DPA Annual General Meeting 2006

National Executive Committee ballot

President

Mike Gourley (Wellington)

Vice-President

Marion Wellington (Waitara)

Continuing NEC members

David Corner (Dunedin),

Beverley Grammer (Whakatane),

Brendon Murray (Invercargill),

Wendy Neilson (Tauranga), and

David Tamatea (Opunake).

Freshly elected NEC members

Linda Beck (Christchurch),

Eamon Daly (Christchurch),

Deborah Mudgway (Hastings),

Ken Talbot (Timaru),

Cheryl Wallace (Gore), and

Dot Wilson (Invercargill).

NEC Member Profile – Cheryl Wallace

As the National Chairperson of People First New Zealand, Nga Tangata Tuatahi, Cheryl already has a national profile. She is of Ngati Porou descent, was born and grew up in Mosgiel and now lives in a flat in Gore where she works at the local school. She joined DPA a couple of years ago.

“My experience of disability issues is the same as other members - being a disabled person and mixing with others, disabled and not,” she says. “As a person with an intellectual impairment, my main wish is that every individual should be able to participate in their communities with appropriate assistance. I also believe it's OK to take risks, and standing for NEC was one of them!”

NEC Member Profile – Debbie Mudgway

Debbie is active in her community. She works part-time as the Disability Community Liaison person for Bay Home Support, the local NASC Agency, which keeps her well connected with both the disabled community and the disability sector.

Debbie spent the last six years in Auckland, where she managed disability awareness training programmes for the Ripple Trust, an organisation run by and for disabled people. She was also part of the initial partnership between DPA Auckland and the Ministry of Health’s northern Disability Support Directorate.

She enjoys living in Flaxmere on the outskirts of Hastings, with her husband and foster-son, though there are some service and support issues. “Now I am back in my home town, I experience again the isolation and exclusion of the disability sector from what is happening around the country, particularly main centres,” she says. She feels it is important to present a rural perspective on disability issues, as this is a voice seldom heard.

Life membership – Pauline Angus

Pauline Angus of Wellington says she values the honour of becoming a life member. “It's very humbling,” she said. “I was stunned. It's heart-warming that they have taken account of all my involvement and connections with DPA.”

Pauline’s late husband Quentin Angus was Founding President of DPA NZ.

In nominating Pauline, Anne Hawker (also a past President of DPA NZ) said that Pauline "has provided, through her experience as a physiotherapist and living with people with disabilities (husband and daughter), first-hand experience of the challenges and needs for equal opportunity."

In her recommendation, Anne stressed the importance of families and supporters in enabling disabled people. “Quentin played a significant role in furthering opportunities for people with disabilities through his legal input. Much of this would not have been possible had it not been for the support he had, both emotionally and physically. This has often been at Pauline's own personal expense. She has continued to contribute to DPA both regionally and nationally.”

Pauline shares life membership of DPA with Anne Hawker, Marilyn Baikie, Marion Wellington and Verona Moynihan.

Remit and Open Forum discussion

Following discussion, DPA agreed that:

“Any person without the power of speech, particularly those in situations of supported living and care, should be accorded the right to ask for contact with a named representative on a regular basis if they so choose. The responsibility for contact to rest with the representative. The frequency of such contact to be decided by the client.”

Other matters raised during the final Forum included the possibility of setting up a Taumata Kaumatua and concern about the level of suicide among disabled people.