Trish Grant
Advocates for neurodivergent and disabled students applaud potential redirected funding
Advocates for neurodivergent children and students with disabilities say government plans to cut Kahui Ako, which paid schools to work in groups, and redirect the money to support children with… Audio
Future of the country's most expensive schools remain in limbo
The future of the country's most expensive schools remains in limbo.
Enrolments have doubled at the three boarding schools for disabled children but remain below the numbers they are funded for.
A… Audio
Disabled students right to education not being upheld
IHC is calling for investment and rapid changes in order to stop students with disabilities facing discrimination and consistent disadvantages in the education sector.
An Education Review Office… Audio
IHC takes Education Ministry to court over disabled childrens' rights
The Minister of Education and his Ministry are being taken to court over the rights of intellectually disabled children to go to school.
The advocacy group IHC says the children are being… Audio
IHC on autistic boy excluded from school
IHC Director of Advocacy is calling the case of an autistic teenager excluded from school appalling.
The Auckland boy was stood down and forced to leave after an altercation with another student.
… Audio
New rights for people with life-shortening conditions
Today the Government announced the next steps for people with life-shortening congenital conditions to be able to gain early access to their KiwiSaver. People with four congenital conditions - Down… Audio
Kiwisaver access applauded by disability advocates
Disability advocates are celebrating after the government announced there will be early Kiwisaver access for people with certain life-shortening congenital conditions.
Four conditions were approved -… Audio
Disabled pre-schoolers waiting two months for specialist help
Waiting times to get specialist help for disabled pre-schoolers have been sharply reduced but child advocates say any delay is still too long.
After years of criticism, the Education Ministry has cut… Audio
Schools denying full enrolment to disabled children - IHC
Parents of disabled children are telling the IHC they have had schools illegally refuse to enrol their children or set limits on how many hours they can go to school.
A new survey by the IHC also… Audio
Disabled children bullied, blocked from enrolling at school - IHC
Parents of disabled children have told the IHC their children are bullied at school, don't get enough support, and in some case have been blocked from enrolling altogether.
The organisation, which… Audio
NZ disability funding faces half-billion-dollar shortfall
The state of funding in the disability sector has been laid bare - and it doesn't paint a pretty picture. Trish Grant from advocacy group IHC joins us to discuss the issues, and how to solve them. Audio
Special education waiting lists grow despite increased support
Demand for specialist help for children with disabilities is outstripping the Education Ministry's ability to keep up. Figures provided under the official information act show the number of children… Audio
Principals fear missing out on learning support leaders
Principals are anxious their school might miss out on one of the 600 new learning support coordinators who will organise help for children with special needs from next year.
The government announced… Audio
Children's right to school may get legal protection
Schools that block or discourage disabled children from attending classes for the entire school day are in for a shock - the Education Ministry has proposed a law change giving children the legal… Audio
Children's right to school should be in law - disability groups
Disability groups are welcoming a suggestion that children's right to attend school be protected by law. The Education Ministry is consulting on the proposal, which would build on the existing right… Audio
Hundreds of kids wait months for specialist support
Waiting times for children with disabilities and behaviour problems to get help have jumped 30 percent in the last year. The average delay between a request for support and the service beginning… Audio
Treasury funding advice: "discriminatory"
Advocates for children with disabilities are denouncing Treasury advice as discriminatory, resulting in insufficient funding for desperately needed teacher aides, speech and language therapists… Audio
IHC seeks more support for preschoolers with disabilities
IHC is joining a chorus of voices calling for more rapid specialist support for young children with disabilities. Preschoolers with special needs are having to wait an average of three months for… Audio
IHC welcomes Ashley Peacock release from mental health unit
The IHC is welcoming the news that Ashley Peacock will be released from a mental health unit and live in the community. Mr Peacock's case made it into the media when it was revealled he was living in… Audio
Disabled tenants shut out of market
People with disabilities struggling to find homes in the tight rental market want the government to set aside social housing especially for them.
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