Posts by Hilary Stace
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IHC reports some of their people still unaccounted for. I hope all the very active Christchurch People First group are OK. And Disability support workers needed.
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Hard News: Welfare: Back to the Future?, in reply to Rich Lock,
Rich, that's a great report from the Guardian. ATOS and its insensitive and inaccurate methods have been enraging the UK disability sector for months. I wondered when I read the WWG report and the language used whether ATOS has quietly been lobbying them for work in this part of the world.
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I hope the Welfare Working Group report is now quietly tossed aside as it becomes obvious that people are no more to blame for finding themselves requiring welfare support than they are for living in an earthquake zone. When there is need the country should respond, and for most only short term assistance is required.
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Hard News: Again: Is everyone okay?, in reply to Matthew Littlewood,
There was a wonderful interview on Radio NZ just before 6 pm yesterday with that mountaineer describing how, after they found only a hole where the staircase used to be, they found some ropes and all calmly abseiled down the side of the building.
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Good to hear thanks Russell. Wondered about Philip as he was an early reporter last time and this time must have been in the middle of it.
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I heard a report that the secondary schools were almost empty (saving more injuries from falling ceilings, flying computers etc) because the teachers were going to a paid union meeting. Anyone know any more about this?
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Here in Wellington just felt another aftershock about 5 mins ago.
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So worried about those on the autistic spectrum and other disabled people already struggling to survive week by week and already prone to anxiety. This report and the subsequent blaming and cuts will just add to that. They need longterm holistic and intensive support to find and keep any jobs that may be out there. I see the report recommends encouraging more 'natural supports' for this group - that means any family and friends they have. As if this is not happening now. And those single parents looking after older disabled children are in for a tough time too.
It is all so cruel to the most vulnerable in our society.
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The closure of GWS at VUW is all very political and commenting may have repercussions if you are involved in other parts of the university (as I am, tenuously). Many NZ wide academics have been involved in various levels of review so conflicts of interest there. There is also a bit of feminist solidarity so one might not feel qualified to talk about one campus or discipline from another.
I am just annoyed becuase my second PhD supervisor is about to lose her job and so won't be there in an academic capacity to support me through the marking processes. Not many 'get' my autism policy research, which mainly takes a disability studies approach - but WS does. Just as it 'gets' issues of the experences of new Samoan mothers, or young women's sexuality, or the portrayal of women in film and television, or subjects relating to queer theory and identity. This is modern GWS. Dangerous for the status quo.
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Although important for second wave feminism in NZ, neither Sandra Coney nor Sue Kedgely are associated with the academic study of Womens Studies nor Victoria University. Unfortunately, Phillida Bunkle, one of the founders of the VUW course, is no longer in NZ, and Dr Lesley Hall, who is the last staff member of GWS and currently facing redundancy, is briefly overseas. But I would like to hear which "women in academia" were approached, after Marilyn was unavailable (although even she is not involved with what is happening in Wellington). Anne Else, Alison Laurie, Prue Hyman, Margaret Clark and Marian Evans would be among my first suggestions (all well versed in media) or those currently associated with the active Women's Studies Association or the WSJournal.