Entries by Gary Lee

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Dressing up to go to the ball

By Andrew Oswin I attended the Unforgetaball 2019 at the Hornby Working Men’s Club. It is for families and friends of people with intellectual disabilities. It is about networking with other families and friends, having fun, dancing, singing, and having fun. Everyone all got dressed up all in their finery and had many photo opportunities. […]

STRIVE message to health professionals 

During this year’s World Down Syndrome Day, the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association launched a new awareness video that celebrates diversity at a special screening in Palmerston North. In ‘Dear Health Professionals’ 14 self-advocates from the Down syndrome community throughout New Zealand invite and challenge Health Professionals to join them in sharing what they bring […]

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Sharing experiences around our disabilities

By Edward Borkin I recently attended a meeting which will help form questions in a survey. The survey will be about people’s attitudes towards people with disabilities in New Zealand. There were people with many different disabilities and we all shared our personal experiences. I went to the meeting to speak on behalf of people […]

STRIVE team finetunes advocacy skills at Funshop

The STRIVE team came together recently for a Strive Self Advocacy and Awareness Fun shop at Vaughn Park in Auckland. The team learnt more about Self Advocacy and several members presented on the subject during the weekend. One of the most exciting outcomes of the weekend was that the team created the FRED song, for […]

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Special Olympics celebrates inclusion

To celebrate its 51st anniversary last July, Special Olympics International organised a host of events and activities focused on Unified Sports. In Unified Sports, Special Olympians compete alongside and against people with and without intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics New Zealand celebrated the Special Olympics Global Day of Inclusion with an exhibition football match in Christchurch […]

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Rochelle reports from Queen concert

My parents and I went on the plane from Christchurch to Auckland to go to see Adam Lambert and Queen. We stayed in an apartment and I had a room all to myself with a TV in it as well. Before we went to the concert we went into the restaurant for dinner and I […]

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Models light up New Zealand Fashion Week

Fifteen models with intellectual disabilities walked the catwalk at New Zealand Fashion Week recently as part of The Living Colour show, celebrating diversity. They wore local designers from Zambesi to Kate Sylvester in New Zealand’s biggest showcase. “I’m very excited,” one model told One News. “I feel nervous I guess about catwalking but I am […]

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Luka takes on the charms and challenges of Niue

Our family headed off grid and went to the exotic island of Niue. What we found was a simple island with charm but also challenges. Niue came with the expected sunshine, warm temperatures and locals with hearts of gold. We enjoyed the music, culture, the glistening warm sea and striking beauty, along with the lack of wifi […]