Recognising Achievers 2005

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Recognising Achievers 2005

We would like to celebrate the good work of people and organisations in promoting the inclusion, visibility and participation of disabled people in society.

If you know of other examples of good practice and work that should be acknowledged, please let us know. This can include disabled persons, people and organisation in the community and disability sector, local and central government, and businesses. You can email us at: odi@msd.govt.nz.

New Zealand Honours are announced twice a year, at New Years and at Queen’s Birthday. To find out how to nominate a person for a New Zealand Honour or about people who have been awarded Honours, contact the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Disabled people

• Susan Fowler (Dannevirke): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours with a Queen’s Service Medal for Community Services. Miss Fowler, a wheelchair user, has been an active participant in youth affairs for many years. In 1975 she formed a group for youth in Christchurch known as The Junior Legion of Mary. In February 1993 she helped form the Dannevirke Youthline, which became Youthline Hawke's Bay, and now covers Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Taihape, New Plymouth, Wairarapa and the Manawatu. In 1995 she saw the need for the phones to be manned 24 hours a day, and to accomplish this the phones were initially diverted to her home each night, then set up permanently at her home. She has been the Youthline Co-ordinator since 1994, and is involved in training new recruits.
• Alexia Pickering (Wellington): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM). Mrs Pickering was born with Spina Bifida and has acted as an advocate for people with disabilities for many years. In 1973 she persuaded the Christchurch City Council to introduce parking exemptions for drivers and passengers with restricted mobility. She founded the Barrier Free New Zealand Trust, Handiscope Centres in Christchurch, the Laura Fergusson Trust and the Hamilton Volunteer Centre Trust. She served on the national executive of the New Zealand Paraplegic and Physically Disabled Federation (now ParaFed) from 1979 to 1989. She was a member of the Rehabilitation International Social Commission, the New Zealand Orthotic Board of Certification, president of the New Zealand Federation of Disability Information Centres, and was appointed to the New Zealand Council for Recreation and Sport, the New Zealand Building Industry Authority and the Rehabilitation International ICTA Commission. She published Accessible New Zealand, a guide to accessible facilities for people with restricted mobility wanting to travel around the country. She was a Girl Guide Commissioner for two years.
• Peter Martin (Hamilton): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM). Mr Martin in the New Zealand Paralympic team captain. He holds three current world records in the F52 category shotput, javelin, pentathlon and the F53 shotput and pentathlon. He has broken the shotput record numerous times in his career and holds 10 current national records in a variety of athletic events. His many sporting achievements include winning a gold medal at the Paralympic Games in 1996, 2000 and another two at Athens in 2004. He won gold medals at the IPC World Athletic Championships in 1994, 1998 and another two in 2002 He also won two gold medals at the World Wheelchair Games in 1999.
• Tracey Richardson (Napier): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM). Mrs Richardson raised the profile of Cystic Fibrosis and created the most successful fundraising campaign the charity had ever had by overcoming her own health problems and undertaking to complete the Ironman New Zealand triathlon. She convinced Ironman New Zealand to promote Cystic Fibrosis as their only ever "official charity". She won the Franchisee of the Year award in 1996 for her inspiring efforts in business, but retired to care for her two children. Her story was profiled on TVNZ’s Sunday programme, NEXT magazine and other publications. In October 2004 she competed in the Ironman World Championships to raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis and will feature on NBC USA where she is booked to appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Rosie O’Donnell show in late 2004.
• Gloria Hunt (Nelson): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list with a Queen’s Service Medal for community service (QSM). Mrs Hunt, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1976, was appointed president of the Nelson Multiple Sclerosis Society in 1981 and continued in that post until 2002. During her time as president she prepared the newsletter, represented the Nelson Society on the Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand, enlisted the services of a full time field officer and the appointment of an activities coordinator, and raised a million dollars for the Nelson Society. She served on the Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand from 1982 to 2002 and was for many years convenor of the Public Relations Committee. She was an inaugural member of the Nelson Division of the NZ Paraplegic Federation and served on Plunket and kindergarten committees.

Community and disability sector

• Joy Cowley (Wellington): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to literature which benefits children with reading difficulties. Ms Cowley began writing in 1960. Her many awards include the Children’s Book of the Year Award in 1982, the Russell Clark Award in 1985, the AIM Book of the Year in 1992, New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards in 2001 and 2002 and the A W Reed Award for Contribution to New Zealand Literature at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards 2004. Her short stories have featured on radio, a play and a film have been produced from her stories and she has created more than 400 books for her ‘Storybox’ series. She now spends about three months in every year overseas, working with teachers on early reading and children’s difficulties and running writing workshops. She provides the hospitality of ‘Te Aroha’ in the Marlborough Sounds. In 2002, she launched The Joy Cowley Award for children’s writers.
• Douglas Callander (Wellington): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to special education and war veterans. Mr Callander has devoted his working life to providing specialist teaching to children with behaviour and learning difficulties. He took a position with the Psychological Service in the New Zealand Education Department in 1960 and was later appointed as District psychologist for the Department of Education, where he serviced schools and assisted parents and teachers to plan programs for special needs children. He later became national adviser on backward pupils for the New Zealand Education Department and then national adviser on services for the New Zealand Society for the Intellectually Handicapped before becoming director of training and education for prisons at the Department of Justice in Wellington. As well as his working life, he has given much of his own time to the education and needs of handicapped children and adults and has written a number of training manuals and handbooks to assist staff, parents and others in this area of teaching. Upon his retirement 18 years ago, he became a member of the New Zealand Korea War Veterans Association and is now Secretary General. He was one of two veterans representing the New Zealand Korea Veterans Association at the 50th anniversary of the signing of the cease-fire in 2000.
• Joy Thompson (Christchurch): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the vision impaired. Mrs Thompson has been a volunteer with the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind and the Canterbury Blind Bowls Club for 32 years. She has served as secretary, treasurer, national treasurer and councillor to blind sport. The Blind Bowls Club attributes their current success to her, as coordinator, motivator and coach. She is the Christchurch bowls representative with Blind Sport New Zealand. She was Secretary of the Parish of Burnside for 25 years, recently taking on the role of verger at the St Timothy’s Church. She was on the Kendal School Parents and Teachers Association for six years, including three years as Secretary. She assisted with fundraising, sporting events, newsletters and other voluntary activities.
• Ian Burrell (Rotorua): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours with a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service for work with the community and organisations in Rotorua, including the Stroke Foundation and Alzheimer's Society.
• Elizabeth Carroll (Palmerston North): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours with a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service for her work with the Deaf community. Mrs Carroll is a life member and patron of the Manawatu Deaf Society and has devoted her life to the deaf community in the Manawatu and Wellington for the past 40 years. She has provided a home for young deaf school-leavers and is a leader in the teaching of the deaf. From 1994 to 2004 she was the deaf resource person at the Freyberg High School Deaf Centre and has been a role model for other people with hearing difficulties.
• Ralph Dixon (Rotorua): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours with a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service for work with community organisations including the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind.
• Diana Jackson (Christchurch): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours with a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service for her work with the Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinsons Society. Mrs Jackson has served the groups for approximately 30 years, more recently as the director of information services. She played an important role in establishing this organisation and in 1980 the first Parkinsons group in New Zealand arose from it. She has worked to increase the quality of information for health professionals and sufferers of Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinsons Disease in New Zealand by travelling overseas and conducting research. She established and directed the information service for Parkinsons in New Zealand.
• Sheila Sinclair (Dunedin): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours with a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service work her work with various disability related organisations. Miss Sinclair has given service to her community in many capacities for 50 years. She was involved with the Girl Guide Movement from 1949 to 1986, being a Guide Leader, District Commissioner and Division Commissioner. She has given voluntary work to Barnardos, the Cancer Society, the Disability Information Service, Meals of Wheels and the Royal Foundation for the Blind. She convened a Home Care Group for the Presbyterian Church. She was Supervising Dental Nurse for Otago/Southland for 21 years.
• Alexander and Mary Stewart (Northland): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours with a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service for their role in establishing the Head Injury Society. Mr and Mrs Stewart established the Head Injury Society in 1980 following an accident involving their son. The Society now numbers 14 Branches around New Zealand and provides a range of services and support to people with brain injuries and their families, including rehabilitation centres (called Stewart Centres in their honour) and field worker Services. Mrs Stewart is a member of Lions and the Returned Services Association. Mr Stewart was president of the Society from 1981 to 1997. He is also a member of Lions and the Returned Services Association.
• Joan Swift (Auckland): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours with a Queen's Service Medal for Community Service for her work with the Cancer Society. Mrs Swift has carried out volunteer work for the Cancer Society for 30 years. She was a volunteer Cancer Society driver and coordinator for 23 years, taking patients to and from Auckland hospitals to undergo cancer therapy. She has coordinated the Daffodil Day appeal in Auckland since its first year of operation. She was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary for 25 years, including three years as chairperson, raising cancer awareness and providing assistance to cancer patients and their families. She was a member of the Sail for Cancer Trust for two years, organising an annual outing and picnic for cancer patients and families. She is a foundation member and was trustee for over 12 years of the Look Good Feel Better charity, running workshops for women with Cancer to help them overcome the side effects of their treatment. She has served Zonta International for over 20 years, receiving the Founders Day Award for her voluntary work and establishing the East Auckland club where she has served as director, Secretary, treasurer, vice president and president. She has also been involved in Child Cancer Foundation and the National Council for Women for 13 years.
• Anthony Frost (Nelson): has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours with a Queen's Service Medal for Public Services for his work as an orthotist (one who specialises in artificial limbs) and for his work in assisting to provide medical aids for disabled people in their own homes. Mr Frost set up a new area in Nelson Hospital for the maintenance of wheelchairs and other medical aids required for disabled people in their own homes. In 2002 he was presented with an award by the Nelson Civic Trust for 45 years of dedicated service to Nelson. He has given assistance with information and medical aids to the Arthritis Foundation, Artificial Limbs, Intellectually Handicapped Children Society and other organisations.
  
• Allan Bean (Christchurch): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM). Mr Bean has devoted his working life to spinal injuries medicine and rehabilitation since 1973. He was one of the founding clinicians at the Spinal Injuries Unit at Christchurch Public Hospital, now at Burwood Hospital. He is an authority on the management of spinally injured patients and was instrumental in persuading the Rugby Union to develop safer scrummaging techniques, thereby reducing the likelihood of serious neck injury. He was awarded a Fellowship of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
• Michael Watt (England): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM). Mr Watt has given financial support to the New Zealand Special Olympics Team, the Hohepa Canterbury’s organic farm at Halswell, the 1999 World Cup Black Caps, a rugby museum in Auckland, the New Zealand skier Claudia Riegler, and paid the university fees to enable a young New Zealand Māori student to take up an offer of study at Cambridge University. He has given nearly $2 million to New Zealand cricket to build a high performance centre and develop cricket grounds at Lincoln University. He has resourced a number of young New Zealand performers, provided funding for Riverdance to come to New Zealand, and for the Akaroa Jazz Festival. He has funded a school for the blind in Nicaragua, a music school in South Africa, ambulances in Cuba and medical aid in Mozambique.
• Zelda Bridgens (North Shore City): has been recognised in the New Year Honours with a Queen’s Service Medal for community service (QSM). Mrs Bridgens has had a long association with athletics, disabled athletes and bowls. She twice won the national long jump title in the 1940s and was a foundation member of the Western Suburbs Athletic Club. She was a delegate on the Auckland Athletic Association, served on its executive for over 12 years and was the first women vice president of the Auckland Athletic Association. She helped establish the Auckland Secondary Schools Girls Championships and was manager of the women’s team to the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. She has assisted and motivated disabled athletes and accompanied disabled teams to Australia and Holland. She was a foundation member of the Milford Combined Bowling Club and has coached bowls. She has assisted patients with speech therapy with the Stroke Foundation and served as an ambulance “escort” with the North Shore Hospital Unit.
• Huhana Kissock (Gisborne): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list with a Queen’s Service Medal for community service (QSM). Mrs Kissock worked for many years for the New Zealand Crippled Children’s Society and set up many initiatives during her time with the Society. From 1991 to 2001 she was involved with Youth for Understanding, a voluntary group hosting overseas students. She worked as a volunteer crew member on the Spirit of Adventure, qualifying as a watch leader and participating on voyages with disabled crew. She was invited by the Māori Women’s Welfare League on the East Coast to become a member, although she is a Pākehā. She helps with holidays and trips for special needs people two or three times a year, and is a keen supporter of the Wellington City Mission. She spent 10 years as a civil defence volunteer.
• Bhukhan Parbhu (Wellington): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list with a Queen’s Service Medal for community service (QSM). Mr Parbhu has made a major contribution to the Indian community for over 30 years. He has served the Wellington Indian Association in many capacities, including president, secretary and treasurer. He has been vice president and general secretary of the New Zealand Indian Central Association. He was the driving force in bringing many Indian cultural films to Wellington to set up the Wellington Sathya Sai Service Organisation in 1984, which has grown from six to over 200 participants. He has acted as an interpreter for the Immigration Service, and been a representative on the Bank Officer’s Union. He has been an active volunteer for the Royal Zealand Foundation of the Blind for 16 years, and is associated with Wellington Victim Support.
• Joan Sherley (Raumati Beach): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list with a Queen’s Service Medal for community service (QSM). Mrs Sherley has been involved in her community in a voluntary capacity for over 40 years. She has been on the committees of Plunket, Kindergarten Parents’ Association, several primary schools and the Kāpiti College Parents Association. She has been on the committee of the Kāpiti Arts & Crafts Society, Kāpiti Playhouse, Kāpiti Coast Community Arts Council, Kāpiti Noise Abatement Group, the Kāpiti District Trust Board, Foundation for the Blind and the Save the Children Committee. She was the chair from 1996 to 2003 of the June Oakley Memorial Trust, on the fundraising committee for the Kāpiti Community Centre, the Friends of the Library and the Kāpiti Historical Society. She has been a marriage celebrant and a funeral celebrant for many years.
• Valda Laurich (Ngatea): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list with a Queen’s Service Medal for community service (QSM). Mrs Laurich was first elected a member of the Plains Community Board in 1992, and to the Hauraki District Council in 1998, and chaired the Millennium Celebrations Community Committee. She became involved with the Ngatea Playcentre in 1960 and is a life member and patroness. She is involved with Zonta International, the Thames-Coromandel-Hauraki-Waihī Life Education Trust, the Thames Valley Special Olympics, Plunket, Cubs, Scouts, IHC Funding, tennis and netball.
• Thelma Ruohonen (Taupō): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list with a Queen’s Service Medal for community service (QSM). Mrs Ruohonen began working with special needs children on a voluntary basis in 1972, then trained as a teacher. In 1987 she was senior teacher in the satellite unit of Hamilton North Special School, and in 1990 was appointed principal. She has contributed much to the development of curricula for special needs students and encouraged strong community involvement with the school. She has ensured good links with the local Mäori community, and encouraged strong parent involvement with the school and raised the profile of the school as an integral part of the wider education community.
• Trevor Humphrey (Whanganui): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list with a Queen’s Service Medal for public services (QSM). Mr Humphrey has for many years fought for the pension rights of disabled servicemen from all theatres of war. He has acted as an unpaid advocate for veterans, ex-servicemen and the widows of deceased servicemen, particularly of veterans exposed to nuclear, biological and chemical agents through the agency of the RIMPAC Association.
• Margaret Walch (Ōtaki): has been recognised in the New Year Honours list with the Queen’s Service Medal for public services (QSM). Ms Walch has made an outstanding contribution to community development and the mental health field at a local and national level. As Director of the Wellington Downtown Community Ministry she helped develop seven new community organisations having a particular focus on the integration of mental health consumers into the community, She played a major role in the establishment of Mana Community Enterprises to provide vocational services, and has worked with Wellington’s Wellink Trust as Consumer Employment Coordinator. She is a member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal.
• Norma Dobson (Whangārei): has been recognised in the New Year Honours List with a Queen’s Service Medal for public services (QSM). Mrs Dobson has been involved with the Epilepsy Foundation for over 30 years. She instigated an “education in schools” programme on epilepsy, assisting pupils and teachers to understand the effects of epilepsy on learning. She helped form the Whangārei Branch of the Epilepsy Foundation and served as secretary for 11 years. She was involved in coaching, fundraising and committee work with rugby, hockey, swimming, athletics and other activities her children were involved in, and helped found the Pines Golf Club. She has given support to Child Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and the Arthritis Foundation.