This is my first post for a couple of months. I’ve been busy, and then really sick with that flu that has been going around and then really busy again.
I put together a bit of a video of spur of the moment footage I took at the Mana Whaikaha Expo and Information day. (I will transcribe as soon as I get a chance!) The footage nor the editing is flash but I wanted to show people what we are up to.
Um… please excuse the shaky camera and the camera falling over and all those sorts of things. It was kind of a last minute decision to take some footage and some pictures and um… I’m about to edit them all together, they’re not flash guys, just be prepared for that. But I thought I’d take the opportunity to show the rest of…. Um… the people around, that hey, this is what’s happening down in the Manawatu at the moment. So have a good day, I hope you enjoy, I hope you get a bit of a giggle out of some of it. Like I said, excuse the shaky hands, the camera falling over, the low angle shots; ah, I tried a new rig on the front frame of my wheelchair to get some of this, I still really haven’t figured out how to film while I’m on crutches, so if anybody has got any ideas for that… um, I’m not sure that a chest mount is going to work, cos otherwise you are going to get the movement of body as I use the crutches…
But I managed to speak to some of the Kaituhono and a couple of our Regional Leadership Group so I hope you enjoy, take care everybody and Thrive not Survive.
2min 4 sec:
Selwyn (on camera): I have to think of “Why I’m here, why I’m here, why I’m here”…
Antnz (off camera): Why are you here Selwyn?
Selwyn: Well I’m actually here to; I’m here for the people. So we’ve set this thing up and we want Mana Whaikaha to do really well. But for it to do well, ah, our whanau and our disabled people need to resourced, and, ah, this is our first opportunity to give them that resourcing. Awesome.
Antnz: Awesome, thank you for setting it all up Selwyn, and your role in Regional Leadership Group is?
Selwyn: My Role? Anything to do with the back you know. All of the supporting, encouraging, building a great culture, I love that kind of stuff.
Antnz: Awesome, thanks for your time Selwyn.
Selwyn: Thanks Antnz
Crowded room with Lorna Sullivan (on right) and NZSL interpreter with a projector screen.
2 mins 57sec
Indistinct chatter in back ground, camera moving towards and around people, stops at Peter Allen. Camera movement from taking camera off wheelchair to interview Peter Allen.
Antnz: Hey Peter how are you???
Peter: Hey Antnz, where are you going to hang out?
Antnz: I’ve just got you on camera bro, so what are we doing today?
Peter: Today what are we doing? We’re just going to hang out and see what’s up. I might want to go and listen to Lorna actually, she’s fantastic to listen to, so I’m going to put her on my tick list.
Antnz: So just for my AntnzVentures viewers, this is Peter Allen, he’s one of our disabled reps in Mid-Central for Mana Whaikaha and (Peter says hi) Enabling Good Lives, he’s probably giving you a funny look ‘cos he can’t see the camera properly (Peter laughing).
Peter: Ae, Kia ora no tatau.
Antnz: So just introducing you to my crew Peter because they have been pretty influential in getting me to where I am today…
Peter: Oh and that’s nice, that’s nice… Big ups to all of you of you guys because Antnz is a great person to have alongside you, and she’s a great person to have alongside us as well. Full of knowledge and full of passion; you can’t beat that.
Antnz: And why have we got everybody together today Peter?
Peter: OK, Today’s our information day, ‘cos in two weeks’ time Mana Whaikaha is gonna kick off on the 1stof October. (Antnz says awesome) But before then we want to give people as much information about Mana Whaikaha as we can… so… (Antnz says fantastic) it makes it easier for them to make a decision come 1 October.
Antnz: Brilliant, thanks for your time Pete.
Peter: Hey sweet.
Image of Lorna Sullivan presenting how to “Dream Big”
3 people sitting on a bench. 3 Kiatuhono; Lousia, Maria and Lewyn.
Antnz: oh woops!
Maria: I just thinking do I know that person, who is she??
Lousia: So whose starting?? Should I go??
Antnz (off camera): Hey guys. So I’ve managed to nab some of the Kaituhono from Mana Whaikaha and I just thought I’d grab a couple of minutes with them and they can explain what a Kaituhono is, who they are and what they are looking forward to within Mana Whaikaha.
Louisa: Cool, so our Kaituhono, that us, Connectors; and we are going to be helping you along your journey in the new disability transformation system. We’ll be helping you from getting to know you, finding out about what’s available in the community, doing some networking and helping you find what works for you and your whanau.
Maria: Enabling a good life!
Antnz: Yep, So Lewyn what are you looking forward to in the new system?
Lewyn: I think because I’m not originally from the Manawatu (Antnz:Yep) one of the things I’m looking forward to is just getting to know this community. (Antnz: Awesome) ‘Cos I’m quite interested in social justice and I think this is an area where as a community we don’t always do as well as we could. (AntnzYep) So breaking down some of those barriers between people with disabilities and our community, and breaking down some of those ideological barriers people have around disability. (Antnz: Yup). I guess really being visible in the community. Yep
Antnz: I totally hear you man, being in the outdoor rec sector with a disability, you know we find a lot of our community is risk averse and we’re trying to break those down with EGL ay.
What about you Maria?
Maria: Me? For me it’s about people; pretty much, everyone being allowed to dream, (Antnz: Awesome) and come up with a vision of what they actually want in their lives. I’ve got two kids myself that have got disabilities and that’s what I want for them. That’s what I practice with them currently (Antnz: awesome); so that’s what I want for everybody. (Antnz: that’s awesome) And that’s what I get to have.
Antnz: Thanks for your time guys, I know it’s a busy day and you’ve got other people to talk to so thanks for taking some time out. As usual to all my followers, keep watching, keep watching this space because it’s all go now, 1stof October is only a couple of weeks away and always remember; thrive, not survive.
6 min 44 sec
Crowded room with Lorna Sullivan on left, NZSL interpreter on right next to projection screen.
Footage taken from wheelchair, a quick explore of the stalls, camera falling over; Auckland Disability Law presentation is audio in background.
Stalls included: Parafed and Special Olympics, Blind Foundation, Autism Awareness, Down Syndrome Association, Private Advocacy Trust, Options, Parent to Parent, Auckland Disability Law, CCS, IHC, Idea Services, Creative Journeys, Health Vision.
8 min 51 sec
Lorna Sullivan presenting to a crowded room on “Dream Big”
8 min 55 sec
Ally: Today? I’ve just been walking around and getting to meet some….
Antnz: Actually… because we’ve got deaf community, why don’t you let them know as well bub?
Ally, also signs: Well, today, I’ve been going around mingling, meeting people, and sorta just having conversation about, you know what we’re doing here, what my role is. About I’m one of the Connectors, and if you want I can come and meet with you and have a conversation about what sort of life that you want. Which is really exciting.
Antnz: That’s awesome Ally, have you enjoyed today so far?
Ally: I’ve loved it, I just love the connection with people and having those conversation about what they want to do. One man I was chatting to and he said to me, you know, he wants to go sky diving (Antnz:AWESOME), out of a plane. And I was “YEAH that’s, awesome, that’s and awesome goal!” and to be able to support him to make that happen would just be “click”, Fantastic.
Antnz: And you know you’ve got the right person rolling around here to be able to enable that as well.
Ally: Yes, I already thought of you.
Antnz: So why did you get involved in Mana Whaikaha?
Ally: Why did I get involved? I got involved because I have a daughter who is deaf and who uses sign language and has Down Syndrome. (Antnz:Yep) And so I know first-hand what it’s like to try and navigate the system. And I was just really excited when I heard about this new system and what it means for choice and looking from a more positive view instead of always looking at the negative. What’s wrong, what’s wrong, what’s wrong, it’s actually; What do you want to do? What are your gifts you’ve got to share? Your passions and how to do work together to make that work for you. And that’s why I wanted to be involved.
Antnz: That’s awesome, and what are you looking forward to the most? Getting people out there and doing stuff?
Ally: Yep, I’m looking forward to seeing people to live a life they deserve. That’s what I’m looking forward to.
Antnz: And you know what, I’ve never actually had my hashtag translated, which is “thrive not survive”, how would I do that?
Ally: HHHMMMMMMM
Antnz: Will I have to ask one of the interpreters?
Ally: Yeah I think you might have to.. maybe thrive to survive? Maybe? Not too sure (Antnz: laughing) You’ll have to check on that one!
Antnz: Hey Ally, it’s awesome because I have known you for quite a while now, it’s awesome to see you grow and develop into this role and really take it, take it for guns really and just go. So I appreciate having you as part of the team, I know that you’re really busy today so I’ll let you get going.
Ally: Thank you, see ya!
11min 52sec
Image of Screen in Lorna Sullivan’s “Dream Big” session.
Final screen, thank you etc.