The Bulletin: Select committee seats and what each party wants

Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Early focus put on health select committee, international day for persons with disabilities marked, and appliance delays holding up new builds. The select committees are in the process of being selected. One of the processes of making a law is that it goes through a small group … Read more

We can make a better post-Covid world for disabled people

Portrait diverse community in face masks

The pandemic has shown us how we can do things differently. When we come out the other side, let’s ensure the 1 billion disabled people worldwide aren’t left behind, writes disability rights commissioner Paula Tesoriero.  Worldwide, the response by governments to Covid-19 has emphasised that we are all in this together. It got me thinking … Read more

I thought the fashion world didn’t want people like me. I was wrong.

Throughout history, fashion has had the power to advance cultural discussions, writes Grace Stratton.  For its summer 2019 issue, fashion magazine i-D – constantly hailed as a source of inspiration in fashion culture – put neurodiverse environmental activist Greta Thunberg on its cover. By featuring an advocate like Thunberg so prominently, i-D is telling us … Read more

The Bulletin: Delicate dances on the world stage

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Both PM and deputy PM in action on foreign relationships, major climate report being released today, and DOC staff facing escalating threats.  Both the PM and deputy PM are in action on foreign relationships this week, with plenty of challenges to navigate. Later this week, PM … Read more

How virtual reality can help people with autism practice social interaction

The Lightbulb asks innovators and entrepreneurs how they turned their ideas into reality. This week we talk to Socius VR’s Anzel Singh who’s working to create VR videos for people with autism to practice social interaction.  First of all, give us your elevator pitch for Socius VR. Socius VR is virtual reality system for people … Read more

It’s time to abolish our last bastion of pay discrimination

The Minimum Wage Exemption scheme, has allowed New Zealand businesses to legally pay workers with a disability as little as 80 cents an hour for years. Amanda Thompson explains why change is well overdue.  When I was a kid I came to my mum one day with a burning sense of injustice. I had seen … Read more

The headset that allows you to use a computer just by blinking your eyes

In our Q&A series, The Lightbulb, we ask innovators and entrepreneurs to tell us about how they turned their ideas into reality. This week, we talk to Dr Sarvnaz Taherian who’s helped develop technology that allows physically disabled individuals to communicate via blinking. For most individuals, using a phone or laptop couldn’t be easier. But for … Read more

Why the inclusion of disabled people still has a long way to go

As we celebrate Suffrage 125, let us not forget that just as disabled people were excluded in 1893, many continue to feel excluded from society today, writes Hannah Gibson.  This week, we celebrated 125 years of women finally getting the vote in Aotearoa. It’s indeed something to celebrate. It took a petition of 32,000 individuals … Read more

Writing about disability? Here are five tips to get it right

Last week Red Nicholson tweeted a word of advice to Stuff, and found the system works. But to help us avoid bungling it in the first place, he offers some extra advice for journalists and editors on disability-related news and language Most days on Twitter are spent shouting enlightened reckons into the social media void, … Read more

A mother thanks Countdown for creating a safe haven for children with SPD

When a supermarket in Marton announced it would offer special shopping sessions for adults and children with autism or sensory processing issues, families around New Zealand rejoiced. Alexandra Saunders shares why it means so much. News came today that Marton Countdown is offering an hour of quiet, every week from 3-4pm on Wednesdays. Designed to … Read more