Join DLC and other disabled Cantabrians, their whānau, and allies to participate in Our Voices Count rally on Monday 24 June.

10am at Te Pūtahitanga o te Waipounamu: Prepare for the rally.
11 am: Hikoi to Whaikaha (161 Cashel Street) and speeches.

We invite you to join us for a hui to clarify the changes Whaikaha has made, hear your kōrero on the issue, and decide on a plan moving forward which includes clear communication with Minister Simmonds.

December 3 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. To celebrate the day we invite you to join us and the Minister for Disability Issues - Poto Williams for a morning of fun and activities for disabled people, families, tangata whaikaha Māori, whanau, and aiga.

We would like to invite you to join us this Monday morning, August 29th at 10 am to have a virtual coffee catch-up as we move into the winter months. This will be less formal than or usual Network and will be a chance for you to connect with others and raise issues important to our DLC community,

We would like to invite you to join us this Monday morning, July 25th at 10 am to have a virtual coffee catch-up as we move into the winter months. This will be less formal than or usual Network and will be a chance for you to connect with others and raise issues important to our DLC community,

We would like to invite you to join us Wednesday morning, July 13th at 10:30 am to have a virtual network hui. We will hear from a member of Access Alliance about their current #AccessDeniedDiaries campaign. This will be a chance to hear how the campaign is going and the purpose behind it.

We would like to invite you to join us this Monday morning, June 20th at 10 am to have a virtual coffee catch-up as we move into the winter months. This will be less formal than or usual Network and will be a chance for you to connect with others and raise issues important to our DLC community,

We would like to invite you to join us this Wednesday morning, December 8th at 10.30 am to have an open conversation about how we can prepare ourselves for COVID-19 cases within our community. This is a late invitation and it is a very busy time of year but we feel that this topic is an important one to cover before we finish up for the year.

At our Network Meeting on Wednesday 24 November, we will be discussing the recent disability support system transformation announcement with representatives from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Development. We will be sharing more information about how this links to the roll-out of the Enabling Good Lives approach across Aotearoa, including how to be involved as this kaupapa progresses.

This meeting is an opportunity for us all to kōrero with representatives from Canterbury DHB - your chance to discuss concerns or ask questions about the COVID-19 vaccine in an informal Q & A session. We will also have representatives from the Christchurch City Council present, to introduce the draft Ōtautahi Christchurch Community Strategy and answer questions you may have about this in person - from the safety of your bubble.

Due to the Covid-19 Alert Level change, our Network Meeting next Wednesday 25 August is now cancelled.

Our Board will still be working to collate disabled people's experiences of the COVID-19 Vaccine roll-out in Canterbury throughout the lockdown. The best way to let us know about your vaccine experience is through our online survey. Fill out the survey here.

You're invited to our May EDLG Network Meeting on Wednesday 26 May, 10am to 12 noon at Christchurch Bridge Club, 21 Nova Place.

Join us as we reveal our new-look Disability Leadership Canterbury branding and discuss accessibility issues related to Covid-19 and our city.

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday 24 February and we will be continuing the discussion on the future direction of EDLG, including our name change, new-look logo and the opportunity to provide further feedback.

We will also provide an update on our plans for 2021 and discuss what you'd like to see happen as a Network this year.

The meeting will be held at The Papanui RSA, 55 Bellvue Avenue, Papanui starting at 10am sharp.

NZSL interpreters will be present and morning tea will be served. RSVP to EDLG Chair Ruth Jones at: ruth@kanohikitekanohi.org

Our next EDLG meeting will be an update on the future direction of EDLG, including a name change, and to reflect in a celebration of all that our community has experienced throughout the year.

Join us on Wednesday 2 December at St Josephs Parish Centre, 133 Main North Road, at 10am.
The entrance to the Parish Centre is on Vagues Road, Papanui, next to the school. There is plenty of parking.

Our next EDLG Network Meeting is an opportunity to share your Covid-19 experiences and contribute to research on the disability perspective of the pandemic, led by one of our Board Members. Join us at the Papanui RSA, 55 Bellvue Ave on Friday 7 August at 10am.

The Earthquake Disability Leadership Group invite you to join us for a kōrero about the need for an access law in 2020, what we've learned about this need during the Christchurch rebuild, and what you can do to make this legislation a reality. Join us Friday 14 February  in the Charles Upham Room at the Papanui RSA, 55 Bellvue Ave, 10am to 11.30am.

Read the details of our Impact Survey, an invitation to our next Network Hui, and plans for our last rally for 2024.

We need your voice at our rally to demand funding for disability supports. Join us. Tell your story. Rally on 24 June.

Disability Leadership Canterbury welcomes you to the festive season with a quick update on our latest activities and a tentative date for our next network meeting in February.

DLC made a submission to the Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill select committee to ensure we have our say in the changes needed to achieve true accessibility with clear guidelines and consequences if a proper process is not followed.

Have your say on vaccination clinics and accessibility in our latest newsletter, plus don’t miss our August coffee hui on Monday 29th.

We are grateful to our friends at Access Matters Aotearoa for speaking at our recent hui about the #AccessDeniedDiaries campaign and The Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill. We have the Access Matters presentation from this session to share with you.

We are really excited to invite you to join us on Wednesday 13 July for our Network Hui. The focus will be the #AccessDeniedDiaries, and The Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill which is about to be introduced to Parliament.

Read our latest e-newsletter to read the lasted update from DLC. We are beyond thrilled to announce the appointment of our newest Trustee to the Board of Disability Leadership Canterbury: Grant Cleland. Join us on Monday the 20th June for a Zoom Coffee Kōrero. This will be a chance for you to connect with others and raise issues important to our DLC community. You will also find the lasted update we have from the new Ministry for Disabled People, and more information on the Access Denied Diaries campaign run by Access Alliance.

Read our latest newsletter for information on the upcoming hui and an update from our Board of Trustees. It is with regret that we have accepted the resignation of two members from the Board of Trustees. Our focus for 2022 continues to be providing support to the disabled community to access the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots. We are also planning some informal wellbeing workshops and kōrero over the course of the year.

Happy new year from the DLC team. Read this newsletter to find out more on the paper that was presented by DLC to the CDHB steering Group. We have also put together a list of items that can be purchased from Chemist Warehouse that your household might want to top up or purchase incase you need to self-isolate. Finally, with support from People First, we have had information about us translated into an Easy Read document.

Read through our December 2021 newsletter for a recap of the November network meeting and an explanation of the traffic light system. Our November Network meeting saw us embrace technology once again and use Zoom so we could all stay connected despite the Alert level restrictions. This hui was centered around the recent announcement of a Disability System transformation and the new Ministry for Disabled People.

DLC is looking for new trustees to join the team. Trustee positions are volunteer roles, with trust meetings generally being held once a month. Disability Leadership Canterbury (DLC) (Earthquake Disability Leadership Group Trust) is a charitable trust. Together with the local disability community, we develop access and well-being solution’s that benefit all.

Disability Leadership Canterbury continues to ensure that the voices of disabled people and whānau are clearly demonstrated during risk assessment and support planning for the COVID pandemic. Our team presented a paper to the CDHB Disability Steering Group with details of how people with disabilities require support in the community, in hospitals and other facilities, and for whānau.

People First has an Easy Read Translation Service which has translated information about Disability Leadership Canterbury into an Easy Read format.

The new COVID-19 Protection Framework will replace the current Alert Level system on 3 December 2021.
There is a lot of information to understand about this change. This blog contains the Easy Read version and has the link to other alternative formats.

DLC is looking for a new Projects Facilitator to join the team. This is a part-time, fixed-term position of 10 - 15 hours per week for 3 months, based in your home. The Project Facilitator position supports the collaboration between disabled people, their allies and key stakeholders, in the work of the DLC.

Our latest e-newsletter has details of our upcoming network meeting, including details of Christchurch City Council’s Draft Ōtautahi Christchurch Community Strategy and how you can provide feedback to this.

The Lottery COVID-19 Community Wellbeing Fund provides one-off grants for community or social initiatives that increase the strength and resilience of communities that are responding to the impacts of COVID-19. This grant will enable us to continue our important mahi to support our network of disabled whānau through the ongoing challenges of the pandemic.

Disability Leadership Canterbury (EDLG Trust) is collating disabled people's experiences of the COVID-19 Vaccine roll-out in Canterbury, so that we can speak with local health and government contacts about improving the experience for disabled people and whānau.

Our new name means a new way to sign it! Our Board Member Karim Baradi demonstrates how to sign “Welcome to Disability Leadership Canterbury” in this video.