The joy of disabled mutual care
Plus: The sexual wellness product your OT hasn't told you about 🌶️
Kia ora! And welcome to another week’s edition of The D*List Delivered.
This week a few of us travelled north to experience true Northland manaakitanga, while others had the privilege of attending Te Matarau, a wānanga about how to improve representation of Māori and marginalised groups, and speaking at the NZDEN Disability Inclusive Pathways Conference.
We love including a couple of #IfYouKnowYouKnow jokes for the disabled folks in the audience, while continuing to challenge nondisabled audiences to create space for unapologetic, authentic expressions of disability within their organisations.
Sometimes we’re asked to participate in events but as a community kaupapa it’s really important for us to share the mic. If you’re interested in opportunities to participate in community kōrero get in touch via email and we can add you to our list of collaborators.
I was creatively inspired by D*List contributor Soph Jackson’s piece on disability mutual care to create the above image after a recent night out I had with disabled friends where we all had oversized straws sticking out of our drinks. We laughed the night away sharing disability lols (there were tears of laughter from me!) and we all helped each other out throughout the night - whether it was serving food to a friend who had lower hand function or sharing accessibility hacks. Mutual care in action!
In the past week, the Minister for Disability Issues Priyanca Radhakrishnan said she doesn’t intend to progress the Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill before the upcoming election. “I recognise the [Accessibility for New Zealanders] Bill does not necessarily reflect what many disabled people asked for, but I believe it represents a positive step forward that will make a real difference for disabled people and their whānau,” she said. ”However, given the level of opposition to the Bill in its current form, I am seeking advice on what the next steps could be.”
In a piece titled The joy of disabled mutual care, Soph Jackson explores all the ways disabled people care for each other, from families to couples to community as a whole. They write: “Mutual care can bring joy and possibility to the lives of disabled people… it’s a good reminder of the strength of disabled community.” You can read it here.
We also had a chat with the co-founder of TouchBot, a disability-led design team responding to disabled people’s desires yet to be prioritised by the sexual wellness industry. They’ve designed a 3D-printed adaptive reach extension tool called Lattice which is compatible with a range of toys and dilators. You can check them out here.
This Saturday, Ronelle Baker, Kaitohutohu Mātāmua | Principal Advisor – Accessibility, and her team from Statistics New Zealand will join DPA NZ in a conversation about the upcoming Disability Survey 2023. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the survey and ask questions.
When: Saturday 12 August, 1 – 2.30pm. The Zoom link for the meeting is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89938465305. Meeting ID: 899 3846 5305. NZSL interpreters will be present at this event.
The Auckland Theatre Company is staging a production of Things That Matter, a tender and articulate account of the compassion and change needed in New Zealand’s health system. There will be audio-described and NZSL performances held at an accessible venue - you can find out more here.
Next week, The D*List team will be heading along to INVOLVE, which is a youth conference being held in Tāmaki Makaurau. If you are around, please say hi - we’d love to connect!
And as always, we are contactable anytime - follow us on Instagram or send us an email to kiaora@thedlist.co.nz and let us know if you have a relatable lol or spicy content ideas for The D*List.
Mā te wā!
- Olivia Shivas, Editor
