Life Unlimited Infolink, Spring 2017

INFOLINK

CONNECTING YOU WITH DISABILITY INFORMATION

SPRING

2017

WELCOME In this issue of Infolink we warmly welcome Tiffiney Perry to the Life Unlimited Trust Board. Tiffiney brings a wealth of experience from her involvement in the Brian Perry Charitable Trust and other not-forprofit organisations.

We also share pictures of the new sensory garden at Life Unlimited in Hamilton. The garden is now open and available for all our multi-sensory room users to enjoy. Visit lifeunlimited.net. nz/community to learn more about our multi-sensory environments.

IN THIS ISSUE TIFFINEY PERRY JOINS TRUST BOARD MORE OPTIONS FOR PRINT DISABLED ROTORUA MIXED ABILITY DANCE CLASSES START SENSORYSENSORY GARDENGARDEN OPENS IN HAMILTON HAMILTON OPENS WHAT'S ON

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DESHAN’S AWARD-WINNING ART

Proof that Hamilton’s Deshan Walallavita is rapidly exploring his full potential as an artist came on 30 August when he was a top-10 finalist in the IHC Art Awards.

The first people he and his family wanted to thank were the teams at Life Unlimited Community Services and Enabling Good Lives.

Deshan, 22, who has high-functioning autism attended Patricia Avenue School and late last year was ready to put his school days behind him and work towards adulthood and being independent.

Life Unlimited community support manager Honey Hireme said when Deshan started on the Transition programme, the team worked on goal planning and connected him with a number of community activities and programmes.

One of those was the Sandz Art Gallery where Deshan’s talent became obvious.

“Deshan is a great young man who gives 100 percent in everything he does. He enjoys art, sports and being with his family.

“We are so proud of what he’s done," says Honey.

It was Sandz Art Gallery who entered one of Deshan’s art works in the competition which attracted nearly 400 entries.

He was highly commended and IHC flew him and support persons to Wellington for the awards at Shed 6 on the Wellington Waterfront.

Wellington-based artist Emma Lou won the awards and with it $5000 with her finely detailed pastel drawing, self titled Emma Lou. Hamilton artist Julian Godfery won the People’s Choice award for his work Invisible Magic.

Entries included sculptures, installations and textile art, painting and drawing. The IHC Art Awards are open to all New Zealanders with an intellectual disability, age 13 or over, whether or not they use IHC services.

The finalists' work was auctioned at the event with all proceeds from the sales going solely to the artists.

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Deshan Walallavita with his highly-commended artwork, 'Self-portrait with my medals', which sold for $535

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TIFFINEY PERRY APPOINTED TO TRUST BOARD Life Unlimited Charitable Trust has appointed former Paralympian and New York Marathon handcyclist champion Tiffiney Perry to its board replacing long-standing board member Andrew Smith.

Tiffiney said she is “excited” by her appointment to the trust board.

“I am looking forward to learning more about the many services that Life Unlimited offers to people in the community that need assistance, whether it be hearing, mobility, autistic needs and community support.

“I am particularly excited to learn of the support that Life Unlimited facilitates for young people with an intellectual disability as they transition from school to the workforce.”

Tiffiney is a trustee of the Brian Perry Charitable Trust, which supports community projects in the Waikato and partners with organisations to build stronger communities. She is the current co chair of Parafed Waikato, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes and provides sport and recreation opportunities for people with physical disabilities and visual impairments. She is also secretary of New Zealand Wheelchair Tennis.

She represented New Zealand at the Athens Paralympics in 2004 playing wheelchair tennis. More recently, she has represented New Zealand in handcycling at various world cups and world championships around the world.

Last year, she won the female handcycle category of the New York marathon in 2 hours 03 minutes and 58 seconds.

GREATER CHOICE FOR PRINT DISABLED

Former Paralympian Tiffiney Perry joins the Life Unlimited Charitable Trust board.

Tiffiney is married to Chris Harvey and has two children, Emma and Jack. She broke her back in a skiing accident when she was 23 and lost the feeling in the lower half of her body.

Board chair John Dobson, a co-founder of the trust, said Tiffiney brought governance skills and a first-hand experience of what it means to be disabled.

“Our vision as an organisation is ‘Living independence for everyone’ and Tiffiney is a perfect example of that.”

These changes will allow more organisations and individuals to produce and provide accessible format works without breaching copyright laws.

JOHN MCINTOSH Life Unlimited community liaison John McIntosh welcomes New Zealand's recent decision to join an international treaty that will improve access to written materials for blind and visually impaired New Zealanders.

It’s estimated 90 per cent of all written materials published worldwide are not published in formats accessible to individuals with a print disability - this includes anyone who is unable to read due to blindness, sight impairment or a physical impairment which means they are unable to hold a book.

For the 168,000 New Zealanders who have a print disability, this lack of access creates a barrier to participation in public life, and affects employment, educational and recreational opportunities.

The Marrakesh Treaty was developed in 2013 to address this barrier. It is an international treaty that aims to increase access to published works for people with a print disability.

The Treaty provides for copyright exceptions to improve access to copyright works in accessible formats such as Braille, audio or large print.

Joining the Marrakesh Treaty in 2017 is a positive move that will have real benefits for New Zealanders living with a print disability. These include: • More timely access to a greater variety of works in accessible formats enabling people to have better education and employment opportunities and outcomes and raising the wellbeing of New Zealanders with a print disability.

• Fewer costs associated with providing accessible format works for print disabled New Zealanders. Schools, libraries and some organisations will be able to more easily source works from overseas, reducing the need for costly local production of works that have been converted into accessible formats elsewhere.

• Meeting New Zealand’s international obligations under the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

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ROTORUA DANCE CLASS A CHANCE TO SHINE A new mixed ability dance class in Rotorua allows people living with physical impairments or learning disabilities to get creative and express themselves through dance.

Lakes Performing Arts Company runs the hour-long weekly classes during the school term at their Hinemoa Street studios.

Managing director Rebecca Daniels says the classes provide a creative and constructive environment for people to learn from and teach one another.

"Mixed ability classes allow dancers to work together and explore different ideas and ways to be creative.”

This is the first time the company has delivered mixed ability classes. Rebecca was encouraged by the positive response to a series of fully inclusive and accessible workshops she organised earlier in the year featuring renowned dance company Touch Compass.

“There’s definitely a need. There are a lot of sport programmes out there for people with disability, but not many dance or creative programmes.”

Rebecca says the classes encourage participants to explore abilities and limitations and to challenge stereotypes. And, she

Rodney Bell (right) from Touch Compass Dance Company shares some creative ideas with dancers during a workshop organised by Lakes Performing Arts Company in May. Photo: supplied.

emphasises, it’s the dancers who take the lead.

“It’s a completely creative process – they set the scene and where the dance is going to go.”

The company is also available to deliver programmes at other locations in the community.

Learn more at www.lakesperformingartscompany.com

SENSORY GARDEN OPENS Life Unlimited celebrated the official opening of the multisensory garden in Palmerston Street, Hamilton on 4 September.

The garden will complement the existing multi-sensory room, Whare-O-Rongo, and allow people with disabilities to enjoy a wide range of experiences for therapy, learning, relaxation and fun in a safe and inviting outdoor space.

The centrepiece of the garden is a spiral kokiri mosaic using red scoria, white avalanche, black and river stones that was created

by Italian artist Marina Giostra.

Marina volunteered 140 hours - through winter rain, hail, sleet, frost and sunshine - to complete the mosaic.

Other volunteers to support the project came from Anglican Action and Volunteering Waikato, and Life Unlimited was fortunate to enlist the help of local electrician Elroy Liddington.

The garden would not have been possible without the generous support of local businesses who donated goods and services, including Bunnings Hamilton South, Finelawn, Firth, Flett Seedlings, Florida Ltd, Mitre 10 MEGA Hamilton, PAK'nSAVE Mill Street, Placemakers Te Rapa and The Warehouse The Base.

Life Unlimited chief executive Mark Brown, Vic Ankersmit from Placemakers Te Rapa and kaumatua Rangi Manihera celebrate the garden opening on 4 September.

Life Unlimited general manager Enterprise William Hughes said the support received for the sensory garden was “uplifting”.

“Life Unlimited provides a range of services in the Waikato which fosters community participation and enables inclusion outcomes for all.

“Our programmes deliver positive change for people with disabilities and the sensory garden gives us another opportunity to support people to live the life they choose."

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WHAT'S ON

28 September - Launched Festival - Hamilton Film, talent and arts festival for people with disabilities held at Southwell Performing Arts Centre 10am - 9.30pm. Contact launchednz@gmail.com

THE LANGUAGE OF ENRICHMENT Te Reo Hāpai – The Language of Enrichment is a new Māori glossary from Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui that not only provides translations for existing words, it has also created many new words in te reo Māori for use in the mental health, addiction and disability sectors.

The glossary includes over 200 Māori Keri Opai words, terms and whakataukī (proverbs).

It has involved over two years of consultation with people who have lived experience of mental health, addiction and disability issues, as well as practitioners, clinicians and kaupapa organisations.

Lynda from the Life Unlimited Friendship Group performs at the 2016 Launched Disability Pride Festival.

29 September - Loud Shirt Day - Nationwide Annual fundraiser supporting children with hearing aids and cochlear implants to listen and speak like their hearing peers.

Visit www.loudshirtdaynz.org 6-8 October - Halberg Junior Disability Games - Auckland A national sports competition for young athletes aged 8-21years with a physical disability or vision impairment. Visit www.juniordisabilitygames.org.nz 8 October - Hamilton Half Marathon - Hamilton Achilles enable disabled athletes to participate in mainstream athletics like the Hamilton Half Marathon. Training takes place fortnightly on Sundays. Visit www.achillesnewzealand.org 4-5 November - Champion your needs - Gisborne A course teaching negotiation, communication and advocacy skills. Contact rutht@parent2parent.org.nz for details.

9 November - Attitude Live Awards - Auckland This televised, black-tie event at the Auckland Viaduct Events Centre celebrates the achievements of people who live with disabilities. Visit www.attitudelive.com/awards 18 November - SibShop - Bay of Plenty/Lakes SibShops provide a chance for 8 to 18-year-olds, who have a sibling with a disability, to have a fun day just for them, and to make friends with siblings in similar situations. Contact Ruth from Parent to Parent at rutht@parent2parent.org.nz 18-19 November - Champion your needs - Waikato A course teaching negotiation, communication and advocacy skills. Contact waikato@parent2parent.org.nz for details.

27 Nov - 1 Dec - Special Olympics National Summer Games New Zealand's largest sporting event for people with intellectual disabilities takes place in Wellington. Visit www. specialolympics.org.nz for information or to sign up and volunteer.

3 December - United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities This year's theme is transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all.

Keri Opai, strategic lead for Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui, led the development of Te Reo Hāpai and says they are proud to have begun creating new language that will help increase people’s knowledge of the mental health, addiction and disability sectors.

‘Disabled’ has been translated into ‘whaikaha’ which means to have strength, to have ability, otherly abled, enabled. This word was created with the Māori disabled community, and has a deliberate emphasis on gaining strength and ability.

“The focus of Te Reo Hāpai was using language that is nonjudgmental and based on the strengths and abilities of people,” says Mr Opai.

“He mana tō te kupu – words have the power to explain, express and define how we understand and experience the world. Te Reo Hāpai has been about creating language in te reo that includes a Māori worldview.”

Download Te Reo Hāpai from www.tepou.co.nz

TRANSFORMING RESPITE The Ministry of Health Respite Strategy has been updated for 2017-2022.

The aim of the new strategy, Transforming Respite, is to make it easier for carers of disabled people to have a break from their caring responsibilities.

The strategy has been updated with input from the disability community. It uses the Enabling Good Lives approach for supporting disabled people and their families so they have greater choice and control about the supports they receive.

Transforming Respite outlines changes to the respite model. This includes allowing families to control their own flexible respite budget; increasing the range of respite options; providing better access to information about respite; and making the administration process easier.

Download Transforming Respite: Disability Support Services Respite Strategy 2017 -2022 from www.health.govt.nz