The NZDSA is honoured to have received confirmation that Her Excellency, The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand, has accepted our invitation for vice-regal patronage of the NZDSA. 

We look forward to involving Her Excellency in realising our vision that people with Down syndrome are respected, valued and equal members of their community fulfilling their potential and aspirations.

The NZDSA, a charitable organisation is currently running it's annual telephone fundraising campaign from the 11th July to the 26th August 2022 to raise awareness and to support it's ongoing work.

This year our annual appeal is for three critical projects:

• The first is to host our annual Youth Development Camp at Vaughan Park Retreat Centre and MERC, Long Bay, Auckland in November 2022. This camp will focus on building self-esteem, well-being, gaining independence and confidence, as well as some activities like rock climbing, archery and abseiling. 

•  The second is to publish and distribute our quarterly journal called CHAT 21.

• The third is the vital information, support service that the NZDSA provides to people with Down syndrome, their whānau and professionals.

We would like to extend our thanks to Southern Stars, a registered charity working to raise funds on behalf of the NZDSA.

Thank you for donating to this annual telephone campaign. 

For all enquiries:

Email: na@nzdsa.org.nz or downsyndrome@charity.org.nz

Phone: 0800 693 724 press 1 or you can ring the Down Syndrome Fundraising Office 09 361 4515 or fax 09 361 4516 

All correspondences or donations to be posted to the Down Syndrome Fundraising Office.

P O Box 8635, Symonds Street, Auckland,1150 not to the NZDSA box for general mail which is P O Box 4142, Shortland St, Auckland 1140 

We appreciate your support!

Date:  Saturday 30th July 2022 

Time:  04:00 PM Auckland, Wellington

Where:   Zoom 

Meeting ID: 814 9749 4569

Passcode: 148149

Registrations extended until the 18th July don’t miss this opportunity to register. Join us online to find out more about Enabling Good Lives – Self Directed Learning.
Spaces are limited so register early so that you don’t miss the opportunity to explore, learn and connect with others as you discover and personalise What Enabling Good Lives (EGL) means for you and your family.

This initiative is aimed to develop a network to connect Teachers and Kaiako to build a shared collective identity for ongoing mutual learning to build capability.  
In practical terms this PLD network is ‘FOR TEACHERS BY TEACHERS’ aimed at enhancing professional knowledge, skills and resources and developing rich learning and assessment tasks for students.
Our network will focus on inclusive pedagogy with an interest in students with learning disabilities and Down syndrome.
All teachers and kaiako are welcome.

What will be covered:

• Develop vocabulary
• Build comprehension
• Focus on key literacy and language skills
• Build confidence
• Develop communication skills
• The specific learning profile of students with Down Syndrome
• A range of resources will be available to work with on these days for school teams
• Take the resources back to your school to work with students

Workshop Details: 
Wellington - Wednesday 7th September 9am - 3.15pm  
Venue: Ministry of Education Lower Hutt

TWO DAY WORKSHOP - MAKING SENSE OF LITERACY & GETTING ON WITH SOCIAL SKILLS

Workshop Details
Southland - Wednesday 26th October and Thursday 27th October, 9am - 3.15pm
Venue: Ministry of Education Invercargill Office - 190 Forth Street Invercargill

Dunedin - Monday 31st October and Tuesday 1st November, 9am - 3.15pm
Venue: Ministry of Education Dunedin Office - 414 Moray Place Dunedin 

Directed by Rick Harvie (Belmont Productions) in 2020, and selected for the 2021 Doc Edge Film Festival, SAM is a short film about Jolt dancer Sam Stevens. 

SAM evolved from a theatre piece created by Lyn Cotton in 2017 in response to the dramatic decrease in the number of people born with Down syndrome in New Zealand and worldwide following the introduction of non-invasive prenatal screening tests. 

Uplifting and life-affirming, SAM is honest, funny, and moving. It is Sam’s story, the story of his parents Tom and Carol, of Jolt’s whānau, and asks all of us what it means to be a valued and valuable human.

The Ongoing Resourcing Scheme is funding for supporting children in New Zealand’s education system with ongoing support needs.  In the latest edition of Awhi Ngā Mātua newsletter they have shared that they have published a piece on ORS funding: We’ve answered all of those questions here.

As part of Budget 2022, the Government introduced a short-term Cost of Living Payment to help eligible people with their day-to-day living costs. The Cost of Living Payment is assessed and automatically paid by Inland Revenue. You do not need to apply for the payment. 

You can get the Cost of Living Payment if you earned $70,000 or less over the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, and you're: 

• aged 18 or over 

• a New Zealand tax resident living in New Zealand, and 

• not eligible for a Winter Energy Payment.

If you qualify, you'll get the money in 3 monthly payments, starting on 1 August 2022. For most people, the 3 payment dates are: 

• 1 August 2022 

• 1 September 2022 

• 3 October (the first business day of the month). 

The money will be direct credited into your New Zealand bank account. Please check myIR to make sure this is correct. This is the only way the payment will be made.

There's a group of people who are not eligible for the Cost of Living Payment. Please see this link  for more details. https://www.ird.govt.nz/cost-of-living-payment.  

Please see the plain language factsheet .

This link is for a webinar https://youtu.be/zNIUXTyHNm8 which will provide more information . 

Carer Support Flexibility will continue until 30 September 2022 for those eligible for Carer Support or IF currently through the Ministry of Health Disability Support Services. click here

The Ministry of Health Claims team has reduced their carer support claims backlog and their turn around time is once again between five and 10 days. 

To help them process your claim as quickly possible remember to include bank details and your dated signature. If you're sending an email put your client ID number and whether it is a query or a claim in the subject line. If you can put all the information in one pdf file - you can use a scanner app on your phone.

People aged 13 and over with an intellectual disability or an intellectual disability and autism can enter.  The competition has a theme “in your community” where photographers can enter one photo each based on this theme – this could be at the park, the beach, of somebody they know, eating an ice cream – anything as long as it follows the "in your community" theme.

Photographers have until 31 July 2022 to submit their entries online.  Photos can be black and white or colour and one photo per photographer.

The three judges; Bridgit Anderson, Dame Denise L’Estrange-Corbet and Mark Coote will complete their judging online in August 2022 and select 30 finalists which will include first, second and third place winners as well as a Youth Award winner.  Prize money amounts are below:

First place:                $2,500

Second place:          $1,500

Third place:              $1,000

Youth Award:           $1,500

All 30 finalists' photographs will also be exhibited at FOTO FEST from 30 September to 7 October 2022 in Hastings.  All photographs will be available for sale with 100% of the sale proceeds going to the artist. 

Images can be submitted without being framed, however, if a photographer is selected as a finalist, they will need to mount and / or frame their photo for exhibition.

Plus One Companion  - Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton and Bay of Plenty

Auckland Transport is removing a known barrier for customers wishing to use public transport in Auckland.

This is called the Plus One Companion and will enable the support person of a Total Mobility Card Holder to ride an Auckland Transport Bus at no charge, when travelling together.

A Plus One Companion may be a different person for each public transport journey. It can include a spouse or partner, friend, child or professional caregiver.  It can be any person nominated by a Total Mobility Card Holder to accompany him/her/them on a public transport journey to support his/her/their safety and dignity on that journey. 

This concession has already been implemented on the Wellington, Hamilton and Bay of Plenty public transport networks with great success.

The Plus One Companion initiative will go live on Wednesday 20 July.

Please note that this is only on AT buses and does not include ferries and trains.

If you have any questions feel free to call AT on 09 366 6400 or visit the New Zealand Relay Services at nzrelay.co.nz

Mahi Tika – Equity in Employment is currently recruiting for the next intake of Waikato-based participants to join the programme in August 2022, with workshops and mentoring taking place online.

Launched by DPA in 2020, Mahi Tika – Equity in Employment is an employment programme in the Waikato region that enhances the employment journey of disabled people.

The programme is designed and led by disabled people, for disabled people who seek sustainable employment. It has been developed in partnership with Waikato Tainui and aligns with the Enabling Good Lives principles of mana enhancing and self-determination. It is specifically designed to make use of the underutilised disabled workforce, focusing on empowering disabled people in the Waikato region to be working or training in the industry of their choice and supporting them to become mentors to other disabled people.

Participants in the programme come together with other disabled job seekers to participate in workshops that build employment skills and confidence. They receive mentoring from Kaitiaki/Enhancers who build trust through individual mentoring sessions and support participants on their individual journeys.

Mahi Tika – Equity in Employment is welcoming applications from anyone who identifies as disabled, is based in Waikato, and is looking for work. They can express interest in the programme by completing a form at https://forms.office.com/r/FvRCbRXfvn or contact MahiTika@DPA.org.nz

The programme is possible thanks to the support of Trust Waikato – Te Puna o Waikato and the Kānoa Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit

The NZQA Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) team are making good progress on the developments needed in 2022. 

The Workforce Development Councils and NZQA will host three information sessions to provide more information on the draft proposals. To register for these sessions please use the links provided.  

• Friday 29 July at 10am [Register for this session] 

• Monday 1 August at 10am [Register for this session] 

This session will have a New Zealand Sign Language Interpreter and closed caption transcription service available.

• Tuesday 2 August at 2pm [Register for this session].

Prior to the information sessions, an information pack will be sent to registered participants. 

Feedback to the draft proposals can be made through the online application or by email - RoVE@nzqa.govt.nz. Please provide your feedback by 9am on Monday 8 August 2022.

This information will be used to finalise the proposals. The proposals will be part of wider consultation on NZQA Rules, which will take place later this year.

The Ministry of Health Claims team has reduced their carer support claims backlog and their turn around time is once again between five and 10 days. 

To help them process your claim as quickly possible remember to include bank details and your dated signature. If you're sending an email put your client ID number and whether it is a query or a claim in the subject line. If you can put all the information in one pdf file - you can use a scanner app on your phone.

Auckland Transport is removing a known barrier for customers wishing to use public transport in Auckland.

This is called the Plus One Companion and will enable the support person of a Total Mobility Card Holder to ride an Auckland Transport Bus at no charge, when travelling together.

A Plus One Companion may be a different person for each public transport journey. It can include a spouse or partner, friend, child or professional caregiver.  It can be any person nominated by a Total Mobility Card Holder to accompany him/her/them on a public transport journey to support his/her/their safety and dignity on that journey. 

This concession has already been implemented on the Wellington, Hamilton and Bay of Plenty public transport networks with great success.

The Plus One Companion initiative will go live on Wednesday 20 July.

Please note that this is only on AT buses and does not include ferries and trains.

If you have any questions feel free to call AT on 09 366 6400 or visit the New Zealand Relay Services at nzrelay.co.nz

The Inclusive Faith Project is a co-designed strategy whose objective is the full participation of disabled persons in the life and practice of their faith communities for mutual benefit of all.

A series of regional gatherings are being held to bring disabled people into conversation with faith influencers and leaders so that opportunities are fully explored.

The NZ Human Rights Commission, Inclusive Aotearoa Collective, Yes Disability, Office for Disability Issues, NZ’s Religious Diversity Centre and others are partnering nationally and locally in this multisector multi-faith initiative.

Regional Hui 

29 June – Te Papaioea Palmerston North
6 July – Kirikiriroa Hamilton
20 July – Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
3 August – Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington 
10 August – Te Tai Tokerau Northland 
23 August – Ōtepoti Dunedin
25 August – Ōtautahi Christchurch

• For more information and to register to participate see the Inclusive Faith Project: Join the Conversation webpage. 

Sarah, the editor of CHAT 21, would love to include your photo's of siblings (including the furry kind) in the Spring edition of CHAT 21 so please send them through to editor@nzdsa.org.nz .