend. Please email, text or phone us at info@adl.org.nz.

Text: 027 457 5140.

Call: 09 257 5140 and leave a message.

Zoom and access needs

  • These sessions will be delivered by video call on Zoom. You can access Zoom on your mobile phone, tablet, or computer. When you register, more information will be sent to you about how to use Zoom.
  • There will be a handout which will be sent to you ahead of the session(s).
  • Please let us know if you require Word documents for your Braille reader or device.
  • If you require NZSL interpreters, please advise us as soon as possible.
  • You are welcome to have a support person or family member with you at the session. Please give us their name, number and email address too.

Please let us know if you have any other access needs.

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Carers NZ

This organisation was established in the early 1990s by and for family carers and provides information, advice, learning and support for carers in our network. It is a national not for profit supporting a network of approximately 490,000 individual carers and supporting organisations.

The primary role of Carers NZ is to ensure awareness about carers, their role, and their needs within New Zealand and internationally with participation in government reference and working groups, and promoting the interests of family carers to decision-makers.

Following is a link to their latest newsletter in your website browser. This issue provides useful links for flood-affected areas, a free Online Sound Bath for relaxation with Sophie Correia.

Flood check-in – stay safe, we’re here if you need us! (mailchimp)

Find out more about Carers NZ on their website via the following link.

Home – CarersNZ

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Disabled Persons Assembly Information Exchange

The full Information Exchange is available in your browser at the following link.

DPA’s Information Exchange 19 February (mailchimp)

As usual, event reminders and TellMe access numbers are listed below the sign-off. A repeat of the census information and the links to Able TV captioning are included.

Ngā mihi mahana,
Warm regards,
Amanda

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Event reminders

Census Day is Tuesday, 7 March 2023

Sydney, Sunday, 7 May – Tuesday, 9 May 2023 Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities In Person Conference

Disability Connect activities

Therapy – Parent Support Group

Wednesday 1st March 6 – 8pm.
Disability Connect, 3b Olive Road, Penrose, Auckland.
Fee: free for parents/whānau, $50 for sector professionals.

Education Legal Issues – Zoom

Thursday 2nd March 11:30am – 2pm.
Zoom details sent on registration.
Fee: $20* for parents/whānau, $50 for sector professionals.

Work and Income support – Zoom

Thursday 16 March 6:30 – 8pm.
Zoom details sent on registration.
Fee: $20* for parents/whānau, $50 for sector professionals.

Phone or email Disability Connect at:

A link to the Disability Connect website follows: https://disabilityconnect.org.nz/.

Ongoing – Entertainment with Able

Able is a not-for-profit organisation working towards a more inclusive Aotearoa, believing everyone should be able to access news, entertainment and culture. Funded by NZ On Air, they’re Aotearoa’s leading provider of media access services, including captioning services, subtitling and audio description.

Listings to 4 March are available at the following browser links:

A link to Able website to subscribe to the weekly newsletter with listings and picks of the week follows: https://able.co.nz/#.

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Deafblind Association New Zealand access to TellMe

See TellMe numbers for your area

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End of report and this week’s update.

Amanda Stevens
Executive Officer
Taringa Turi Kāpō Rōpū
Deafblind Association New Zealand