By now you will all be well aware of the Disabled Leadership Now campaign based around the appalling decision made by MSD, to appoint a nondisabled person to the role of Establishment Director for the new Ministry for Disabled People, and the poor timing of the announcement by government.

It is important that existing disability advocacy groups understand that the kopapa of the campaign is complementary to wider advocacy underway in Aotearoa New Zealand. Disabled Leadership Now is a group of senior disability activists having our say on a matter which is critical to the future leadership and management of the disability sector by the people it exists to support. We appreciate that it is potentially difficult for contracted organisations in the disability sector to express similar views they may hold publically. So we are speaking out to make it clear to government that it is not okay to paternalistically decide that disabled people are not capable of choosing what we want, determining our own path, and controlling our own future. After all, isn’t that what Enabling Good Lives is all about?

We would love to see as many disabled people as possible joining us at 3.00pm on 13 February, to discuss the situation we now find ourselves in as disabled people seeking to gain choice and control of everything about us.