- Participants sought – Research for Maori disabled and Whanau – invitation from Dr Huhana Hickey MNZM PHD MinstD. Contact: huhana@gmail.com
- This is a research project calling for Maori with a disabity or disabilities. Please share if you know of anyone who would like to participate. Do let Huhana know which is the preferred option: individual, with whanau, or in a focus group.
- Researchers from the University of Otago are looking for participants to take part in two interviews which aim to get an understanding of ‘Maori Disabiity Identity’ within your region. Eligible participants will include tangata whaikaha Maori (Maori with Disabilithy), 18 years or over who self-identify with a disability or permanent impairment and are able to consent to the research.
- Participation will invove taking part in either an interview, focus group, or hui These will explore topics such as culture and disability identity, tino rangatiratanga, discrimination, cost burden and engaging and accessing disability services. These interviews will be used to generate some survey question. We will then invite participants to a second interview to validate the survey questions.
- Please inform potential participants about our study and ask them to contact our team directly for more information. The study is funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand. Nga Mihi. Huhana.
We, Business Crisis Support NZ and Wow Disability Whangarei took part in a zoom interview with Dr Hickey on Tueseday 25 August 2020. It was a refreshing, and open discussion about things that matter most to us a Maori Disabled.
Dr Huhana Hickey MNZM
Huhana Hickey has an LLB/BSoc Sci, LLM (Distinction) and a PhD in Law and Tikanga Maori from the University of Waikato. She was a solicitor at Auckland Disability Law (the first disability community law centre in New Zealand) and a Māori Research Fellow at the Taupua Waiora Māori Health Research Unit at the Auckland University of Technology, Akoranga, Auckland. Dr Hickey was the indigenous peoples’ representative for the International Disability Association steering group caucus during the development of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and is still involved with the IDA international networks. Dr Hickey was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015 for her services to Māori and disability community. She holds several governance roles, is a member of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand, sits on the UNITEC ethics committee and is a life member of Rostrevor House in the Waikato.
Huhana is a Member of the lobby group ‘Lawyers for Vulnerable New Zealanders – who are opposed to the End of Life Choice Act because of the dangers it presents to the vulnerable members of the New Zealand Community. In saying this, we support the work of this group and others. While we do believe people have the right to a choice – we believe that the Act as it reads now (Tuesday 25 August 2020) is not bullet proof enough to protect the disabled, the vulnerable, the elderly, etc. Nga mihi ki a koutou katoa.