Take a moment with us

Take a moment with us, and be surprised and shocked, overjoyed and overwhelmed.

You'll be encouraged to think about what our communities could be like if we focussed on ability, not disability.

The people who feature in the exhibition come from all over New Zealand - children, young people and adults from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, and with different interests and abilities. See and hear their stories about being included and about being disabled.

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Alexander Szydlowski (top image) works hard to achieve things his mates at school take for granted.

He has Down Syndrome and low vision but Alexander seems to come alive when he is outside on the trampoline, at the beach or the nearby native botanic garden. Alexander loves exploring the natural world.

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Sunil Fernandez-Ritchie (middle image) has wanted to be a father since he was 13. In March 2015 that dream was realised with the birth of Carmen.

Sunil and wife Jess met at an Enrich Plus programme for people with disabilities in Ruakura, near Hamilton, and they tell the story of how Sunil saw her sitting alone at lunchtime and didn’t want her to feel left out. So he came and sat with her. The couple married in 2014.

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Another person featured is Michael Holdsworth (bottom image). He lives and breathes sport. If he is not playing it, or training for it, he is watching it.

Michael swims and skis competitively and has been involved in the Special Olympics for more than 30 years.

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Exhibition dates

Saturday 6 July to Sunday 22 September 2024.

Opening hours

10am to 4pm, Monday to Sunday.

Venue

Whirinaki Whare Taonga

836 Fergusson Drive

Upper Hutt

Wellington

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