Fending off ableist comments 🙅
Plus: Come along to our Online Zine Workshop
Kia ora e hoa mā,
In this week’s delicious edition:
Snaps from our Matariki Market 🤩
How to reply when someone asks: ‘Can I pray for you?’ 🙏
Accessibility Standards Bill announced in Parliament 🏢
🍃 We hope you all had a replenishing and fulfilling Matariki break! Did you do anything special to celebrate? Please let us know! Within the D*List team, some of us watched the sunrise at Maungawhau, while others spent time with whānau and enjoyed being in nature.
A few weeks ago, we held our first Matariki Market in Tāmaki Makaurau. It was really wonderful to see lots of familiar faces and make new friends too. A huge shout out to our stallholders Joseph, Adam, Solomon, Riley, Von and the team at Phab Pasifika.
🪜 Last week, NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft introduced the Accessibility Standards Bill. The Bill would establish a legal framework for accessibility standards in Aotearoa. “The Accessibility Standards Bill will identify, prevent, and remove barriers in a practical and sustainable way,” Marcroft said. She also acknowledged Access Matters Aotearoa for its advocacy in this space.
🏡 67-year-old Trevor Potter has finally been offered an accessible home after spending five years on the housing waitlist. The Auckland man was mistakenly dropped off the housing register due to an error. His case has renewed calls to improve access to disability-friendly homes, with advocates saying no one should have to wait years for a home that meets their needs.
🌿 Auckland Council has awarded $200,000 to six disability-led projects across Tāmaki Makaurau to help disabled communities shape climate solutions and strengthen resilience. The projects include NZ Sign Language climate workshops, an accessible emergency preparedness app, Māori-led education and food resilience initiatives.
📢 The Government is investing $3.5 million in a two-year research project that will provide 100 high-performance power wheelchairs to people aged 14 and over with progressive conditions. The Post reports the project will examine whether earlier access to advanced wheelchairs can improve independence, quality of life and participation in education, work, and community life. The findings will help inform future disability support funding, equipment provision and policy decisions.
🫖 Last week on Crip Café, we delved into the topic of unsolicited ableist comments and how to respond to them in public. We discuss the classics — like ”I’ll pray for you” — and our weirdest experiences. Plus, guest host Ella joins the show to play a game.
If you have a funny ‘unsolicited comments’ story, please respond to this email and we might share it in the next episode of Crip Café!
🍃 For this tau hou Māori (Māori new year), we’re celebrating the way disabled people connect with the stars of Matariki that are associated with the natural environment. Everyone accesses te taiao in different ways, and for some, it may involve some creativity and innovation. Eda Tang spoke to three disabled people about how they connect with te taiao.
🌟 A few weeks ago, turi leadership - organised through CCS Disability Action - launched some beautiful and powerful signs for two waiata: Tōku Reo Tōku Ohooho and Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi, and a karakia for Rūaumoko. Follow this link to watch the videos and learn the signs.
🌻 D*List Community Reporter Maioha Tawa has written a list of all the things she and her friends are tired of hearing as autistic women. From ‘You don’t look autistic’ to ‘You must love trains’, the list complies relatable anecdotes.
So many misconceptions exist about autistic women, partly because research in this space is still emerging, but also because women are held to a higher expectation of social performance. There is a lack of information and awareness about what autism in women looks like, and some people just don’t know how to respond respectfully when we’re open about who we are.
📒 Have you come along to any of our D*List winter events yet? This is your friendly reminder to register — we have something for everyone. Our next online zine workshop will be held next week on Wednesday July 21 at 7pm. You can register here.
🌈 Rainbow Action Tāmaki is releasing a digital magazine and looking for pieces of work to fill its pages! The team at RAT are keen for any form of submission — from poetry to art and political essays and more. The magazine aims to be a place for political discussion, community and aroha. The first issue will be released on July 27. Follow them on social media for more info or send them an email.
▶️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss an episode of Crip Café. This week’s non-disabled nonsense moment was about wedding wheelchairs!
Mā te wā 🧡
Olivia + The D*List team
