Amputees Federation of New Zealand Conference

  • Tariana Turia
Disability Issues

I am honoured to have the opportunity to open the 64th Annual Conference of the Amputees Federation of New Zealand.

As Minister for Disability Issues I welcome every opportunity to meet the people who are at the forefront of providing services and advocacy for disabled people.

This event, in bringing together representatives from each of the nine district amputee societies is a good chance to hear about your priorities and to share some of the ideas we are working on.

In Budget 2010, we secured three million dollars over three years for a campaign to improve attitudes and behaviours towards disabled people.

As I looked over your website, and your newsletter, ‘Purpose’; I couldn’t help but think everything that we ever needed to know about having the right attitude is being promoted by your Federation.

The story about double amputee, Nadya Vessey approaching Weta Workshop and asking them to create a mermaid tail to swim with, is simply magical. The gold lycra mermaid tail with digitally printed fish scales was a dream come true for Nadya – and it reminds us all of the power of positive thinking.

That’s also the message from the story of another double amputee featured in your news – Ben Hekenui. Ben was awarded Taranaki Daily News Person of the Year because of his courage, tenacity and humour following an horrific industrial accident. It was this attitude that whanau believe enabled Ben to make an incredible physical and psychological recovery, leaving hospital a month after the accident with the statement, “I’m just lucky; lucky to be here – and all of the support I’ve been getting from my family is making me strive to do really good”.

These are just two of the people with champion spirit in your publications. I want to congratulate you for the inspirational messages throughout your resources, including profiling the amputee athletes who competed at the Paralympics in Christchurch in January this year.

Our attitudes campaign can learn from your example. The focus of our approach is to address the constraints of a disabling society - we need widespread attitudinal change that will ultimately change behaviour.

The campaign will fund community-driven social change, strengthen existing initiatives and support new approaches to changing attitudes. To get there we need to increase understanding of disabilities and make it relevant to everyone.

I was interested that in your programme for this conference you are including a morning of sightseeing across the city.

I’m interested, because one of the key focus areas of our Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues is around mobility and access — looking at how we can better enable disabled people to move around your community and get to the places you need to go for work, education and life in general.

The whole issue of mobility and accessibility has of course been uppermost in our minds in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake, so it’s a good opportunity to be thinking about what we can do better.

New Zealand legislation requires all new public buildings to be accessible for disabled people to visit or work in. There are detailed construction provisions for buildings to ensure that disabled people, particularly people who use wheelchairs, have easy access and can undertake everyday activities. Consistent with this is the Urban Design Protocol, a voluntary framework co-ordinated by the Ministry for the Environment.

You might be aware that the Government is investing $1.5 million between 2010 and 2012 in the Lifetime Design standard. This standard promotes and licenses designs for new homes which incorporate features that make them safe, affordable, comfortable, and easy to adapt to changing family needs, particularly those of disabled and older family members.

As you all well know, mobility is a key to independence and so we also need to ensure that there is access to quality mobility aids, devices, and assistive technologies, at an affordable cost.

I see that the New Zealand Artificial Limb Board is addressing your conference tomorrow afternoon and so I hope that gives you all the opportunity to ask any questions you need to.

As I understand from the advice I’ve received the changing profile of amputees now includes a higher percentage of older people whose amputations have been mainly caused by diabetes or other vascular failure.

I’ll be really interested to hear from you any challenges that these new needs may bring, particularly whether the demand for services has increased as a result.

I also know the subject of employment is very important to you. Being in work is vital in terms of increasing independence; improving financial security and because its so critical in self-confidence and esteem.

Like you I want to focus on what people can do, not what they can’t; and so I’m keen that across Government we promote employment opportunities and career advancement for disabled people by targeting employers, government, local government, service providers, and non-government organisations.

The Government has recently facilitated the development of the Employers Disability Network. This is an independent employer-led organisation that supports employers to develop a barrier-free employment environment.

Finally the third key focus for Government, alongside mobility and access; and employment; is about supports for living — how we can increase disabled people’s choice and control over the things you need to support your lives.

It’s the stories we read in Purpose – the issues that will be brought up at this conference – the experiences of coping with loss – the issues you have found in your rehabilitation – the support of your family and friends.

And most importantly – as your own website says – “it is about the can do attitude to achieve new limits and goals”.

I want to acknowledge Mr Wally Garrett, the President of your Federation, and Kerry Wilfred–Riley, your representative on the New Zealand Artificial Limb Board; and to also pay tribute to the years of service provided to the Board by Jenny Thompson and Lorraine Peacock.

And I acknowledge all of you here today – who have come together to take some time out to share the ongoing challenges that you face in your determination to succeed.

May you have a wonderful weekend together, and I am delighted to declare this conference officially open.