Foundation for Equity and Research New Zealand

20/06/2026

As National Volunteer Week 2026 draws to a close, we want to acknowledge the incredible contribution of everyone who volunteers their time, skills, knowledge, and passion to support FERNZ.

Across our Community Action Groups, Ngaa Tira Hauaa and FERNZ other mahi, more than 130 volunteers help make our work possible.

This year's National Volunteer Week theme, Your Year to Volunteer / Tōu Tau ki te Tūao, celebrates the many ways people contribute to their communities.
At FERNZ, we see that contribution every day. Every conversation, every meeting, every event, every kilometre travelled, and every hour given contributes to stronger communities and a more inclusive Aotearoa.

To every volunteer who has shared their time, energy, skills, and lived experience with us: Thank you. Your mahi matters. Your contribution is valued. Your impact is felt.

https://www.volunteeringnz.org.nz/news-events/news-post/celebrate-volunteering-during-national-volunteer-week


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19/06/2026

Recently, one of our Community Action Group (CAG) members was enjoying a coffee at a local café when something special happened.

At a nearby table, a preschool-aged child sitting with her mum noticed him and asked if she could go and talk to him. With her mum's permission, she wandered over and began chatting away. Not once did she ask about his disability. Instead, she talked about all sorts of things that interested her.

At one point, she stood up and looked at the controller on his powerchair. It was another interesting thing to learn about. She asked if he would like to come and sit with her and her mum. He joined them at their table, where the conversation continued over coffee.

Reflecting on the encounter later, our member realised the child hadn't seen his disability. She hadn't seen someone different. She had simply seen another person and wanted to get to know them.

As adults, we can sometimes overcomplicate inclusion.
We worry about saying the wrong thing, we make assumptions, or we keep our distance because we're unsure.
This child showed that inclusion can be as simple as a conversation, a shared coffee, and an invitation to join the table.

Perhaps the real lesson is that children don't let differences stand in the way of connection. They see the person first.

17/06/2026

📢 Have Your Say on the Future of Disability Support Services. At FERNZ, we believe disabled people should be at the centre of decisions that affect their lives. Now is your chance to contribute to Disability Support Services' latest consultation!!

The consultation focuses on issues that many have identified as priorities:
🔹 Outcomes that matter in everyday life
🔹 Getting the right support when circumstances change
🔹 Easier and more accessible feedback and complaints processes
🔹 Better respite options for carers
🔹 Greater choice, flexibility, and control over supports
🔹 Clearer information and advice about available supports

If you have experience with Disability Support Services, this is an opportunity to share what is working, what isn't, and what needs to change.

🔗 Learn more and have your say:
https://www.disabilitysupport.govt.nz/improving-dss/have-your-say-on-further-improvements-to-services

DSS invites disabled people, families, whānau and carers to help shape further improvements to disability support services.

13/06/2026

Missed *Finding Common Ground – a UNCRPD COSP19 Side Event*? 🌏
Watch the recording here:
https://www.facebook.com/dpa.nz.7/videos/1597197279082638

It was great to see Tristram (FERNZ Chair) and Bernadette (FERNZ Director) sharing TAMA's experiences, insights, and kaupapa on the panel, while Taki (FERNZ Kaiarataki Māori) served as Pou Tikanga for the event, providing cultural leadership, opening with a mihi whakatau. Alongside Dr Huhana Hickey, they represented TAMA in a global conversation about collaboration, leadership, inclusion, and disability rights.

A reminder that good things happen when Disabled people, organisations, and communities work together.

11/06/2026

📢 **Submissions close today (Friday, 12 June 2026.) at 1:00pm.**

The Bill has generated significant discussion and concern across the disability community. The Select Committee process is your opportunity to have your say and share your views directly with Parliament.

Whether you are a disabled person, whānau member, carer, provider, or community organisation, your perspective matters.

🔗 Make a submission here:
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/54SCSSC_SCF_E6D8596D-C177-486B-CCF2-08DEB47E5457/disability-support-services-bill/

⏰ **Submissions close at 1:00pm today.**
**Make sure your perspective is part of the conversation.**

11/06/2026

Innovation starts with an idea—and grows through collaboration, a funder prepared to back it, and the courage to give it a go.

Sometimes it even starts with a few ducks. 🦆💛
We're excited to be piloting a South Wairarapa CAG, working alongside Build A Tribe to explore new ways of building connection, and belonging in our community.

My first story is about a diverse group of Ducks along with a whole lot of gratitude. More to come 🪿

10/06/2026

🚨 Disabled people in Aotearoa are dying at five times the rate of non-disabled people. Disabled Māori are 10 times more likely to die from treatable conditions.

These are not isolated incidents. They are the result of systemic inequities embedded across the health system.

In a powerful opinion piece, Bernadette Huatau Jones argues that the response outlined in the Window on Disability report does not match the urgency of the inequities identified. She writes:

"Its recommendations focus largely on incremental, process-driven actions: improving data collection, establishing working groups, reviewing frameworks. These are not unimportant steps, but they are fundamentally misaligned with the urgency of the matter."

She goes on to argue that:
"What is missing is a commitment to measurable, enforceable change."
and
"This is not a call for consultation as a formality. It is a call for genuine partnership, where disabled people are actively involved in shaping the systems that affect them."

The report highlights what it calls "structural invisibility" — a health system that does not adequately see, understand, or respond to Disabled people.

Disabled people are experts in our own lives. We know what works, what doesn't, and what needs to change. Decisions about us should not be made without us.

The evidence is unequivocal. The question now is whether those in positions of power are willing to respond with the urgency and courage this moment demands.

📖 Read the article: https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/06/09/disabled-people-are-experts-in-our-own-lives-listen-to-us/

Comment from Otago University: We can’t afford to respond to the crisis in disability health care with incremental change, says Bernadette Huatau Jones

07/06/2026

What happens when accessible transport becomes harder to afford?
Did you know that from Wednesday 1 July 2026, changes are being made to the Total Mobility Scheme across Aotearoa New Zealand?

Key changes include:
• The subsidy rate reducing from 75% to 65% meaning users will pay more towards the cost of each trip

Higher transport costs mean more barriers for Disabled people trying to work, study, attend appointments, connect with community, and live independently. Accessible transport is not a luxury — it is a basic part of everyday life.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to supporting Disabled people to participate fully in society. Affordable and accessible transport is a key part of making that happen. Changes that increase transport costs may make it harder for some Disabled people to access their communities and participate in everyday life.

More information about the Total Mobility Scheme can be found here:
https://www.transport.govt.nz/area-of-interest/strategy-and-direction/total-mobility-scheme

05/06/2026

**What makes FERNZ different?** We listen to our communities. We gather evidence, learn from lived experience, and bring people together to share ideas, build leadership, and create opportunities for change.

We're NOT a service provider. We're an independent, kaupapa Māori-governed charitable trust that works alongside communities to identify issues, understand what's driving them, and empower people to advocate for the change they need.

We believe communities are the experts in their own lives. Rather than speaking for people, we help create spaces where people can speak for themselves and influence the decisions that affect them.

**Independent. Community-led. Lived experience informed.**

03/06/2026

Good intentions don't always lead to good outcomes.
Imagine a new accessible toilet is installed. The design looks great on paper, but the coat hook inside the cubicle has been placed at a height that's easy for a standing person to reach.

For a power chair user, it may be completely out of reach.
This may seem like a small detail to the designer or decision-maker, but for the person who can't reach the hook, it's a big deal. It's another reminder that their needs weren't considered.

When a space isn't working as intended, it can require costly alterations, create frustration, and reinforce the feeling that decisions were made without understanding the true needs of the users. Over time, this can erode trust and reinforce the feeling that people's voices don't matter.

This is why genuine engagement matters.
Genuine engagement is about listening to learn and understand, not simply ticking a box. It's about building relationships, sharing knowledge, and working together to create solutions that meet people's needs.

When organisations engage meaningfully with the people who will actually use a service, building, or programme, barriers can be identified before they become expensive mistakes. Communities gain confidence that their voices are valued, and solutions are more practical, effective, and inclusive.

This is why FERNZ established Community Action Groups (CAGs).
Our CAGs provide a space for people to identify issues, share expertise, and work alongside decision-makers to create solutions that work in the real world.

FERNZ's CAGs have a proven track record of engaging with councils, organisations, and other decision-makers in a respectful and constructive way. Our approach focuses on education, relationship-building, and collaboration, helping decision-makers understand issues from a community perspective and supporting positive change.

Meaningful change starts by genuinely listening to the people most affected.