DPA New Zealand

DPA Bites – March/April 2009

Farewell to Eamon Daly, our President

There has been widespread shock and grief over the death at the beginning of February of our newly elected President. Eamon was a charming, smart and humorous fellow with a distinguished record for doing what he loved and did so well – using his gifts to improve the lives of others. It’s not surprising that he was farewelled with messages and eulogies from many different parts of society, from entertainer Jason Gunn to the Privacy Commissioner, and political folk from the grassroots to Honourable Members. We all knew Eamon as a colleague and friend. It’s just a very sad loss. There’s not much more that Bites can add to what’s already been said and written over the last few months about our President, except to include here a selection of messages from the National Executive Committee:

Eamon was a compassionate and motivated person who saw the good in many people. Eamon touched many lives and he will be truly missed. – Rongomaiwahine Higgins.

I deeply regret Eamon’s untimely death. I was looking forward very much to working with him. He had already in the role of President shown that he was prepared to take action on behalf of the organization – and my greatest sadness is that he will not get the chance to develop that leadership and action. RIP Eamon. – Matt Frost.

It was such a tragedy – Eamon’s sudden and untimely passing – for so many people. Eamon was so looking forward to his role as President of DPA. Everyone is suffering the dreadful loss of such a talented and visionary young man. – John Scully.

Eamon, your sudden passing has come as such a shock and loss to this world. Your ambition and plans for DPA will not be lost, we will continue to fight the battles for the rights of citizenship for disabled people as you have done and were leading us to do, so aptly. Your passion, commitment and drive will be sorely missed. Go well. – Beverley Grammer.

Eamon could be a little arrogant – something I teased him about every chance I got; sometimes his jokes fell flat (just because no-one understood what he was talking about), and he could get frustrated with people who didn’t catch on, but then he would prove to be extremely good at explaining himself. And a little arrogance can lead to courage, passion and clarity of purpose. He understood that improvements in the lives of disabled people improve society. He might have had political ambitions, but they were about putting himself in the position to be influential and represent us. He was also damned fine company. – Brendon Murray.

Eamon was humble in a particular kind of way. He would take on board and digest all suggestions – no matter how trivial – and then be able to decide on a definite plan of action – even if he had to accept a different course from the one he originally thought should have been taken. He was DPA President for such a short time, but quickly demonstrated he could take on leadership and really inspire people. We’ve lost a man of great potential. – Wendy Neilson.

My reaction when Gary told me of Eamon’s passing was shocked disbelief. Eamon was an awesome intellectual who showed great potential as our President. He will be greatly missed. – Ken Talbot.

Eamon – you had the ‘smarts’ and this was your time to fulfil your promise and lead us forward. I was looking forward to working under your leadership. Though this door has now closed, another has opened, as we continue on our way to liberation and freedom under the leadership of Wendy (with a little guidance, I am sure, from Eamon). Thank you, Eamon, for your service to our cause. – Dot Wilson.

What Does Generation ‘Y’ Think?

Beverley Grammer reports ...

On the 10th of December 2008, International Human Rights Day, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Award winning partnership DPA, People First and CCS Disability Action brought 12 young disabled people from around the country to Wellington to give a youth perspective on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and on how we should implement the Convention; how we should promote its principals and educate people.

With much fun and enthusiasm the group explored what "Diversity - Our Future” meant to them. The priorities they came up with included:

The group worked really hard to record their ideas across a multitude of mediums and enjoyed the day together. They were then joined for afternoon tea by local list MP Katrina Shanks and Minister for Disability Issues and Youth Affairs, Paula Bennett.

I was organiser and facilitator of the day. It was really clearly stated by the group that as young people they knew what they wanted, how it needed to be done and that it needed to be done by them as experts, really enforcing our mantra of ‘Nothing about us, without us’. And most of all they wanted to work together to see action.

The partnership is now looking at ways for the group to continue its work and momentum.

New NEC member Graeme Parish introduces himself ...

(Graeme has replaced David Corner on the NEC, following David’s resignation).

"Having lived with a disability all of my life gives me the passion as an advocate to improve the lives of people with disabilities. I have wide ranging experience in the disability sector not only in People First, as Regional President, Treasurer and Executive member, but as an Executive Committee Member of Christchurch DPA. I have been invited to address many conferences, such as the New Zealand section of the Australasian Study of Intellectual Disability Conference in Melbourne in 2008 and the Needs Assessment Services Conference, amongst others. I have also stood on a number of Government appointed committees.

I would like DPA membership to be more involved, empowering members by using members’ skills to spread representation in our regions. I would like the regions to have closer contact with each other, sharing ideas, and identifying areas that need improvement nationally. I would also like to encourage the promotion of DPA in our communities, so the public can see that we are taking a full part in the community.

Movers and shakers at Marcia Rioux workshop

Wendy Neilson reports ...

DPA was well represented at a meeting of the movers and shakers of the disability community on 15 December 2008.

The Office for Disability Issues(ODI) hosted this workshop with invited disabled people's organisations and others to learn about the Disability Rights Promotion International (DRPI) project and discuss its possible benefit to New Zealand. The aim of the project is to work out a system of monitoring rights for disabled people, which can be replicated in different settings around the world. The system is intended to build the capacity and leadership of disabled people's organisations.

Professor Marcia Rioux, project co-director from Toronto, Canada, explained how they are using three types of research (legal system, individual experiences, and societal attitudes) to monitor the rights of disabled people. After she spoke, the audience were invited to share their thoughts and give feedback. There was plenty of discussion: the disabled people's organisations present were in favour of the DRPI project being used in New Zealand. They were asked to formally respond to the Office for Disability Issues in early 2009 after consideration by their respective governance boards. Once sufficient responses have been received, further action on the project can be considered.

I am pleased that at the first NEC meeting of 2009, we decided that DPA would have a leading role in the DRPI project in New Zealand.

Professor Gerard Quinn comes to talk about our Convention

Professor Gerard Quinn, the Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at the National University of Ireland and a key contributor to the development of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, visited New Zealand recently. On February 19, he made a presentation on the Convention at a Parliamentary breakfast function attended by 113 guests, and then addressed disabled people at a gathering in Wellington, hosted by DPA and the Human Rights Commission.

NEC member Ken Talbot was at Professor Quinn’s talk. He reports ...

Professor Quinn’s presentation was on the monitoring and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention was ratified by the New Zealand Government in 2008. The key point of interest from Professor Quinn is that the Convention says that disabled people must be consulted regarding its implementation.

Professor Quinn indicated that there will always be a gap between an international law that a country may have ratified and the legal reality on the ground. Implementing the Convention, he said, is about closing this gap. To do this, the public at large need to be informed so that they can support it. Only then will the political will be there for implementation.

What can DPA and the Human Rights Commission do to achieve this end? ‘Promote’, ‘Protect’ and ‘Monitor’ are what Professor Quinn suggests to do to ensure that the Convention is implemented. This is not dissimilar to the way the New Zealand Disability Strategy is monitored and protected.

Professor Quinn said that since this is an international Convention, the different countries who are signatories to it will implement and monitor it in different ways. Because of these variations, there has been recognition that some international coordination is needed and so a Conference of States Parties has been set up to monitor this. It will meet on a regular basis and New Zealand will have representation.

Finally, as Professor Quinn said, it will not be the Government that will be driving this Convention here in New Zealand but disability rights organisations such as DPA that currently have input into disability issues. So, for the Convention to succeed here, we must take action.

Summary of NEC meeting held in Wellington 20-22 February

The Death of President Eamon Daly

Policy Discussion

FDR Project Update

Disability Rights Promotion International Research Project

Policy Book Update

Board of Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand

Women’s Caucus