People First New Zealand

12/12/2025

Great to see People First member Shane McInroe at Parliament House speaking on behalf of disabled people across New Zealand.

09/12/2025

This was the Wellington People First group’s final meeting and lunch for 2025!

We met in Newtown at yesterday at 12.45pm and had a lunch with some activities.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Wellington group!

09/12/2025

Today is Human Rights Day.

At People First NZ, we use this day to remind everyone that human rights are part of daily life and not something separate.

This year’s theme is "Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials" this focuses on the basics we all need to live well. Things like having information we can understand, being listened to, feeling safe, having choices, and being included in our communities.

These are human rights, and they matter in real and practical ways.

People First will keep speaking up to make sure people with learning disability know their rights and can use them. We will also keep pushing for systems and services to respect those rights.

09/12/2025

The Donald Beasley Institute (DBI) is doing a questionnaire as part of the Disabled Person-Led Monitoring of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in Aotearoa New Zealand.

They want to know what disabled people think and feel about cost of living, standard of living and the cost of disability in Aotearoa.

Anyone who is disabled, takata whaikaha Māori, D/deaf, chronically ill, neurodivergent, and/or family, whānau, aiga and close supporters of people with multiple and complex disabilities are welcome to share their thoughts and experiences.

To fill out the questionnaire now, click here: https://corexmss43gf6x5cw7qm.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3DfXdWZ4XZK5EkS

For more information about this questionnaire, consent forms, participant information and alternate formats, please go to: https://www.donaldbeasley.org.nz/our-projects/disabled-person-led-monitoring.

This project is commissioned by the Disabled People’s Organisations Coalition.

Please contact Umi Asaka (uasaka@donaldbeasley.org.nz) if you have any questions.

08/12/2025

People First ran a Money Smarts Made Easy course in Auckland.
Nine people from A Supported Life attended. Thank you to A Supported Life for the opportunity.

Jonathan Green from the West Auckland group was the member assistant facilitator. He worked alongside facilitators Christa Kurian and Yi Liang Small.
Jonathan’s skills and confidence grew throughout the course. He helped lead the sessions, supported group discussions, and encouraged everyone to share their ideas about money and their money goals.

As the course went on, attendees became more confident speaking up. Many enjoyed coming to the front to share their thoughts, and some even wrote their ideas on the whiteboard.

We also had fun while learning. We played a Cyber Card Game to learn how to keep personal information safe, avoid scams, and protect money.

Attendees said the course was fun, helpful, and run by wonderful people.

07/12/2025

Ten members from the Whakatāne group joined the online AGM last week. They listened to all the reports from each region and heard about what People First has done in 2024–2025. Members said they felt more connected with people from other regions and groups.

Long-time member Bernadette Moses made the second vote for the Constitution Review. She said she was happy to see the positive changes, and that these updates will help People First re-register as a Incorporated Society.

After the AGM, the group had a small Christmas party and celebrated the great things they achieved in 2025.

The Whakatāne group wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

05/12/2025

This year, we are proud to announce we also have a new award to give to a People First NZ member who has really shone a light on Easy Read.

The Easy Read Champion award celebrates People First members and acknowledges what an important part of Make it Easy Kia Māmā Mai they are.

The winner of the Easy Read Champion Award 2025 was Northern member Rozlyn Gielink.

In 2025, Roz:
• assisted in co-designing our new Easy Read Rainbow resources.
• spoke at the ASID conference—their first ever conference.
• was interviewed about the conference for the Butterfly Express.
• spoke to a Select Committee about keeping the Plain Language laws. Their quote was included in their final report: “Why do you want to go back to a system where we don’t understand what’s going on?”

Congratulations again, Roz, and thank you for all you do to make and promote Easy Read.

04/12/2025

There is an important questionnaire from the Donald Beasley Institute (DBI).

The questionnaire is about disabled people’s experiences with the cost of living, standard of living, and the cost of disability in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This research will help monitor how well the New Zealand Government is supporting disabled people’s right to an adequate standard of living under Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Who can take part?
• Disabled people aged 18 and over
• Family, whānau, aiga, and close supporters

What will you be asked?
You will be asked about your experiences with everyday costs and your standard of living. Your information will be kept private and you can stop at any time.

You can find all the information needed including alternate formats at this link: https://www.donaldbeasley.org.nz/our-projects/disabled-person-led-monitoring

If you need assistance or want to answer in another way (phone, email, Zoom), you can contact the DBI team:
Free phone: 0800 878 839
Email: uasaka@donaldbeasley.org.nz

Website: www.donaldbeasley.org.nz

People First encourages members to take part if this is something you are interested in.

03/12/2025

Next week is Special Olympics New Zealand 2025 Summer Games.

People First wants to wish all our members who are taking part in the Special Olympics the very best of luck.

We are proud of you for all the hard work you have done to get ready.

Have fun, do your best, and enjoy every moment.

💛 Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities — a powerful reminder that inclusion, participation, and the leadership of people with disabilities are essential for our communities and our society.

And the timing couldn’t be better — we’re just one week out from the Special Olympics New Zealand 2025 National Summer Games! We’re gearing up for Aotearoa’s most inclusive sporting event, where inclusion, connection and community pride take centre stage. 🙌🔥

As we mark IDPD, we’re getting ready to welcome athletes, volunteers, whānau and supporters to Ōtautahi Christchurch — and we can’t wait to celebrate Something Special together.

👉 One week to go!
👉 10–14 December · Ōtautahi Christchurch
👉 All events are free to attend — come and celebrate our athletes!

Be part of something special: http://nsg2025.co.nz

The 2025 National Summer Games is proudly supported by Premier Partner Freemasons New Zealand and Presenting Partner NOVUS Glass - Freemasons New Zealand NOVUS New Zealand

03/12/2025

At our AGM on Wednesday we presented the Sir Robert Martin Self-Advocacy Award.

This award honours the late Sir Robert Martin, a lifelong disability rights leader in Aotearoa and around the world. Sir Robert was a life member of People First NZ and the first person with learning disability to serve on the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The award recognises someone who has shown strong leadership in self-advocacy and has spoken up for the rights of people with learning disability in New Zealand.

This year, we were proud to present the award to Shane McInroe.

Shane has been a member of People First since 2011. He is a strong advocate for disability rights and leads by example in his everyday actions. He is active in many groups, boards, and forums, and is committed to making sure disabled people are included and heard.

Shane encourages other members to speak up for themselves, and at local meetings he plays an important role in helping members take part equally. He is also a strong advocate for fair pay for members who take part in forums, research, and other activities.

At the AGM, we presented Shane with a certificate, a pounamu, and $500 in recognition of his contribution. Here he is pictured with National Chairperson Desrae Turvey.

Please join us in celebrating Shane and his outstanding work in self-advocacy.

03/12/2025

Today we held our Annual General Meeting for 2025.

At the AGM we looked back at the work we have done this year and what we hope for next year.

We also shared updates from our regions and thanked our members, staff and supporters for everything they do.

We gave out awards and had Ronnie and Philippa talk about their trip to Sharjah. We also gave an update on the People for Us service.

AGMs are an important time for us to report to our members, make decisions together, and celebrate the leadership of people with learning disability.

Thank you to everyone who took part. We will be announcing the winners of awards in the coming days.

02/12/2025

Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities

The theme for 2025 is "Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress."

This theme reminds us how important it is to build communities where disabled people are included, respected, and able to take part in all areas of life. It also shows that when society includes disabled people, everyone benefits.

At People First, we celebrate the hard work and leadership of disabled people here in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.

We will keep working to make sure people with learning disability have their human rights upheld and are fully included in communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.