My name is Phoebe Eden-Mann, and I am coming to the end of my fourth week as the national policy intern, here at CCS Disability Action in Dunedin. It’s been an intense four weeks; a trial by fire if you will. I’ve been exposed to theories and concepts that I’d never even heard of, written ...

With so many New Zealanders abusing mobility parking on a daily basis, here's a handy how-to guide for doing it. And the reasons why you shouldn't. ...

To properly take advantage of the new disability support system you need to be informed. Mana Whaikaha, which has been in place in the MidCentral region of the North Island since October 1, 2018, intends to give disabled people and their whānau power in their lives, and control over the support available to them. But to do this ...

Disability support in New Zealand is changing. From October 1st 2018, a prototype for a system known as Mana Whaikaha has been in operation in the MidCentral region of North Island, one which aims to give disabled people and their whānau greater control over their lives, and the support available to them. However, if you’re used to life ...

LAC Chair, Allyson Hamblett, makes a welcome return to talk about creating new ways of supporting people to work. LACs are advisory committees for CCS Disability Action that help provide governance for our regions. Allyson makes a huge contribution to our organisation and the disability community. Employment is a big issue for the disability community.  Most ...

No before you ask, this post is not about Lady Gaga. You are not getting me to reveal any secret soft spot for her that easily. Plus her album is called Born This Way, not that I know anything about that. Instead this post is about a very influential, although not as provocatively dressed, figure in ...

Children with disabilities often face the toughest barriers in society. Yet they are sometimes invisible when it comes to government policy and the work of experts. This has been the case with the debate on child poverty and abuse. The Government White Paper and the work of the Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child ...

The Policy and Advocacy team and David Matthews tackle the very important issue of bullying. For too long we have tolerated bullying in our schools. It is difficult for parents to always keep their children safe and free from harm. This is especially true of bullying, which is an age-old problem. Bullying is about someone acting ...

CCS Disability Action Chief Executive, David Matthews, returns to discuss the recent decision on residential special schools The Minister of Education’s decision on residential special schools will create more choice for families and students in education than ever before. Having worked in education for many years, I certainly feel for the staff of the two schools ...

David Matthews returns to discuss parental choice in education and the need for equality of resources between special and mainstream education.   The current swirl of letters, articles and media comments around the possible closing of residential schools, and other special education issues, has once again raised the notion of “parent choice”. Some people argue ...