23 September is International Day of Sign Languages. Down Syndrome International (DSi) needs your help to show the world the different ways that people with Down syndrome communicate.

Why? 

Lots of people around the world, including many people with Down syndrome, use ways of communicating besides talking. These ways of communicating are called Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).

Examples of AAC include:

• Gestures and facial expressions (including sign language),

• Writing,

• Drawing,

• Spelling words by pointing to letters,

• Pointing to photos, pictures or written words,

• Using an app on a tablet, 

• Using a computer with a "voice".

Advocate!
Do you, or someone you know, use AAC?

We look forward to watching your message.

Anna at DSi 

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!

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.

Easy Read: Easy Read Info on the four fellowships and how to apply [Doc]
Easy Read: Easy Read PAK'nSAVE artist fellowship information [Doc]
NZSL: NZSL Video with information on the four fellowships and how to apply

Arts Access Aotearoa is offering four Ngā Toi Rangatira o Aotearoa Arts Access Fellowships in 2022, worth $10,000 each, instead of its annual Te Putanga Toi Arts Access Awards. 

One of the fellowships, the Whakahoa Kaitoi Whanaketanga PAK’nSAVE Artist Fellowship, supports a Deaf or disabled artist, or an artist who has a disability or impairment, or an artist with lived experience of mental distress to undertake a project that will develop their art practice. 

It is open to artists exploring artforms that include but are not limited to dance, film, creative writing, music, theatre, ngā toi Māori, Pacific arts, visual arts, ceramics and sculpture. There is no requirement or expectation your art relates to themes of disability.

See the Arts Access website for more information on the four Ngā Toi Rangatira o Aotearoa Arts Access Fellowships. 

Applications close Monday 5 Sept 2022, 5pm.

Outward Bound run a series of adapted courses available for disabled people to experience the challenge and adventure of an Outward Bound course. 

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 

Learn how to protect and empower children to help them be safe from sexual abuse without scaring them, destroying their trust, or explaining sexual abuse, and we can show you how.

You will leave this program with information and strategies to:

• Teach and reinforce the safety rules for private areas – confidently!

• Recognize the 5 Levels of Intrusion™ – and the skills to protect boundaries at every level

• Explain safety lies as well as “safe” and “unsafe” secrets

• Use the Kidpower boundary and consent checklist to prevent and solve common, everyday problems

• Assess child care providers – Choosing Safe People to Care for your Children

• Recognize potentially unsafe or inappropriate behavior

• Intervening to stop problems

• Adapt to make skills practice age-appropriate and fun rather than scary or confusing

• Reinforce the safety skills in daily life

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.

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

James, the Web Administrator at Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service, is reaching out to spread the word about the different ways people can get in touch with the service:

"Hard of hearing myself, verbal communication is difficult for me, so I am passionate about supporting others with communication challenges to access our Advocacy Services. Contacting our service shouldn’t be hard work, and I am always wanting to help others with access." 

About the Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service

Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service is free, confidential, and independent of health and disability service providers. Their advocates are available to support consumers with their concerns about a health or disability service.
 
Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy has 32 Advocates located around the country in twenty community-based offices from Kaitaia to Invercargill, and are available to work with communities to ensure they are aware of their rights, as well as educating health and disability providers on how to make their services more responsive to these consumers.
 
Advocates are available to provide free education sessions on consumer rights and provider responsibilities, as well as the role of the Health and Disability Commissioner and how an advocate can assist.
 
A few examples where an Advocate may be able to help:

• Disability Service Provider not meeting service delivery expectations (like, staff not turning up)

• Doctor charging fees without notifying the consumer beforehand

• A Medical Professional treating a consumer disrespectfully

• A Medical Professional fails to diagnose or treat a medical condition

• Any Health or Disability Service not meeting the Code of Rights

Getting in touch 

Anyone who wants information about the Code of Rights, advocacy resources, how to organise a free education session, or believes that their rights under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights have not been respected can:

• call Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy service free on Freephone 0800-555 050

• email advocacy@advocacy.org.nz

• or contact them via their website www.advocacy.org.nz to have an Advocate assigned to contact them. (The website has a LiveChat service pop up when staff are available to chat, and you can leave a message for them to get back in contact when they can.)

• Fill in a complaint form on the website at https://advocacy.org.nz/submit-a-complaint-to-the-advocacy-service/

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NATAdvocacyNZ

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/NATAdvocacyNZ

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 .