Posts by Hilary Stace
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Sensitive portrayal of impairment following stroke and brain damage in this article today about musician and artist Chris Knox. In the entertainment section not the health pages - for a change.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/70903606/chris-knox-not-giving-in-lightly -
Access: Disability as a wicked policy problem, in reply to Tom Adson,
Very interesting Tom. Certainly agree about the need for Joining up and working as a team to improve things.
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Loved that Get Your Arse Off the Table programme last night. A light and entertaining look at the very serious issue of tikanga which causes all sorts of anxiety, tension and misunderstanding. Should be compulsory viewing for schools, hospitals, businesses, organisations, or anyone anywhere across NZ. (Might need to change the title to get into schools, though).
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Nelson Marlborough DHB has held on to the services that used to be Braemar and Ngawhatu and now DSS is its own DHB business unit. I should know whether this is unusual or a good thing for a DHB, but don't. Rosemary, do you?
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New access logo from the UN. Not sure about its official status, nor whether I like it.
http://www.un.org/webaccessibility/logo.shtml?utm_content=buffer7d7ed&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer -
Access: Disability as a wicked policy problem, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
There are a couple of organisations which have done some major work on their governance, management, staff training etc in the last few years. I would hope that all disability organisations also do constant self review. Not about just being risk averse but more about being ethical, transparent, respectful of their clients and families. Hard to do, but I think there are some good people out there (and the current head of NZDSN is one).
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Up Front: Not Uniform, in reply to Lucy Telfar Barnard,
My experience as a mother of a new third former is that you had to have everything new, and all the extras, to be cool. Which meant numerous items to allow for washing, all weathers etc. It was so expensive. Although after a few years it no longer mattered. Whereas at the non uniform school my son attended you could wear more of less anything, and the students did, from a three piece suit, to a kilt or dress (including boys), assorted hair styles, colours and jewellery. Creative for them and made them feel much happier about school in my observation.
In my son's case good for someone with sensory issues to be able to wear what he found comfortable. Of course most kids wore the uniform of t-shirts and jeans, and those from Hallensteins and the Warehouse were fine. Abusive slogans were about the only thing challenged, and then it generally became a discussion with the principal. Wearing their own choice of clothes is also generally less smelly as uniforms, particularly heavy wool ones, are difficult to clean regularly.
I was part of the cohort a few years ago who fought to get rid of the uniform and in those days it was the thing to do to have the scruffiest, holiest, worn or distorted uniform to make a point that it did no credit to the school.
So in my experience, uniforms are an extra expense to families, not a saving.
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Do we want to teach students conformity above all, or encourage creativity? Uniforms are all about forcing students in all their diversity into one peg hole. About adults saying do what I say but not what I do. About kids being shamed because they cannot afford the new expensive uniform and shoes and all the extras rather than the shiny hand me downs. I'm afraid I dislike uniforms and all they signify.
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Access: Disability as a wicked policy problem, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
Think Differently did contribute to a great range of projects over the 5 years the fund was in place. Was a rare opportunity for some 'blue skies' funding and numerous groups and individuals applied. Not sure whether they changed anybody's mind but I'm sure the projects were valuable for the participants. One project partially funded by Think Differently was the Wellington play Wake Up Tomorrow by Active, the Idea Services group for young people with ID. It was brilliant and creative and won the best play of the Fringe Festival and best FF actor this year. Showed they could compete on the same terms as others, given the opportunity and funding. There is no other fund like it and it is so sad it has gone.
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Polity: Land of the brave little kids, in reply to Angela Hart,
Angela - that story was from a time when we had a more or less functioning welfare state. Doubt you get offered these things now.,