To maintain the momentum following our 2025 conference and our I.Lead Showcase days, I.Lead members from across the motu gathered in Wellington in early September for our 2026 I.Lead Conference. This year's conference was our biggest one yet! The I.Lead Conference is a platform for disabled youth (18 – 30 years old) from across Aotearoa. This enables rangatahi whaikaha to come together to find solutions to prevalent issues and barriers they face as disabled youth living in New Zealand.

This year, however, was slightly different from previous I.Lead conferences. Rather than focusing on creating solutions to societal barriers, conference attendees analysed policy and crafted policy-related questions to ask a panel of politicians. During Day One, participants heard from multiple speakers. Our opening speaker was Alastair Hill from Disability Support Services (DSS). Then, later in the day, Jane Searle (Children's Commissioner) addressed the I.Lead conference's attendees as Day One's keynote speaker. 

In between speeches, participants were guided by facilitators to analyse relevant policies from each party, with the framework of the UNCRPD (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People) to guide them. This analysis then helped each table to craft general questions surrounding elements within their topics that are important to them. 

Day two was all about refining the policy-based questions crafted on day one. At the very end of day two, I.Lead invited representatives from each political party to attend a political panel. This panel offered young disabled participants the opportunity to ask the questions they had been crafting over the past two days surrounding each party's policies and whether these policies will create a more accessible Aotearoa. The politicians who attended I.Lead's political panel were: Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan (Labour), Kahu Carter (Greens), Jessica Hammond (Opportunity), Laura McClure (ACT), and Taylor Arneil (New Zealand First).

Conference participants noted the value of being able to ask questions of these politicians instead of just presenting to them. Conference attendees were also happy to see the politicians make an effort to come to the conference, rather than I.Lead members going to find them. Ngā mihi to all of our supporters who helped make this conference possible!

At the Auckland Transition Expo last month, I.Lead had the honour of being recognised at the Disability Connect Enabling Good Lives (EGL) Awards. I.Lead was presented with the Education Award for our efforts regarding our world record attempt late last year. To receive this award from the first-ever EGL Awards is a huge honour and a major highlight of our year. Thank you to the EGL and Disability Connect team for this incredible privilege.

For more information about our programmes and upcoming events, check out our websites and social media.

Website: ilead.org.nz

Facebook - facebook.com/ileadconferencenz

Instagram - instagram.com/i.leadnz

Tiktok: - tiktok.com/@i.lead

LinkedIn: - linkedin.com/company/i-lead-org