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4 | InTouch DECEMBER 2022 NEWS ROUNDUP Paula Tesoriero and her views on the establishment of the new Ministry of Disabled People. Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People We are all aware that disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori and their families have been calling for change for a long time. There are significant barriers that prevent many disabled people, including people with muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular conditions, from full inclusion and participation in the community. Our new Ministry was established to work in partnership with the disability community, tāngata whaikaha Māori and Government to drive change towards a better, more independent future for disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori and their whānau. Whaikaha aspires to give full effect to the voice of our community, because for too long decisions have been made about disabled people without disabled people. The ‘nothing about us without us’ principle underpins what we do. As we do our work, we are committed to giving effect to the articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which is particularly important given 26% of the Māori population identify as disabled, higher than the national average of 24%. Growing up I did not have disabled role models in key leadership roles. I did not see many on TV, in sport or in the arts, and that can impact on how you think about what your opportunities are in life. I feel that responsibility on a deep and visceral level, and I’m excited to have this opportunity to build a successful, effective Ministry in partnership with our community. It is still very early days. As Chief Executive, it is my responsibility to help steward its establishment and develop our policies, and processes so we can hone our strategic vision. “A key initial focus for Whaikaha has been to ensure the smooth transfer of current services and supports from the Ministry of Health, for about 43,000 disabled people on any given day.” From next year we will begin the transformation of the disability support system, based on the principles of Enabling Good Lives, which will give more disabled people and their families increased choice and control over their lives. A key part of our strategic perspective is that we think about disability through a social model framework. This means people are disabled by society and the barriers around us. In the past there has been a stronger focus on the more medical model, all about fixes and cures for the individual. Good medical care for everybody is essential, but I am personally pleased to see a growing focus on the barriers which can prevent disabled people from fully participating in society. As a disabled person I prefer to use the social model because it focuses on everyone’s collective responsibility to identify those barriers and remove them. The Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill is very relevant to this. It proposes a new way for the Government to address barriers which prevent disabled people from living independently and participating in all areas of life. The Bill intends to establish a new leadership structure, including an Accessibility Committee composed of disabled people, tāngata whaikaha and their whānau. At Whaikaha we look forward being gifted the responsibility for this work next year. Whaikaha also has the exciting responsibility to steward change which will drive improvements for disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori, across all government agencies – education, housing, justice, health and others. At the same time, it is important to be clear that we at Whaikaha are just Paula Tesoriero.