Recognising Achievers 2004

Information on previous recognising achievers:

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Recognising Achievers 2004

We wish to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the following people and organisations for their work in promoting the inclusion, visibility and participation of disabled people in society.

Disabled people

  • Beverly Savage (Hamilton): has been awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list the Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to athletes with disabilities. Mrs Savage is the head field coach for Paralympics New Zealand and has assisted in the selection of teams in recent years. She has attended Paralympic Games as a field events coach and was a member of the team management at the Olympic Games in Atlanta and Sydney. She was also a member of the Paralympic team to the World Games in Birmingham in 1998, and France and Germany in 2002. An accomplished athlete in her own right, she set age-group world records in the hammer in Melbourne in 1989 and 1992 and holds a number of national records in hammer, shot, discus and weight throw. She is a pioneer in integrating throwing techniques from the able-bodied world to the disabled world.
  • Mervyn Reay (Hamilton): has been awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list the Queen's Service Medal for Community Service for his service to the community, in particular those with impaired vision. Mr Reay, who has been blind since the age of 13, has been an outstanding servant of the community, in particular to those with impaired vision. He has worked with the New Zealand Institute for the Blind (now the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind) since the 1940s as a teacher and a social worker. He became a licensed ham radio operator with contacts worldwide. He has been a member of Rotary since 1961 and was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in 1997 in recognition of his service to blind welfare and his contribution to Rotary.
  • Lorraine Peacock (Dunedin): has been awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list the Queen's Service Medal for Public Services for her work with amputees in New Zealand. Mrs Peacock has been secretary of the Amputee Society of Otago and Southland since 1967. She has been a member of the National Executive of the Amputees Federation of New Zealand since 1983 and national secretary since 1986. In 1992 she was presented with honorary membership of the New Zealand War Amputees Association in recognition of her involvement with that organisation. She was secretary of the Otago Disability Support Services Advisory Group to the Southern Regional Health Authority. In 2002 she completed the history of the first 50 years of the Amputees Federation of New Zealand and has been a long-term editor of a quarterly newsletter for amputees.
  • Mr Mark Jane (Auckland): has been awarded an inaugural scholarship by the Hearing Association (Auckland) to study at AUT in 2004. Mark intends to study accountancy and information technology. This notes an extension to community organisations of AUT's partnership awards, which have run for several years in association with Auckland secondary schools. (December 2003)
  • Mr Grant Sharman (Auckland): has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours 2004, for his work in the promotion of art and sport for people with disabilities. Mr Sharman became a quadriplegic in 1977. After several years of rehabilitation he became an advocate and counsellor for the Auckland Health Board. He took up painting using a brush in his mouth and is now one of only 100 full members of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists, based in Europe. He has organised many art exhibitions in his community and has established an art club that targets youth at risk and encourages art activities amongst the disabled. Since 1993, he has been a member of the New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby Team, the "Wheel Blacks", and has been team captain since 1996. (January 2004)
  • Ms Jill Braddick (Managwhai, Northland): has been awarded a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service in the New Year Honours 2004, for her work in research and education about Motor Neurone Disease. Ms Braddick was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 1982, and since then has studied the disease in New Zealand and overseas. She helped establish the Motor Neurone Disease Association of New Zealand and support groups throughout the country to raise awareness and educate the public about the disease. In spite of her worsening physical condition, she continues to contribute to the Association and work towards improving conditions and care for disease disabled people. (January 2004)
  • Mrs Moya Badham (Hamilton): has been awarded a Queen's Service Medal for Public Services in the New Year Honours 2004, for her work in promoting the welfare of blind New Zealanders. Mrs Badham is a registered member of the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind, and has been an active supporter of its work over many years. She has undertaken leadership and mentoring roles, and been a b advocate on behalf of blind people. After losing her sight completely in 1986 she mastered Braille, and used those skills to assist her to learn Te Reo Māori, of which she is now a fluent speaker. She supports new users with their Talking Book Machines and coordinates the volunteer readers at her local social club. She has also been involved with the Guides New Zealand movement. (January 2004)

Further information on New Zealand Honours: to find out how to nominate a person for a New Zealand Honour or people who have been awarded Honours.

Community and disability sector organisations

  • Kapiti District Libraries: for making an effort to improve access by Deaf people to their service. Two members of the local community (one of them Deaf), approached librarian Jan Smith to talk about their library realising the benefits of DVDs that have English subtitles. This relatively new technology can make a whole world of entertainment and information accessible to people with hearing impairments. The three of them got together and went through all the DVDs they had and marked them clearly if they had subtitles in English Then, the library put a notice in the local community paper alerting people that many DVDs now have subtitles in English. Although Kapiti District Libraries’ policy for purchasing DVDs is not restricted to those with English subtitles, they are always happy for suggestions about what DVDs to purchase and have been very supportive about recognising DVDs with subtitles as a "new resource" for people with hearing impairments.
  • Dr Russell Smith (Christchurch): has been awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list the Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to people with visual impairments. Dr Smith led a research and development team from the University of Canterbury and the Wormald Group on an international evaluation of an ultrasonic guidance device for the totally blind, which was subsequently marketed and sold. He became the chief executive officer of Pulse Data International Ltd, which evolved from the Wormald Group, and designed and produced software and products for the blind and visually impaired. He has been instrumental in guiding the company into becoming the accepted technology leader in its field. He was recently honoured by the Canadian Institute for the Blind for the development of the BrailleNote family of personal notetakers for the blind.
  • Winifred Hoadley (North Shore City): has been awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list the Companion of The Queen's Service Order for her work in promoting the welfare of people with disabilities. Mrs Hoadley was elected to the Takapuna City Council in 1982 and has been a North Shore City councillor since 1992. As Mayor she was patron of a variety of sports, performing arts, and community clubs and associations. She was chairperson of the Trustees of the National Library from 1989 to 2000 and chaired the Special Committee for the Alexander Turnbull Library throughout this period. In 1993 she assisted with the founding of the Barrier Free NZ Trust, which encourages the creation of environments that are accessible to people with disabilities. She is chair of the National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee and serves on the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee. She is Chancellor of the Auckland University of Technology and chair of the North Harbour Comprehensive Health and Disability Support Services Trust.
  • Ellen Aldcroft (Balclutha): has been awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list the Queen's Service Medal for Community Service for her work promoting the welfare of people with disabilities. Mrs Aldcroft was a foundation member of the Balclutha Branch of the Altrusa Club (a service club for business and professional women) and president of the Assembly of People with Disabilities. After the closing of Balclutha Hospital she was involved with putting together the Friendship Link Trust, which provides an activity centre for elderly people who are dependent on family and caregiver support. In 1992 she and her husband founded the Riding for the Disabled, Clutha District Branch and she has been co-ordinator for over 10 years, dealing with referrals from schools, the IHC, child and youth therapists and disabled pre-schoolers.
  • Heather Alford (Auckland): has been awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list the Queen's Service Medal for Community Service for her work with children, parents and people with disabilities. Ms Alford became a volunteer with the Bereaved Parents Support Group 20 years ago and in 1991 became a staff member of the Parent and Family Resource Centre at Green Lane Hospital. She has been a member of Heart Children New Zealand Inc. since 1984 and has served 12 years as voluntary parent advocate with special responsibility for bereaved families. She has been on the committee of Kidney Kids of New Zealand Support Group since 1990 and on the executive committee of the Justice Action Group, for persons with disabilities for many years. She facilitates monthly meetings with the residents of the Laura Fergusson Trust and was involved with the Around the Bays fundraising campaign.
  • Russell Hallam (Rotorua): has been awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list the Queen's Service Medal for Public Services for his work with special needs students. Mr Hallam has been the principal of Kea Street Special Needs School in Rotorua for many years. In that role he has enhanced the cause of education for students with intellectual disabilities, ensured that they are included in the community and has promoted educational choice for such students. He has improved the physical environment and the professionalism of teachers and support staff, ensured the learning programmes follow National Educational Guidelines and challenged teachers to be innovative. He has represented special school principals on the New Zealand Education Institute both locally and nationally and provided professional and pastoral support to members.
  • Francis O’Connell (Westport): has been awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list the Queen's Service Medal for Public Services for services supporting youth and community development. Mr O’Connell had a long-standing involvement with youth clubs in the North Island before becoming county clerk in the Chathams, where he developed an abiding interest in the Islands’ history. He initiated extensions to the museum and facilitated the return of historical artefacts. He later became county clerk at Inangahua and involved himself in community activities there and in Westport. He was involved in the Scout movement and was a motivating force behind the inception of the Reefton Community Arts Council. He is an organiser and fundraiser for the Buller Special Olympics Committee. He has been secretary of the Westport RSA since 1997.
  • Stella Sin Kam Yin Li (Auckland): has been awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list the Queen's Service Medal for Community Service. Mrs Li was the founding president of the Chinese Women’s Association of New Zealand in 1995, a position she still holds. She provides an advice programme on a Chinese language radio station, and has facilitated fundraising for the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind and the Yang Tzi River disaster.
  • Mr Ian Middlemiss (Christchurch): has been awarded a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service in the New Year Honours 2004, for his community activities including promotion and awareness of diabetes. Mr Middlemiss, lately of the New Zealand Police, has been involved in a wide range of community activities in Canterbury and Otago. In particular, he has been involved in the fields of diabetes and cot death and is the current president of Diabetes New Zealand. He has been a Member of the Lions for 33 years and, in 1992, received the Lions Melvin Jones Fellowship for Humanitarian Services. He has been a leading member of the Pier Promotion Trust in New Brighton. (January 2004)
  • Ms Bronwyn Gray (Auckland): has been awarded a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service in the New Year Honours 2004, for her work in suport of women with Lymphagiol myor-matosis. Ms Gray is the founding director of New Zealand Lam (Lymphagiol myor-matosis) Charitable Trust, which was established in 1999 to raise funds for research into the causes of the lung disease 'Lymphangiol' myor-matosis a rare, progressive and often fatal lung disease that affects only women. She works tirelessly to support women suffering from this disease. (January 2004)
  • Miss Johanna Brens (Auckland): has been awarded a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service in the New Year Honours 2004, for her work in promoting the welfare of people with disabilities. Miss Brens started Scouting for Disabled in West Auckland in 1987. Between 1991 and 1997 she was involved in the special holiday camps for disabled young people, and voluntarily assisting at the Aleos Respite Care for Disabled in Te Puke. She petitioned Parliament for hearing dogs to have the same status as guide dogs for the blind, and became a hearing dog trainer. She established Hearing Dogs for Deaf People in New Zealand in 1998, and became office manager, assessment officer and trainer for the organisation's training centre. (January 2004)
  • Mr Zismore Luragud (Timaru): has been awarded a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service in the New Year Honours 2004, for his work in support of the community and deaf New Zealanders. Mr Lurajud has for 20 years been the treasurer of the New Zealand Federation for Deaf Children Inc. He was involved with the South Canterbury Society for Deaf Children for 12 years, being awarded life member status in 2000. He was on the board of trustees of the Van Asch Deaf Education Centre for four years, a trustee of the Deaf Children of New Zealand Charitable Trust, and committee member of the awards committee of the Noonan Trust. He has been a "meals on wheels" driver for 15 years, and a support worker for New Zealand Crippled Children, Timaru for 10 years. (January 2004)
  • Mrs Yvonne Annette Lyons (Auckland): has been awarded a Queen's Service Medal for Public Service in the New Year Honours 2004, for almost 50 years working for special education. Mrs Lyons has worked to improve the opportunities and benefits available to all those under her care. As principal of Sommerville Special School she manages six satellite classes at mainstream schools, and with over 100 people with all types of disabilities.

Central government

  • New Zealand Police are working in partnership with Neighbourhood Support to enhance the safety of disabled people in their local communities. A video, called ‘Get Involved’, has been produced in English and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). It features a small panel in the right hand corner of the screen with a NZSL interpreter. This video has been developed to help with the establishment of new Neighbourhood Support groups and motivate existing groups to continue their community safety work.
  • Department of Internal Affairs has developed a Disability Audit tool in conjunction with disabled people. By March 2005, the tool will be used throughout the Department to identify actions in services and policy development to remove barriers to the participation of disabled people. This tool has information on: leadership and accountability, disability training, disabled staff, disabled people, communication and information, developing new policy and services, consulting and campaigns, frontline service, customer satisfaction, technology, and physical access.
  • NZ Police won the Mainstream Employer of the Year Award 2003, in recognition of the work of its Tauranga office in supporting an employee with a disability. This office has provided a supported employment placement for a young man with an intellectual disability over the past two years.
    More about the Mainstream Supported Employment Programme
  • Department of Conservation, Department of Internal Affairs, and the NZ Police for leadership in development of work plans to implement the NZ Disability Strategy and proactive inclusion of disabled people in policy development. (January 2004)
    Read more about the NZ Disability Strategy Workplans
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