Part Three: Sector News.
14: Paralympics New Zealand announces team for Beijing Paralympic Games 6 - 17 September 2008.
The team going to the Beijing Paralympic Games was announced on 6 May 2008. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0805/S00055.htm
For more information:
15: Accessible Wellington Forum: Tourism for all 11 April 2008.
Wellington City Council's annual accessible forum focussed on tourism for all. Keynote speaker Dr Sandra Rhodda said the tourist industry ignores the baby boomers and the access market at its peril. Dr Rhodda has done research into accessible tourism in New Zealand. Her publications can be found at
For more information:
Contact: Ross Livingstone, Community Advisor-Disability
Postal: Absolutely Positively Accessible, PO Box 2199 Wellington City Council
Phone: 04 801 3134
Fax: 04 801 3124
Voice/Txt: 021 227 8549
16: One in Five: Relationships and Sexuality 18 May 2008.
One in Five, a weekly magazine and information programme about the issues and experience of disability is running a series on relationships and sexuality where 8 people with diverse disabilities, cultures, ages,genders,and sexualities dispel myths about disability and dating, sex, relationships and having children.
The programme is aired every Sunday 7.06 pm. Repeats are played on Friday at 12.34 am.
Other ways to listen are:
For more information:
Contact: Meg Torwl, Features Producer, One in five Radio New Zealand, Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa
Postal: PO Box 123, Wellington
Phone: 04 474 1739
Fax: 04 474 1731
17: Victoria University Research Scholarships on Autism appications called for.
Victoria University has a Vice-Chancellor's Strategic Research Scholarship available on the topic of autism.
Applications from interested people are invited. Candidates should have the appropriate level of post-graduate qualification in a related discipline and have a desire to work with children with autism.
Applications close 15 May 2008.
For more information:
Contact: Scholarships Office,Victoria University of Wellington
Postal: PO Box 600, Wellington
Phone: 04 463 7493
Email: philippa.hay@vuw.ac.nz
Website: http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home file://www.victoria.ac.nz/home
Research Contact: Professor Jeff Sigafoos, Jessie Hetherington Centre
for Educational Research, Victoria University of Wellington
Postal: PO Box 17-310, Karori, Wellington
Phone: 04 463 9588
18: Autism Questionnaire "In My Shoes" 31 May 2008.
The Promotion of Acceptance and Inclusion of Autism Spectrum Disorder (P.A.I.4 ASD) Trust is seeking assistance from parents and family members of children with autism to answer a questionnaire to help develop the content of DVDs about ASD. These DVDs ,named "In My Shoes " will be distributed to all schools in the country to explain what ASD is, and the experience of people who have it/families etc. The questionnaires must be completed by 31 May 2008.
For more information:
19: Research into Motherhood and women experiencing disability.
To date little research has been carried out, and none in New Zealand, to indicate or respond to the facilitators and barriers to pregnancy, birth and motherhood for women with impairments.
To explore this area, a team of researchers from Auckland University of Technology, Unitec and the University of Auckland, are undertaking a study to identify and explore, from a woman’s perspective, the experiences of considering motherhood, the factors and people who influenced women’s decisions around whether or not to become a mother, and for those who decided to pursue motherhood, the experiences during pregnancy, birth and early childcare.
The research team would like to talk to women aged 18 to 45 years who live with a physical or sensory impairment and, in the last five years, have experienced pregnancy, birth and motherhood.
The team would also like to talk to women with impairments who have not pursued motherhood for whatever reason (including those who have had the choice taken away from them).
The research team will be holding interviews and focus groups in the following regions:
Whangarei,Auckland, Hamilton, Gisborne, Wellington, Christchurch, Greymouth, Dunedin and Invercargill.
The study is funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.
For more information:
Contact: Bernadette Guerin
Phone: 09 921 9731
or
Dr Debbie Payne
Phone: 09 921 9999 Ext 7112
Free Phone: 0508 WOMENDIS or 0508 966 363
20: Cultural competencies: A New Zealand Reference published.
A cross-cultural resource designed for health practioners working with culturally and linguistically diverse people has been published. The booklet and CD rom resources were developed as a collaborative project by Waitemata District Health Board and Refugees As Survivors New Zealand. The resource covers health and mental health issues, working with interpreters, cultural safety, cultural awareness and cultural competency.
For more information:
Phone: 0800 47 27 69
21: New Asperger support service to be launched in Cambridge University UK.
Students or staff with suspected Aspergers who are seeking help will now be fast-tracked for a specialist diagnostic assessment in a dedicated clinic for Aspergers in adulthood, and then referred to the Disability Resource Centre for ongoing support.
For more information: