Disability
Radical improvement for NZ's Paralympic medal table
New Zealand's position on the Paralympic medal table is 15 places higher than it was in Beijing, and 12 places higher than it was in London. Video, Audio
Petition to get autistic man out of isolation presented to Parliament
The father of an autistic man held in an isolated mental health unit is hopeful a petition before Parliament will help other people in his son's situation. Audio
Emily Rapp Black - Paralympic Blues
Writer Emily Rapp Black was born with a congenital defect which led to the amputation of her left foot at age four. She tells Wallace Chapman that in reality people with disabilities are more ordinary… Audio
Special needs report highlights exclusion and under-funding
Many children are not getting full access to education because schools are under-resourced and some don't want to work with disabled children, a critical report from a community law centre says. Audio
Giving hope through movement
Dancer Rodney Bell tells his story through Meremere, an autobiographical piece that spans 20 years of his life. It addresses issues around homelessness – which Bell was for a few years – and… Audio
Disabled kids and the uphill battle for education
A new report into the schooling of children with disabilities finds myriad barriers, including exclusion, bullying, poor teaching and funding. The report, by the community law centre Youth Law… Audio
Everybody Cool Lives Here
The Wellingon theatre troup Everyone Cool Lives Here includes members with and without intellectually disabilities. RNZ features producer Mike Gourley checks out their new production No Post on Sunday… Video, Audio, Gallery
Kirsty Griffin and Viv Kernick: Amy Street
Kim Hill talks to filmmakers Kirsty Griffin and Viv Kernick, makers of the celebrated 2014 documentary Wayne. Their follow-up to that film, which focused on a resident of the Supported Life Style… Audio
The Ability to Dance
Dancer Suzanne Cowan is in London with dance partner Adrian Smith performing Grotteschi – a dance that explores ideas around the classical and grotesque body – at the festival for the Lord Mayor of… Video, Audio
Blind community fights for equal access to books
A mother has described as 'heartbreaking' the struggle her blind daughter goes through to get hold of everyday reading material.
Wheelchair failure led to adventurer's fatal fall
A Hawke's Bay adventurer died after his electric wheelchair's joystick cable broke, throwing him to the ground, a coroner has found.
Parenting: Dealing with disability
Having a child diagnosed with a serious disability can be a life-changing moment for parents. Wellington high school teacher Tessa Prebble is trying to make the experience easier on parents with her… Audio
Fears disabled children will be shortchanged
Disability and school groups fear disabled children will be short-changed by a huge shift of special needs funding from schools to early education providers. Audio
Secondary principals fear special education 'disaster'
A proposed overhaul of special education spending moving funding from school-aged children to under-5s would be a disaster, a secondary principals group says. Audio
Govt to phase out 'special needs'
The term "special needs" marginalises children with disabilities and will be phased out as part of a wider review, the government says.
Josh Davis: prosopagnosia and super-recognisers
Kim Hill talks to Dr Josh Davis, Reader for Psychology in the Department of Psychology, Social Work and Counselling at the University of Greenwich. He has published research on human face recognition… Audio
Slide fight over kids with disabilities
A Northland amusement centre has offered to hold special sessions for all children with disabilities after a row with the mother of a girl who cannot walk.
Questions asked over taxi scheme oversight
Questions are being asked about the Canterbury Regional Council's oversight of a subsidised taxi scheme at the centre of fraud allegations. Audio
Stuart Firestein: ignorance, failure, and how we smell
Kim Hill talks to neuroscientist Dr Stuart Firestein, Chair of Columbia University's Department of Biological Sciences, whose lab studies the vertebrate olfactory system, seeking answers to the… Audio
Nelson school battles "penny-pinching" closure
Nelson is fighting back against the potential closure of a school which caters for girls with learning difficulties.
