Te Mātaiaho | the refreshed NZ curriculum aims to gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, is inclusive, clear, and easy to use. Being inclusive means incorporating the needs and views of disabled ākonga and their whānau into our work. To this end, in November 2022, Te Poutāhū Disability Voices Group was established to provide thought leadership and expert advice on how Te Mātaiaho can help improve outcomes for disabled ākonga, deaf ākonga and their whānau. There is also the potential to expand their scope across the broader Te Poutāhū work programme, as required.
Group members were appointed following an Expression of Interest process, co-designed with members from the disability community. They represent a broad range of the disability community, including tangata whaikaha Māori, Pacific disabled people, young people, representatives from the deaf community, and their whānau.
The group’s lived experience and knowledge will be fed into the design, development and implementation of key curriculum initiatives. The initial scope of this mahi will include:
- all components of the NZ Curriculum Refresh program – including content development, resource development, implementation, change, capability, and communication
- the Literacy and Communication & Maths Strategy (including the Common Practice Model)
- connections to the NCEA change program, Te Whāriki implementation work programme, and the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa
- related resource development and key initiatives designed through Te Pae Aronui - Learning Support.
The group meets eight times a year to consider and advise on the curriculum issues. This work is being coordinated by Te Poutāhū Strategy and Integration Chief Advisor Julie Hook, with secretariat support provided by Sara Demas.
Meet the Disability Voices Group members:
Nigel Ngāhiwi | Co-Chair/facilitator
Nigel is a Māori medium teacher, who has taught in kura and Te Wānanga o Raukawa in Otaki. He is the president of Kāpō Māori Aotearoa and on the board of Blind Low-vision Education Network New Zealand.
Frian Wadia, MNZM | Co-Chair/facilitator
Frian is a parent of disabled children, coordinator of advocacy group Very Important Parents – Equity in Education, a Parent to Parent board member, presiding member of the Lottery Individuals with Disability Distribution Committee, and member of National Enabling Good Lives Leadership Group. Frian works part time as an Early Intervention Specialist at Autism NZ.
Alice Mander | Group member/mentor for younger members
Alice is a disabled advocate, founder of the National Disabled Students' Association, and a member of the Independent Electoral Law Review Panel reviewing into New Zealand's electoral system and law.
Betty Pulefolau | Group member
Betty has lived experience as a parent of an autistic young adult. She is an Early Childhood Educator from Auckland and is the Co-founder of Pasifika Autism Support Group (PASG).
Carol Rawhiti | Group member
Carol has lived experience as deaf person and New Zealand Sign Language user. She works as a residential youth worker for Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education.
Hannah Pretious | Group member
Hannah (she/they) is a queer, disabled and chronically ill student, disability advocate, policy analyst and researcher. Based in Ōtepoti, Dunedin, she has helped establish the Otago Disabled Students Association in 2020. In 2022 Hannah was involved in the research project with the NZ College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, and completed a BE Lab programme internship in 2020.
Joanne Dacombe | Curriculum Voices Group
Joanne is a disability advocate with lifelong lived experience both as a disabled person, parent and grandparent. She holds a number of board positions including Autistic Self Advocacy Network - Australia and New Zealand chairperson, Kapiti Disability Advisory Group chairperson, Autism New Zealand board member, and Disabled Person's Assembly national president. She is part of expert advisory groups for the Royal Commission on Abuse in Care and the Joint Venture Diverse Communities Project.
Josh Fuimaono | Group member
Joshua is a New Zealand born Samoan from Auckland with lived experience of cerebral palsy. He is an advisor for the Office for Disability Issues within Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People and has background in disabled youth advocacy, being a founding member of the I.Lead - Youth with Disabilities social change movement.
Kris Dahl | Group member
Kris brings lived experience to the group, navigating the schooling system and needs of her son with cerebral palsy. She supported survivors of state care in prisons to be heard through the Royal Commission of Inquiry and continues to support whānau resilience and wellbeing through her current work at Te Puni Kōkiri and the Ministry of Social Development.
Mel Wong | Group member
Mel has lived experience as a twice exceptional person, and as a parent to two twice exceptional daughters. Mel works as a Principal Lecturer in the School of Social Work, Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland. She is also a counsellor, Dream Therapist, and Interactive Drawing Therapist.
Parminder Kaur | Group member
Parminder has lived experience of a chronic disability. She was an executive member of the Disabled Students’ Association, Equity Officer for Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association, and helped to establish the National DisabledStudent’s Association. Currently working at parliament, she leads the staff Diversity and Inclusion Committee and helped establish the Parliamentary Staff Women's Network, and a network for disabled staff.
Rachael Wiltshire | Group member
Rachael is an autistic advocate and was a member of Altogether Autism’s Consumer Advisory Group between 2020 and 2023. She recently moved into a new role as Altogether Autism’s Live Chat agent/researcher.
Rebekah Corlett MNZM | Group member
Rebekah has lived experience as a parent of an autistic teenager. She is a co-ordinator for VIPS equity in education advocacy group, governing committee member for the Inclusive Education Action Group, a consumer advisory group member for Altogether Autism, and Disability Advisory Group member for Kāpiti Coast District Council.
Shane McInroe | Group member
Shane has lived experience as disabled person. Shane is President of the People First Christchurch Local Group and the Secretary of the People First Midsouth Region. He is involved in a number of disability leadership groups including Enabling Good Lives leadership group, Housing Forum, Disability and Learning Support NCEA Panel and the Youth Hub Advisory group.
Tara Shepherd | Group member
Tara is the Co-President of the National Disabled Students’ Association for 2023. She has been a passionate advocate since age five, bringing a lived experience as a disabled person and a rural perspective having grown up in Westport. In the past year, she spoke at the Inaugural Conference for Pacific Education Ministers alongside attending the 7th Pacific Regional Disabled Conference in Fiji. She was a member of Minister Hipkins’ Youth Advisory Group for the Ministry of Education, a youth delegate at the virtual Commonwealth Youth Parliament 2021, a 2022 Kiwibank Local Heroes medalist, and 2021 Women of Influence Young Leader finalist.