THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF MICHAEL PULMAN
We in New Zealand’s disability community desperately need something to change because the frameworks in place are clearly not having the desired outcome that our leaders say that fight so hard to achieve. Yet another damaging report into the state of New Zealand’s health and disability services sector was released last week, highlighting a sorry…
Recently, a friend linked me to an article that discusses the portrayal of disability in literature – and it got me thinking about the importance of disability community leaders being progressive and true to its promises. Reading headlines like “Ardern’s broken promise to the disability community” on Scoop.co.nz might be true for one portion of…
Ministers responsible for representing disability rights are having a tough go of it down in Parliament. Why aren’t more disabled people leading the conversation? The question of representation at a political level has long been a talking point amongst the disability sector, often one of frustration. There is a very strong belief that in order…
A growing sense of déjà vu and justified frustration can be felt as funding shortages for disability support services show no signs of slowing down – and one of the Ministers involved doesn’t seem to care. Disability support providers have once again aired their concerns over Government funding, or the lack thereof, in wake of…
Euthanasia and the End of Life Choice Bill is a hot topic in New Zealand, but some of the concerns raised by both sides of the argument miss the bigger issues underlying the various factors behind decisions to end one’s life. Take a listen to the extended podcast below, or if you prefer a video…
There is no excusing some of the practices by Oranga Tamariki, but the issues impacting children in New Zealand state care are going hand in hand with rising poverty affecting more families. The ‘chickens are coming home to roost’ for Oranga Tamariki in 2019 as a long-running blight in New Zealand’s state care reaches its…
The All Blacks announce their 42-man squad for the Investec Rugby Championship at the Ponsonby Rugby Club in Auckland. Read our live coverage below: Michael PulmanMichael Pulman is a freelance journalist and content producer based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Since starting writing professionally in 2014, Michael has covered professional sports and has had articles on…
The musings of a 27-year old battling his mental health demons in therapy every other week. When I look back at my journey with depression and anxiety, I see it as one of consistently broken promises. I broke promises to my friends and family, but most importantly, I broke a ton of promises that I’d…
Disabled people and others in marginalized communities have long been exploited for cheap, even free labour. It’s time the discussion of fair pay was had, as is the case elsewhere. According to an NZ Herald report yesterday, a woman with a disability is being paid $2.30 per hour by Air New Zealand to untangle earphones,…
The disability sector now has a choice to make, either throw out the entire script and start again or consider the true lack of options it has in a support system where costs will continue to rise and packages won’t be enough. The real financial deficit facing the disability support system is well over the…