New Zealand
The Couch
You're invited to join The Couch, the Families Commission's online panel where you can give your views on the issues facing Kiwi families. Anyone can join The Couch and have their say on family-related topics through polls and questionnaires. Share your views on issues like balancing work and family commitments, disability and family life, budgeting, and childcare for school children. The information gathered helps the Families Commission advocate for better policies, services and support for all New Zealand families. You can join The Couch at http://www.thecouch.org.nz/

January 2007
Microsoft and Google plan to make books more accessible
Stuff News, 24 January 2007

Technology opens door to jobs for people with disabilities
NZ Herald, 10 January 2007

December 2006
Kylie gains mobility with clubs' trike gift
Stuff News, 18 December 2006

A superhero to his sister
Stuff News, 9 December 2006

Drivers cheat on disabled
NZ Herald, 3 December 2006

Woman offers kidney trade
Stuff News, 2 December 2006

November 2006
More incontinence aid urged
Stuff News, 30 November 2006

Shacia chases a new life
NZ Herald, 25 November 2006

End of institutionalisation a milestone for NZ
Beehive, 14 November 2006

Maori 'facing extinction' from diabetes
Stuff News, 14 November 2006

Kelly on Attitude (29KB)
Attitude Programme, 12 November 2006

Sign of the Times (40KB)
The documentary, "Sign of the Times" by Victoria Manning and Paul Wolffram documents the Deaf Community's long battle to have their language recognised as an indigenous language of New Zealand.
Media Release, 8 November 2006

NZ sympathetic to the mentally ill - to a point
Stuff News, 8 November 2006

October 2006
Blokart...so like motor racing
NZ Herald, 31 October 2006

Audrey on Attitude (29.5KB)
Attitude Programme, 29 October 2006

Siblings caught in the cancer net
Stuff News, 17 October 2006

Boccia World Championship - NZ brings home GOLD!
The throwers won gold in the team's event, in a hard fought game beating New Zealand's old rival Portugal 7-6. This is New Zealand's first International Gold and the first medal ever won at a World Champs.

Key diabetes discovery excites NZ team
Stuff News, 4 October 2006

Fighting spirit makes Ashlee a real winner
Stuff News, 4 October 2006

Boy battles rare illness
Stuff News, 2 October 2006

September 2006
Dyson marks Deaf Awareness Week
Beehive, 19 September 2006

Wheel Blacks roll into semifinals
NZ Herald, 15 September 2006

Software opens up workforce to people with disabilities
NZ Herald, 13 September 2006

Hospital's four-legged therapist
Stuff News, 4 September 2006

Two new breast cancer treatments being trialled
NZ Herald, 4 September 2006

Charity in crisis and may have to start selling horses
Rotorua Daily Post, 2 September 2006

August 2006
Paralympic runner reunited with missing leg
NZ Herald, 30 August 2006

Disability Convention a Welcome Step
DPA Media Release, 28 August 2006

'Shocking misuse' of mobility parks
Stuff News, 28 August 2006

NZ name seven for Paralympics
NZ Herald, 18 August 2006

Wish comes true with Rapunzellike locks
Stuff News, 14 August 2006

Signs your child needs an eye test
Xtra:Lifestyles, 14 August 2006

July 2006
Paralympic medals for Kiwis
NZ Herald, 19 July 2006

Cost of Disability - Research
The Disability Resource Centre Auckland and the Centre for Health Research and Policy at Auckland University are currently conducting research to enhance knowledge about the costs associated with disability. The Ministry of Social Development and the Health Research Council have commissioned the research. We are now looking for people interested in being involved in the research, either as participants in two waves of feedback forums in August and September, or to be interviewed as part of a wider survey to be conducted later in the year.
We are looking for a range of people between 18 and 65 years with different support needs to take part. The feedback forums are designed to look at the additional costs associated with disability. The survey will help verify the costs identified by the feedback forums. Interviews will be conducted by phone or face-to-face. Attached are advertisements requesting people to express interest in being research participants. Please distribute these to your members or community in the Auckland region.  If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Julianne ph: 09 625 0311.

You've got my car park, do you want my disability?
Rotorua Daily Post, 4 July 2006

Disabled mum wins battle to keep baby
Rotorua Daily Post, 3 July 2006

NZ closer to having folate in bread
NZ Herald, 3 July 2006

Eighteen steps and a life is changed
NZ Herald, 1 July 2006

June 2006
Technology to help disabled have their say on services
NZ Herald, 27 June 2006

Job hunters look for a sign
NZ Herald, 21 June 2006

May 2006
Wheelchair blocked from human rights film festival
NZ Herald, 13 May 2006

Finally, With Genetic Discovery, Hope for Escape from a Prison of Bone
New York Times, 9 May 2006

April 2006
Robot legs give extra lift
NZ Herald, 27 April 2006

Degree caps life less ordinary
NZ Herald, 24 April 2006

Plan to boost Maori health and disability workers
NZ Herald, 19 April 2006

Dog guides priest to pulpit
NZ Herald, 8 April 2006

New Zealand Sign Language Bill - 3rd Reading
On Thursday 6 April 2006, the third reading of the NZSL Bill will happen after question time (about 3.15pm) in Parliament, Wellington. New Zealand Sign Language interpreters will be interpreting the debate. The third reading will be broadcast live over the internet.

March 2006
Cost of Blindness research
RNZFB Media release, March 2006

Disabled people speak out over quality of support
NZ Herald, 18 March 2006

Getting Over Chronic Fatigue
Xtramsn, 6 March 2006

January 2006
Defiant Birth: Women Who Resist Medical Eugenics
Soon to be released, the new book by Melinda Tankard Reist that tells the personal stories of women who have given birth despite medical expectations.

Human Rights Commission - Inquiry into Accessible Public Land Transport
The inquiry considered the need for changes to legislation, regulations, policies, procedures and funding arrangements. The Inquiry's report was published in October 2005.

December 2005
Wheel blacks open with two wins in South Africa
NZ Herald, 2 December 2005

October 2005
Blind losing out on sleep
NZ Herald, 25 October 2005

Inclusive workplaces - a language everyone can understand
EEO

Fairy's bubbles steal show
NZ Herald, 10 October 2005

September 2005
Large numbers expected for Special Olympics
NZ Herald, 21 September 2005

August 2005
Air NZ introduces help for disabled
NZ Herald, 31 August 2005

A day when lefties aren't left out
NZ Herald, 13 August 2005

Auckland to clamp down on disabled park cheats
NZ Herald, 10 August 2005

Ecstasy helps Parkinson's disease, research suggests
NZ Herald, 5 August 2005

July 2005
Elections New Zealand
Improving access to voting for disabled people - action plan.
Enable New Zealand has copies of the brochure "Voting in the 2005 General Election - The Easy Way!" in audio cassette, large print, Braille, English, Te Reo and 13 other languages. Please call Enable Information 0800 17 1981 for a copy.

Positive in the face of pain
NZ Herald, 12 July 2005

Robot lends 'a seeing eye' for blind shoppers
USATODAY.com, 11 July 2005

June 2005
Autistic teens fall through health care 'service gap'
NZ Herald, 17 June 2005

Businesswoman offers to pay mother's assault fine
NZ Herald, 16 June 2005

May 2005
Long-serving Max proves his old teacher wrong
NZ Herald, 21 May 2005

Taxi Survey
The Vehicle Association of New Zealand, for people with disabilities, (VANZ) is currently seeking feedback on Wheelchair Taxi services in New Zealand.

April 2005
Sites slow to help disabled
NZ Herald, 19 April 2005

Jobs match for the blind
NZ Herald, 11 April 2005

Car-cleaning job is break worker was looking for
NZ Herald, 6 April 2005

Parents' fear on implant delay
NZ Herald, 4 April 2005


National
Hon Ruth Dyson - Disability Issues.
A link to the New Zealand government's website page containing the latest documents concerning Disability Issues.

Living with Disability in New Zealand
A descriptive analysis of results from the 2001 Household Disability Survey and the 2001 Disability Survey of Residential Facilities.

International
Disability Now
The UK's leading disability monthly.

DisAbility Talk - Carrie Writes
Carrie was born with cerebral palsy. In recent columns she shares her experiences growing up and living with cerebral palsy, and her thoughts on other related topics.

Disability World
A bi-monthly web-zine of international disability news and views.

E-Ability
e-bility's website offers easy access and links to a wide range of information, resources, services and products of interest to people with disability, their families and carers, as well as health professionals and other service providers in the disability sector.

International Disability News Ticker
Disability themed news from around the world.

Yahoo News - Disabilities and the Disabled
Disability related news from around the world.


Celebrities
Actress Kathleen Turner talks about her life with rheumatoid arthritis
American Arthritis Foundation: 11 November 2002.

Professor Stephen Hawking talks about his experience with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.


If you know of any news suitable for this page, please tell us about it.