DPA New Zealand

Annual Report 2002

Embedding the Disability Strategy — 2001 to 2002

Goal 1: Providing leadership regionally, nationally and internationally

Facilitating meaningful involvement

Years of plugging away advocating for society's acceptance of the rights and independence of people with disabilities paid off for DPA last year with the launch of Whakanui Oranga: Making A World of Difference, the New Zealand Disability Strategy (NZDS) on 30 April 2001.

Following that watershed, and as a leading advocate for the rights and independence of people with disabilities, DPA's task during this past year (between July 2001 and June 2002) has been to try to help bed the philosophy lying beneath the New Zealand Disability Strategy into the bureaucracy of government process, the thinking and attitude of government officials and into the range of services government provides.

The NZDS was a landmark success for our membership and everyone else with a disability. Though some of the elements of the NZDS do not reach the realistic and realisable expectations of disabled people, the vision and philosophy underlying the NZDS underpin and were developed from DPA's own vision and philosophy for the rights and independence of our people.

This means embedding our own philosophy into that of the Strategy is relatively straightforward and simple. The Strategy talks about disabled people being the leading voice on disability issues and facilitates the involvement of our community into the process of government and decision-making. That has always been DPA's working brief.

The establishment of disability advisory committees for each of the District Health Boards (DHBs) is an example of how disabled people can contribute, how this can work and how participation by local people with a disability is facilitated within local communities.

At the highest level as well, the kind of participation and involvement we were hoping for is now working. We are "in the loop". This is because DPA now has an enviable arrangement with the Minister for Disability Issues where we have regularly scheduled six-weekly meetings. Here our concerns can be aired and discussed, and listened to.

The bureaucracy of government is now also taking an interest in disability issues, as it is bound to by the Disability Strategy. Key government agencies also now want to meet regularly with DPA, including the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Women's Affairs, which we earlier have criticised for not recognising issues related to disabled women, is also now starting to recognise that disability issues are important in its work as well.

Most of the effort at relationship building with the central core of the public service is happening at the national level in Wellington, where the heads of key government departments and the National Secretariat of DPA are based. But our member representatives are working away at developing and furthering relationships and aims at regional, local and organisational levels as well.

And central to our efforts is our thought that attitudes toward people with disabilities need to change — so that disabled people are involved in a meaningful way in implementing the Disability Strategy. Developing, resourcing and using the leadership capabilities of people with disabilities underlies that thinking and is a position for which we will continue to advocate strongly.

Hooray! Relay! Now we can talk!

Banners of celebration were held up on 28 May 2002 outside Parliament Buildings, Wellington, when deaf people met to say thanks for the relay service.

You can see photos from the event on the rally photos page.

Life changed for the better for deaf, hearing and speech impaired people during this year after the government agreed to support a telephone relay service.

DPA member, Victoria Manning, who is also on DPA's national executive committee, was at the forefront of moves to make this happen after she in 1997 followed up a 1995 complaint by Kim Robinson to the Human Rights Commission, that Clear (now TelstraClear) and Telecom were in breach of sections 44 and 65 of the Human Rights Act for failing to provide deaf people with a telephone service.

The pair claimed the phone companies directly and indirectly discriminated against the deaf and hearing or speech impaired people by refusing to provide a relay service to access voice telephony.

The telecommunications companies' response was that they had no obligation to provide a new service, that their provision of voice telephony required an ability to hear and that there was no incentive to provide a relay service for so few people.

In December 2001 the Human Rights Commission had decided that indeed Telecom, TelstraClear and Vodafone were in breach of the human rights charter by refusing to provide a telephone relay service.

Then in May 2002 the government announced that it would support a telephone relay service, that such a service would be established — a decision that came after 25 years of lobbying by deaf, and other disabled, activists.

A telephone relay service is a simple technology that enables people who cannot speak or hear to make phone calls to those who can. Deaf and hearing or speechimpaired people will use a special keyboard, a teletypewriter (TTY), which connects to a standard telephone, to type to an operator at a specialised call centre. The operator reads out the written words and transcribes the spoken reply to text which callers then read on their TTYs.

It is expected that millions of calls will be made with the new relay service, which is to be up and running by early 2003 as a telecommunications service order under the Telecommunications Act.

The new service will give an estimated 420,000 people access to telephone services. Some 204,700 people were identified at the last census as having some hearing loss; about 8000 people identify as deaf; and there is also a large number of people with speech impediments.

Victoria on the rally success

The rally was a fantastic success! We had a turnout of a 100 people and the atmosphere was jubilant and electric. Highlights included Ruth Dyson and Paul Swain signing something at the beginning of their speeches on parliament steps; and Ruth Dyson had arranged to have sign-language interpreters in the House. That was the first time we have been able to access a Parliamentary question time! Afterwards the Deaf community were abuzz with amazement and political discussions.

Personally, I was inspired by the number of people who came and the positive atmosphere they brought with them. I was also intrigued at accessing parliament question time. The sign language interpreters did such a fantastic job, and I really felt like I got a sense of all that was going on. Am now keen to go again!

The Ministry of Economic Development is beginning the process of planning for the establishment of the Relay Service. The aim is to have the relay service up and running early in 2003. Five photos from the Rally are available on the Rally Photos page.

AGM in Dunedin

Dunedin was host this year to our annual general meeting held as a one day event on Saturday 10 November 2001 at the University of Otago campus in the Commerce Building.

The AGM was a marvellous success in many ways, thanks to good organisation from the capable DPA Dunedin and Districts team, including president, Patsy Wakefield, and her trusty four helpers, Chris Ford, David Corner, Melissa Lethaby and Donna-Rose McKay, as well as assistance on the day from CCS people and others.

Recognising that DPA members are now more "connected" than ever, this year for the first time members were able to cast electronic votes via email (as well as "snail mail") to elect the new DPA national executive committee (NEC), announced at the AGM.

Wellington member, Bill Wrightson, was the only nomination for president, following the decision by Invercargill member, Carolyn Weston, to step down from that role. Waitara member, Marion Wellington, was also the only nomination for vice-president.

However, 11 nominations were offered for eight positions on the NEC as members showed interest in putting themselves forward following the retirement of Paul Gibson, Philip Patston, and Richard Buchanan from the committee. Jonathan Wilkinson, Beverley Grammer and Huhana Hickey were new people elected and they were joined by David Corner, Sara Georgeson, Victoria Manning, Lorna Sullivan and Matthew Whiting who were re-elected for another 2-year term.

The new committee brought together a new mix of people that reflects the diversity of DPA. Members of the committee are pictured on page 5 of this report.

Sadly, Agnes Sneddon, from the Hibiscus Coast, Auckland, passed away in January 2002 during her second term on the NEC . As the person with the next highest number of votes at the NEC elections, Nelson member, Amy Hindley replaced Agnes on the NEC .

DPA's successful 2001 Annual General Meeting in Dunedin was time for thought and discussion. Nine photos from the event are available on the AGM Photos page.

New constitution adopted

The biggest issue for DPA at the AGM was the adoption of the new constitution and the implications that only disabled people would have a vote on issues in DPA.

New organisations that have joined DPA have since the adoption of the new constitution have seen it as a positive development for DPA. Membership of DPA continues to increase as DPA is seen to be working for the common good. Organisations which in the past had dropped away or which had felt uncomfortable about belonging to DPA are returning or joining. For example, People First and the Association of Blind Citizens have re-joined, assured that DPA is not a competitor for membership, but a supporter of their issues.

DPA makes an effort to stay in touch with our 1300 individual members and 350 organisations that belong and tries to combine what everybody is thinking into a coherent message that all people can understand.

Management

During the year the NEC met three times in Wellington, once in Dunedin and held one teleconference. DPA's finances have improved to the extent that in the current year there is a $4,000 budget surplus, a big improvement from the situation that had developed in 1998/99 when there was a $27,000 deficit. To help hold off future excessive demand on funds the executive intends funding a long-term reserve.

Our Vision: To Matou Tirohanga Whakamua (2002-2005)

As a lobby group DPA is very aware of the opportunities available in an election year, especially as according to the 2001 Census figures one in five New Zealanders has a disability, and more than one in five of the voting age population have a disability. Also for many families and whanau disability issues are the predominant issues in their lives. So we have a large voting constituency.

And to leverage the power of that constituency DPA in 1999 produced Our Vision, which is a document that puts together our objectives and vision for the future in a coherent form. This year we put together another one.

Though DPA has achieved a lot over the years, after the first version of Our Vision was released three years ago it was remarkable that many positive things happened for us as a result. These included the New Zealand Disability Strategy, more people with disabilities being able to live in the community rather than an institution and agreement that a telephone deaf relay service will finally be established.

With the thought that more can be done, and with the success of our previous Vision document in mind, DPA this year wrote Our Vision: To Matou Tirohanga Whakamua (2002-2005). It aimed to tell the government what people with disability thought needed to be done during the ensuing three years, up to 2005.

Our Visionstated that the New Zealand Disability Strategy must be implemented and that a Disability Discrimination Act and Disability Commission was needed.

Former president, Paul Gibson, did much of the work putting together the revised version of Our Vision for the 2002 general election called early on 27 July 2002. For this work we owe our thanks to Paul, and thanks to Jonny Wilkinson for assistance as well. Paul went out and asked disabled people what they wanted and compiled a document almost double the size of the Our Vision document produced for the watershed 1999 election (during Paul's DPA presidency).

This year some 500 copies of the Our Vision document were published and distributed among the regions, major political parties and other people.

Our Vision reminded our members that they could vote for a New Zealand government, that governments made decisions about our lives, that we made decisions about who was the government by voting at elections, and that there was to be an election in 2002 when we could use our vote.

Underlying this was DPA's simple desire for political parties to say they would do what we wanted, and recognition that the political parties that would do what we wanted were more likely to get our vote.

DPA president shakes hands with Disability Issues Minister.DPA president, Bill Wrightson, shakes hands with Disability Issues Minister, Ruth Dyson, launching Our Vision.

 

Kimberley to close at last

The long awaited announcement by the government that the Kimberley Centre, Levin, would close in four years was greeted with jubilation by many in the disability community in September 2001.

DPA's view is that people with a disability should not have to live in institutions, that they have a right to live in the community like everyone else.

The Kimberley Centre, opened in 1945, was the last major institutional centre of its kind and housed some 375 people with an intellectual disability. The announcement that its days were numbered came only two days before a protest march was to be staged organised by the self-advocacy group, People First. That protest march became one of celebration on 7 September instead.

Janine Stewart and Sue O'Shea.Janine Stewart, IHC Director of Advocacy and Sue O'Shea, advocate for IHC celebrate the closure of Kimberley.

 

HDC Code of Rights workshops

Workshops facilitated to help disabled people better understand the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights proved to be a major undertaking for DPA during the year.

DPA was contracted by the Health and Disability Commission (HDC) to provide facilitators, organise venues and advertise the "one-off" workshops in 30 locations throughout the country. A "train the trainer" exercise to equip selected DPA members to facilitate the workshops had the benefit of bringing together a group of people fully trained and able to work directly with the HDC without any involvement from DPA.

The sessions about the Code ran from August 2001 through to July 2002 with mixed success, as some workshops had 40 people attend and others had no one. One conclusion drawn from the project was that the Code of Rights is only important to people with disabilities when their rights are being infringed.

The Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994 is a key component of consumer-focused and consumer-accountable health and disability services in New Zealand and a means of dealing with complaints about health or disability service providers.

Youth leadership development project

As with other sectors of the community, we know that young people and youth are our future. However, increasingly we are seeing fewer young people wanting to promote themselves as future leaders. Aware of this lack, DPA during the year began early planning for a youth leadership programme aimed at addressing this issue.

Our intention was for a programme in stages, requiring external seed funding before it became self-sustaining. Stage one involved organising a leadership development camp in January 2003 for:

The intention is for mentoring and leadership development training to be done to the best practice standards of the Youth Mentoring Association of New Zealand.

Stage two involves a youth leadership development worker maintaining and building on gains made in the summer 2003 programme, increasing the pool of mentors and prospective leaders, and ensuring there exists an active disabled youth network. They would also seek funding to ensure the sustainability of the programme in the long-term.

Stage three involves another summer leadership development camp with a completely different group of 20 mentors and 20 youth in January 2005. Stage four is the ongoing biennial camps, with a youth development worker maintaining and building the network and ensuring ongoing funding.

Our leadership programme is based on successful overseas models but has been adapted specifically for New Zealand and New Zealanders. Disability advocacy organisations in both the USA and the UK run youth programmes, including national camps and ongoing support networks for disabled youth. It has been researched and recognised as the best investment possible in the future of people with disabilities. The benefits are proven for both the youth involved and for the adults who chose to reflect and pass on the wisdom of their own life experience.

We want 20 young people with disabilities, representing a mix of gender, ethnicity, locality, and the mix of disabilities within New Zealand. All young people require encouragement to take appropriate risks, develop self-awareness, and extend their boundaries, and ultimately, to recognise and fulfil their own potential. We want participants to be challenged, empowered, to gain confidence, and to do things they have less opportunity than their non-disabled peers to do, all in a supportive and safe environment.

Participants will be empowered to become leaders in their own regional community, their disability community, or their ethnic community. They will take away an understanding of disability beyond their own experience, and be expected to contribute something back. DPA needs emerging young leaders, and will further foster those who emerge from this programme.

Data from the last census tells us that people with disabilities have lower incomes and educational attainment and higher unemployment rates than any other group. Many do not have their basic needs met. And yet people with disabilities are not prominent in debates around these issues, nor are they as prominent as might be expected in the running of the specific organisations that service them. DPA believes there is a strong need to develop leadership amongst young people within the disability community.

The project is underway, mentors and assistants have been approached, venues and trainers priced and booked. A mentoring system will help sustain knowledge gained, and a website and email network will keep people in touch.

Regional Assemblies

Around the country DPA's regional assemblies are continuing their role advocating for the rights of disabled people, on local issues particularly, raising awareness about the concerns of people with disabilities generally, educating others, and operating as a social and advocacy network of like-minded people.

Most regional assemblies are starting to develop good working relationships with their local authority, and most have a representative on the local disability advisory committee established by their District Health Board.

All regional assemblies meet regularly, mentor people, provide support and networks for each other, and generally deal with a full range of local issues of concern to their community. Here are reports from some of our regional assembly officers about activity in their areas:

DPA Southland

DPA Southland has risen from the ashes into a vibrant assembly whose individual membership continues to grow, with 18 individual members and 15 corporate members. It is heartening to see the presence of some corporate members beginning to attend our meetings.

For many of the members DPA has been something new with no previous knowledge of its existence. I have been overwhelmed in the way that they have come on board embracing the cause, learning the issues and working together to raise the awareness within the community for the need to bring about change.

The Tu-Tikanga … Rights Now one-day workshop was the beginning of our steps towards empowerment. A very successful day, co-facilitated by myself and Bruce Coleman of the Human Rights Commission that was attended by representatives from Stroke Club, CCS, Blind Foundation, Southland Enterprises with a participant attending after watching an interview on Mercury TV.

We have been working alongside of city council members on the issues surrounding the Total Mobility Scheme and the accessible buses. The sites of the disabled parks within the central business area have been discussed with Mr Cook who has listened to our concerns and acted on the suggestion for the new park that is outside the UFS Pharmacy in Tay St.

On 8 July 2002 we had an informal hour meeting over morning tea with the Minister of Disability Issues, Hon Ruth Dyson. Those attending each had time to chat with the Minister about both personal and local issues. She was impressed with our work alongside of the city council in regards to the accessible buses and Total Mobility, offering to write a letter to the council offering a bouquet on our behalf.

Due to cancellations both from the Christchurch assembly and on the local level at Ascot Park we are fortunate and delighted to be hosting the National DPA Conference here in Invercargill from 11-13 October 2002. The conference theme is: "Disability as a Political Force'. Speakers include a lecturer at Massey in the area of social policy and social work, Dr Martin Sullivan; newly appointed Human Rights Commissioner, Robyn Hunt; Minister of Disability Issues, Hon Ruth Dyson, and of course our own Spirit of the Nation Gerry Ford, Town Cryer Gretchen Mark Dear, and Mayor Tim Shadbolt.

The forthcoming media campaign will have double the benefits as we advertise the conference we will also raise our profile within the community.

The down side has been the lack of response in requests to funding applications and it is hoped that this will change as our profile within the community becomes stronger. We have been fund-raising towards enabling our members to attend the conference. A garage sale is happening in the very near future so any unwanted goods would be much appreciated.

Although we operate as a team there are specific roles such as the secretary and treasurer that without their input we would not function efficiently so to you all, I say thank you because without you all we would not be. A force to be reckoned with … you bet!

Dot Wilson, President

DPA Northland

This year, DPA Northland has become a credible and active organisation and has carried out a significant consultation and advocacy role within the Northland disability sector.

Northland Disabled Persons Assembly was in a position of nearly being put into recess by DPA NZ this time last year. This was due to the lack of membership and financial accountability. In addition the Northland disability community was fragmented and lacked leadership.

A new Committee was elected in September 2001. It agreed that its primary focus over the following year would be to increase membership, and to become more transparent in its operations. Since September DPA Northland has carried out the following :

  1. DPA Northland has significantly grown its membership throughout Northland. It has also positioned itself to be the umbrella of smaller special interest community groups in the disability community of Northland.
  2. The previous two years' financial accounts have been audited.
  3. DPA Northland ran a May Day with a focus on developing leadership in the disability sector. Ruth Dyson, Minister for Disability Issues attended this event, along with Philip Patston.
  4. In addition significant changes occurred with the Ministry of Health actively seeking a partnership with the disability community. Through active lobbying and consultation DPA Northland has formed a partnership with the Ministry of Health, Maori Purchasing Organisation (MAPO), and Northland DHB in order to secure a Disability Empowerment Advocacy Support Service for Northland.
  5. Jonathan Wilkinson, President, Northland DPA participated in a roadshow to recruit membership throughout Northland. Susanne Scanlen, DPA Northland Secretary also attended the road show, in her role as Manager of Northland DRC. Over a period of four days in May, Jonny spoke to disabled people in Dargaville, Ruawai, Maungaturoto, Taipa, Te Kao, Kaitaia, Kaeo, Kerikeri, Kawakawa, Kaikohe, Rawene and Broadwood.
  6. The President and Secretary are now members of the Northland DEAS Transitional Steering Group which is meeting regularly in order to establish an independent Northland DEAS Trust and employ a Transitional Manager.

Our aim over the next 12 months is to consolidate on the previous year, particularly in continuing to develop the membership and regional representation of DPA within Northland.

Jonathan Wilkinson, President and Susanne Scanlen, Secretary/Treasurer

Napier DPA

This has been a very busy year with involvement in health issues, which have been exacerbated by the establishment of a regional hospital in Hastings which has left the Napier area lacking in services. We have attended all meetings pertaining to disability available to us in this area, taking the concerns of our members and those of the community to the appropriate agencies.

The problem of accessability to services has been addressed, as has the lack of specialised transportation for people with disabilities to and from the regional hospital. We were pleased to have two submissions accepted and printed in the ongoing plan of the Hawke's Bay District Health Board. We continue to take responsibility for the administration of the Total Mobility scheme in Hawke's Bay, with over 1000 users on the file which has now been computerised. Liaison with the Napier City Council continues and has resulted in some Disabled Parking places being modified. A luncheon was held, which 24 people attended and enjoyed. A change of secretary of the branch took place during the year, and we have representation on the Napier Council of Social Services, the National Council of Women and the Stroke Foundation.

Joy Howard, Secretary

Wellington DPA

The past twelve months have seen DPA Wellington continue to develop as an effective collective with members working together in groups and individually to bring about positive change in the capital city.

Activity

DPA Wellington has been active in ensuring that the voices of disabled people have been heard in a wide range of arenas including transport, health, community and recreational access, and disability support services. The Access and Mobility sub-group, which was set up last year, has been very busy working through issues as they come to light through monthly DPA meetings. The sub-group identified that many of the barriers needing to be broken down exist because of inadequate or poorly implemented legislation, regulations and by-laws. Attitudinal barriers and human rights abuse are other battle-fronts on the agenda.

The focus for action at the moment is building relationships with local bodies and we are asking that a forum of disability issues be held with a view to ensuring that decision makers are clear about how their decisions impact on people with disabilities.

Victories and celebrations

Twice in the past year planned protest action turned into celebrations. A successful campaign by People First led to the announcement by Disability Issues Minister, Hon Ruth Dyson that Kimberley was to be closed. That was followed this year with a break through for deaf, hearing impaired and speech impaired people when the government issued a Telecommunications Service Order requiring the telecommunications industry to provide a voice / text relay service.

International Day of the Disabled Person was highlighted in December 2001 by a highly successful event at Te Papa featuring dance, music, comedy and poetry. Our thanks to sponsors Te Papa, the Community Trust of Wellington, NZ Lottery Grants Board and the New Zealand Trust.

Celebration of individual milestones included Robyn Hunt being appointed as a Human Rights Commissioner and Paul Gibson's name being included on the Labour Party list in the recent general Election.

Maurice Priestley, President

Aoraki DPA

The year has been one of rebuilding and the resignation of Graeme Holwell from the chair has meant a change of direction. A big thank you to Graeme for the years he spent in supporting the ideals of the Disabled Persons' Assembly and to wish him well in his other roles he plays in the South Canterbury community.

The first part of the year was challenging ourselves on our direction and mapping a new direction for the local Assembly. As part of this a Service Description was developed so that all members had a clear understanding of the Assembly's role and a list of priorities that required work.

I wish to thank Robyn Baldwin for her tireless work in support the Disabled Persons' Assembly in her role as Secretary/Treasurer. Without the service of such people as Robyn, DPA would certainly be at risk in the Aoraki region.

Lionel Wilson, DPA President

More from the 2002 Annual Report

Index . Vision, Mission, Philosophy . Acknowledgements . President's Report . Chief Executive's Report . National Executive . Goal 1: Lead . 2001 AGM Photos . Relay Service Rally Photos . Goal 2: Advise . Goal 3: Empower . Goal 4: Monitor . Goal 5: Community . Obituaries . Financial Statements

For previous reports contact gen@dpa.org.nz.