‘We will fight for our rights back,’ disability advocate says
By: Louisa Steyl
The Southland Times: 12:22 pm, 12 September 2024
Disabled United Invercargill chair Mike Peters says any changes to disability funding need to be an open discussion with the impacted community. (File photo)
Kavinda Herath / Southland Times
In an ongoing effort to fight funding cuts, Disabled United Invercargill and The Southland Deaf Community are hosting a forum on Saturday.
The groups have invited the Labour Party’s MP for Invercargill Ingrid Leary, who supports Invercargill issues since the former Invercargill MP Liz Craig left parliament, and Labour spokesperson for disability issues Priyanca Radhakrishnan to hear more about how they can help the cause.
People with disabilities have been mobilising all over New Zealand after a series of cuts to Whaikaha - the Ministry of Disabled People and the services it can fund.
“We will fight for our rights back,” Disabled United Invercargill chair Mike Peters said, adding, “We’ll work with anyone who wants to work with us.”
In March, the ministry announced, in a Facebook post, that it would be limiting how people with disabilities were able to spend their funding.
Invercargill’s National MP and former minister of disabilities Penny Simmonds defended the decision at the time, saying funding was set to run out in “days”.
Simmonds referred to the move as a funding pause, but was then stripped of the portfolio and the ministry was reviewed, before new Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston announced a restructure in August.
The disability forum at Invercargill Library from 2pm on Saturday would be a chance to hear from the Labour Party and build public support, Peters said, adding that everyone was welcome.
Leary pointed out that while people with disabilities were “leading the fight”, allies from the wider community were important.
“There’s strength in numbers. It’s by working together that we make the biggest difference.”
Kavinda Herath / Southland Times
Leary had been impressed by how motivated and organised Disabled United New Zealand were, she said.
“[They] are a small, but dynamic group who are doing advocacy work, not just for Southland, but for all of New Zealand.”
But recognising how numbers of people with disabilities in Southland and Otago, Leary said it was important to make sure the region wasn’t forgotten about.
She hoped that building a relationship with Radhakrishnan would allow DUNZ to shape future policy.
But the meeting would also serve “to show that we value the important work they’re doing and that we can carry their work back to Wellington to show the horrendous impact these cuts are having on people and their families,” Leary said.
The meeting will be held upstairs at the library and doors will open at 1.30pm.
- The Southland Times
Last Updated 12/09/2024
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