THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF MICHAEL PULMAN
The Ministry of Health may have fronted, but the detail on what’s next for Disability Support Services was light and uncommitted during the latest round of conversation. During a live stream hosted last Thursday, the Ministry of Health shared its […]
As a writer who occasionally attempts to delve into the issues facing the disability community, the argument of being allowed to speak about something is very real. Whether spoken or not, the frequent rule is that your opinion only counts […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]