Wairarapa Disability Expo

An inaugural disability expo for Wairarapa with over 30 disability organisations participating and six workshops being provided. People will also get a chance to look around the Hato Hone St John shuttle, and access health checks being offered by several services. The Expo and workshops are free to attend.

Workshops on welfare guardianship, supported decision-making, advocating for children’s rights and legal relationships will be provided by the Auckland Disability Law Centre. Despite the name, ADLC supports disabled people across the country in a wide range of legal issues and run free legal education seminars such as these workshops across the country.

The Wellington-based Personal Advocacy and Safeguarding Adults Trust (PASAT) will provide a more in-depth look at supported decision-making. PASAT has been operating since 1967 and provides a wide range of safeguarding services for adults with support needs throughout New Zealand. And the Expo’s primary sponsor Manawanui will run two workshops on self-directed funding and developing a good life plan.

Manawanui is a social enterprise and New Zealand’s leading provider of services for managing self-directed funding or Individualised Funding. As well as these workshops, there will be representatives from a wide range of disability support networks, disability service providers and community organisations in attendance.

The Expo is hosted by the Wairarapa branch of People First, Good Lives Wairarapa, FERNS (Foundation for Equity and Research New Zealand), and Wairarapa Community Networks. For more information contact Wairarapa Community Networks Manager, Annette Beattie: manager@wcn.org.nz; 022 586 9528.