Strong Voices

Ask Carlos Biggemann what needs to change in the world, and he starts with global issues – war, poverty and the destruction of the rainforests – before coming to his disability.

This doesn’t mean attitudes to disability are any less important to him. Carlos, a 30-year-old Dunedin photographer and poet, says he has to prove himself every day of his life.

A trial Companion Card programme is enabling people with disabilities to take part more easily in activities in Palmerston North.

The digital card is for people who are unable to access ticketed events and venues without a support person, which means paying the extra cost of a second ticket.

The Companion Card programme was launched in August through a partnership between Mana Whaikaha, a government disability support system, and Palmerston North City Council.

The Government has announced the very welcome news that it will establish a new standalone Ministry for Disabled People.

This marks a fundamental change in the way people are viewed and valued as equal citizens. IHC has pushed for this change and for the Government to see individuals’ lives in their entirety – their income, support, housing, transport and more – rather than defining people by health need and diagnosis.

Michael Holdsworth was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, making him the first person with Down syndrome to receive this honour.

He was awarded the MZNM for his services to Special Olympics and it marks his 32 years as an athlete leader, advocate and participant in two World Games and his service to the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association.