Policing mobility parks ♿️
Plus: Aotearoa's own Sam Smith speaks about acquired disability, upcoming NZSL taster classes 😋
Nau mai, hoki mai! 🐰
In this delicious edition:
Is it anyone’s business who uses mobility parks?
Health research systematically excludes disabled people, NZSL strategy draft seeks feedback, Government wants to scrap the Plain Language Act 📰
NZ’s own Sam Smith was reminding people to floss before he became a comedian 🪥
Sign up to one of our NZSL taster classes 👅
Recently, the NZ Herald reported on the uncalled-for incident of a disabled woman, who was legally parked in a mobility carpark, receiving a note which read:
“Dont park in a disability park if you are not disabled bitch”
Her tires were also deflated by the perpetrator which she didn’t realise until driving away with three children in the car. The Herald reported:
Jo has had multiple incidents with people abusing her for using a disability park, including one where a man followed her in his car and slammed his fist on her bonnet when she pulled over to let him past.
Unsurprisingly, this isn’t an uncommon experience. We put this on our Instagram story last night and some of you told us that you got called out for looking “too young” to be disabled, not looking “disabled enough” and being abused by members of the public, and because of behaviour like this, feeling put off by using or applying for a mobility permit.
While cursing someone and putting their life at risk is one extreme, throwing a stink look at someone legally parked in a mobility carpark basically says the same thing. Nō reira, aroha atu, aroha mai 💚 This is a good reminder that it’s everyone’s responsibility to dismantle ableism, one less judgey side eye at a time 👀
🔍 Rachelle Martin and Kaaren Mathias wrote on The Conversation, how disabled people are being excluded from health research. The piece suggests strategies to ensure representative, ethical and effective health research.
A 2023 global review of 2,710 clinical trials found 35% reported excluding disabled individuals specifically. Researchers sometimes assume (without a good ethical or scientific reason) that disabled people can’t give consent, don’t meet the study criteria, or will struggle to follow instructions and collaborate.
Even when researchers are more inclusive, their plans can fail to account for the difficulties disabled people face with travel, communication and physical access. All of which makes it harder for them to participate…
Most funding still goes to research investigating the causes, genetics and treatment of health conditions. And while these are important to study, there is still too little research focused on how people can live well with disability.
🧏🏽 The draft NZSL strategy is open for consultation until 2 June. You can share your feedback through the online survey (with NZSL translations), emailing nzsl_strategy@whaikaha.govt.nz a submission in writing or NZSL or through a completed submission form. Consultation sessions will be held throughout the country from 26 April to 31 May.
👓 The Plain Language Act Repeal Bill has passed its first reading. The act that is being repealed requires government agencies to write public documents in an appropriate, clear, concise and well organised way which especially helps those with a reading or learning disability, or people with English as a second language or with low literacy levels. Open Access’s summary provides a guide on how you can make a submission to oppose this bill.
☕️ Starbucks is hosting free coffee tasting with NZSL interpreters for public, both hearing and Deaf, across five locations in Tāmaki, Pōneke and Ōtautahi. These will be at 12pm next Tuesday 6 May at five Starbucks locations: Albany, Kakano, Papakura, Lambton Quay and Cathedral Square.
⚖️ The NZ Herald reports family carers are asking the Supreme Court to recognise their work caring for severely disabled children, challenging a Court of Appeal ruling last year that deemed homeworkers ineligible for benefits such as holiday pay and sick leave.
📚 🙊 Aotearoa’s very own Sam Smith told me about his journey into writing children’s books. You may know him as the co-winner of The Traitors season 1, and he’s the brains behind Jeremy Corbett’s jokes on 7 Days and the tasks on Taskmaster NZ. But did you know that Sam Smith was used to be a dentist? 🦷 It wasn’t until he had his first attack of multiple sclerosis the day before his 30th birthday, that he considered leaving his profession and pursuing comedy and writing full time.
“I guess I probably did grieve. Losing my eyesight was the frustrating part.” Smith wanted to be a TV presenter but could no longer read an autocue. And he could no longer drive his children to sports practice. “But even then,” he says, “I get to do all the cool comedy stuff that I like. I realised that it wasn’t really the end of anything at all, it was the start of so many new things.”
Instead of reading a picture book with his kids, he recited poems and songs to them. And one day, without knowing it, Smith wrote a poem for his son which launched him into the realm of children’s book publishing.
🧏🏽 Want to learn NZSL but not sure where to start? The D*List is hosting two sessions of NZSL taster classes taught by Sejin Bae, Prakahsni Prakash, and Jon Tai-Rakena:
Session 1: The ABCs of NZSL 🔠
When: Monday 5th May 2 - 4pm
Tutor: Sejin Bae and Prakashni Prakash
Session 2: NZSL After Dark 🌙
When: Friday May 9th 5:30 - 7:30pm
Tutor: Jon Tai-Rakena
Spaces are limited so RSVP through this link now! These will be held at our community hub in Kingsland, Tāmaki Makaurau, but in future we’ll have online options, so stay tuned!
꩜ The Donald Beasley Institute is presenting a Zoom webinar on May 15 10.30am called He Aka Hui - Ka Mua, Ka Muri - The power of pūrakau in guiding practice. The speakers include Dr Hilary Stace, Dr Kelly Tikao, Dr Brigit Mirfin-Veitch, and Umi Asaka. Register here.
🏡 Our friend Keegan is struggling to find a flatmate in their accessible oasis in Hikutaia at the southern tip of Coromandel Forest Park. Could this be you or someone you know? More info here.
Koinei tā mātou, hei tērā wiki! ✌🏼
Eda
not the starbucks shout out when there's a boycott on 🥴