What we wheelie want

What do you think children and young people need to have a good life? Sounds like a hard question to answer, but our young disabled leaders were keen and ready to answer.

So when the chance came to have their voices heard they were more than happy to speak up. Brian Coffey from the Office of Disability Issues and Mark Field–Dodgson and Jane Mountfort from the Department of the Prime Minster and Cabinet flew from Wellington to get feedback on the Disability Action Plan 2019 – 2022 and the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy.  

Over the course of the two-hour workshop, you could feel the energy in the room buzzing with ideas, questions and recommendations. Covering subjects such as affordable and accessible housing – almost impossible in Auckland. Equal opportunities in employment - real jobs with real wages. Well-supported education – teachers who understand and a smooth transition plan. Access to transport, public buildings, beaches, parks - all good Kiwi activities. Health, mental health, overall wellbeing – a subject we should talk about freely. Human rights, disability, funding, leadership, choice, control, attitudes, equality and inclusion – because we had not covered enough subjects.

With all this sharing, the young people asked some equally important questions: "What are you going to do with all this information?”; “Will what we say actually make a difference?” The reply was a message from the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, reassuring that this workshop and this feedback would be making an impact on the policies and strategies that affect the lives of all New Zealand children and young people, no matter their abilities, race, gender or social status.    

So what do these young people think they need to have a good life? The answer is easy: equality, opportunity, freedom and support.


By: , YES Disability Resource Centre News: with Sonia Thursby (CEO)
sonia@yesdisability.org.nz

Issue 96 March 2019