In early June, Gary took the opportunity to attend the 7th International Conference on Social Role Valorisation (SRV) in Canada. Find out more about this set of ideas and how it relates to us here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our key purpose is to provide a voice for the disabled community of Ōtautahi Christchurch. One major initiative that we’ve taken a leadership role in over the past few years is the transformation of the Disability Support System in Aotearoa New Zealand.

In late 2011, the team at Kanohi ki te Kanohi set up the Earthquake Disability Leadership Group to ensure that our future city would be one that welcomed disabled people, with a focus on planning for accessibility and the inclusion of disabled people in the rebuild.

In 2016 we launched Hei Whakapiki Mauri, a Whānau Ora initiative that brings together Māori with disabilities and their whānau. We could see a need for a Māori-first approach to disability that was centred on whanaungatanga and whānau supporting one another.

Hei Whakapiki Mauri's first Western Christchurch hui in Halswell brought together disabled Māori, whānau and support people to korero about what was important to them.