Access to mainstream education for disabled learners is a horror story and this government is actively preventing families from accessing the supports they need
These cuts are so much bigger than Enabling Good Lives and Whaikaha, they're so much bigger than tax cuts. I'm glad to read this piece today, and thank you for it. I have been really concerned that a lot of the local disability rights movements around the motu have focused exclusively on EGL and Whaikaha. We need to kōrero more about how even what you've covered here today is still a tiny fraction of the massive impacts across multiple systems for disabled people in Aotearoa. Thank you for this, Bex. Let's all keep the momentum going.
I agree but also think we have to recognise that a lot of disability rights movement in Aotearoa is just really stretched people trying their best to pull threads in their corner of the messed up tapestry that is all of these cuts. It’s like playing whack a mole with this government and everyone wants the movements joined up but doesn’t want to take on the work involved in doing that you know? I feel like everyone is on the edge of burnout.
āe. The problem is we are fighting for scraps. Whether we like it or not, that's the position we've been left in. The system was designed in a way that pits us against each other for tiny bits of inadequate funding. We deserve to thrive. We deserve the world. We deserve more than scraps.
There are corners of the disability rights movements here in Aotearoa that are anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori, and deeply opposed to any expansion beyond EGL. I hear what you're saying about us all being on the edge of burn out. We are. But I watched a good 4-5 of us, skilled and experienced advocates and campaigners, kicked out of our local movement for insisting that it needed to grow. We had capacity and willingness to do the mahi. Nothing about us without us doesn't apply to our intersections, apparently. It's inefficient and opposed to the actual realities we face across every sector.
I see multiple attempts to make a cohesive national movement and the sticking point that I'm observing is that anti-Māori, anti-Tiriti rhetoric in parts of the regions - some of these attempts at national movements are trying to oppose that and some are trying to push it.
It wouldn’t surprise me if there are racists in the movement. If people still have capacity though there’s so much mahi to be done. I have just spent the last three days working on collating all of the stories from the community we collected to be sent to parliament - it’s draining mahi. But it feels important because while EGL and Whaikaha and IF aren’t everything, they’re everything to some families. And tbh - Repeatedly call outs for help to organise aren’t answered. Folks just don’t seem to have any capacity, they’re traumatised and exhausted. And yes, it is tinkering on the edges of a broken system - The whole system needs to be overthrown. But it’s the best some of us can do right now. And there is an element of “at least it’s something” when there seems to be not a lot else that’s happening.
tangentially - much of the treaty training work done in the 70's and 80s, which build the groundwork for better allyship, was not accessible and was not provided to disabled persons. We are playing catch up now, but we are also reaping the results of those earlier failures to ensure access.
Just want to add, amongst all the heartbreak, there is a new non-profit recently established (HESSA) to enable home schooled children to participate in school sport events.
The other service that works is Specialist Teacher Outreach Services…an example of DSS providing support and knowledge and building capability in mainstream schools through providing the additional teacher time for ORS students attending their local
School. There are at least 17 of these services running through NZ - a really successful model that doesn’t get the recognition and backing it should.
Thank you for sharing - I was not aware of this service either!! Sounds like an excellent service indeed, and one that could probably benefit from increased investment?
Thank you! This was a very useful read. I have spotted the fly in the ointment as it were "When schools have an outreach service teacher, they transfer their ORS staffing to the outreach service provider school. The provider school can then employ the specialist teacher." - useful for schools without ORS staff (or only 1 student, or who are rural without the staff needed) but perhaps not as useful for schools who use the ORS funding to employ a staff member/subsidize staffing; while the specialist teacher may indeed have improved training and be better equipped, my observations are that some schools can be very reluctant indeed to relinquish staffing FTE's unless absolutely necessary. That said, the ORS teacher at my child's primary school was outstanding and one could not have asked for better.
These cuts are so much bigger than Enabling Good Lives and Whaikaha, they're so much bigger than tax cuts. I'm glad to read this piece today, and thank you for it. I have been really concerned that a lot of the local disability rights movements around the motu have focused exclusively on EGL and Whaikaha. We need to kōrero more about how even what you've covered here today is still a tiny fraction of the massive impacts across multiple systems for disabled people in Aotearoa. Thank you for this, Bex. Let's all keep the momentum going.
I agree but also think we have to recognise that a lot of disability rights movement in Aotearoa is just really stretched people trying their best to pull threads in their corner of the messed up tapestry that is all of these cuts. It’s like playing whack a mole with this government and everyone wants the movements joined up but doesn’t want to take on the work involved in doing that you know? I feel like everyone is on the edge of burnout.
āe. The problem is we are fighting for scraps. Whether we like it or not, that's the position we've been left in. The system was designed in a way that pits us against each other for tiny bits of inadequate funding. We deserve to thrive. We deserve the world. We deserve more than scraps.
There are corners of the disability rights movements here in Aotearoa that are anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori, and deeply opposed to any expansion beyond EGL. I hear what you're saying about us all being on the edge of burn out. We are. But I watched a good 4-5 of us, skilled and experienced advocates and campaigners, kicked out of our local movement for insisting that it needed to grow. We had capacity and willingness to do the mahi. Nothing about us without us doesn't apply to our intersections, apparently. It's inefficient and opposed to the actual realities we face across every sector.
I see multiple attempts to make a cohesive national movement and the sticking point that I'm observing is that anti-Māori, anti-Tiriti rhetoric in parts of the regions - some of these attempts at national movements are trying to oppose that and some are trying to push it.
It wouldn’t surprise me if there are racists in the movement. If people still have capacity though there’s so much mahi to be done. I have just spent the last three days working on collating all of the stories from the community we collected to be sent to parliament - it’s draining mahi. But it feels important because while EGL and Whaikaha and IF aren’t everything, they’re everything to some families. And tbh - Repeatedly call outs for help to organise aren’t answered. Folks just don’t seem to have any capacity, they’re traumatised and exhausted. And yes, it is tinkering on the edges of a broken system - The whole system needs to be overthrown. But it’s the best some of us can do right now. And there is an element of “at least it’s something” when there seems to be not a lot else that’s happening.
tangentially - much of the treaty training work done in the 70's and 80s, which build the groundwork for better allyship, was not accessible and was not provided to disabled persons. We are playing catch up now, but we are also reaping the results of those earlier failures to ensure access.
Just want to add, amongst all the heartbreak, there is a new non-profit recently established (HESSA) to enable home schooled children to participate in school sport events.
ooh excellent!! Had a quick google and love it! I am aware of the work NCHENZ is doing in this regard - I assume they are connected?
We are assisting them. I'm the treasurer for NCHENZ.
Oh nice!! I am cheering you on!
The other service that works is Specialist Teacher Outreach Services…an example of DSS providing support and knowledge and building capability in mainstream schools through providing the additional teacher time for ORS students attending their local
School. There are at least 17 of these services running through NZ - a really successful model that doesn’t get the recognition and backing it should.
Thank you for sharing - I was not aware of this service either!! Sounds like an excellent service indeed, and one that could probably benefit from increased investment?
https://www.education.govt.nz/school/student-support/special-education/getting-help-for-students-with-special-needs-from-the-specialist-teacher-outreach-service/
Thank you! This was a very useful read. I have spotted the fly in the ointment as it were "When schools have an outreach service teacher, they transfer their ORS staffing to the outreach service provider school. The provider school can then employ the specialist teacher." - useful for schools without ORS staff (or only 1 student, or who are rural without the staff needed) but perhaps not as useful for schools who use the ORS funding to employ a staff member/subsidize staffing; while the specialist teacher may indeed have improved training and be better equipped, my observations are that some schools can be very reluctant indeed to relinquish staffing FTE's unless absolutely necessary. That said, the ORS teacher at my child's primary school was outstanding and one could not have asked for better.
Completely pertinent and honest piece. You manage to eloquently voice my thoughts which I don’t always manage to articulate. Thank you.
ĀE! I’m here for every word you’ve said. Thanks for making this the topic of your energy and your publication 💕
Thank you so much for your kind words