Libby Hunsdale started in performing arts with dancing aged 11. Now 19, she's the lead actress in upcoming New Zealand film Poppy. Photo / Vanessa Patea
An actress, a young author, athletes and a swag of advocates.
A furniture restorer turned personal protective equipment-maker in a time of
Covid-19. A dancer.
These are some of the people who'll be celebrated at this year's Attitude Awards, which honour the achievements and successes of Kiwis living with disabilities.
The awards - across eight categories with 24 finalists - will be announced at a black tie gala in Auckland on December 2.
In the meantime, the Herald on Sunday spoke to some of those being recognised.
In a time when so many rush to judgment - online and off - Libby Hunsdale has a message for anyone having a tough time with the opinions of others.
Don't let it get to you.
"My advice is to not be affected by judgment. Our society is a bit judgmental," Hunsdale, who plays the lead character Poppy in the new Kiwi feature film of the same name, says.
Poppy, an upcoming film written and directed by Second Hand Wedding's Linda Niccol, is about a young woman with Down syndrome who assumes she's entitled to live her life like everyone else, yet the person she trusts most puts her in the "disability" box, forcing her to take control of her destiny.
Hunsdale shares her character's drive to not let others stand in the way of her dreams.
She's been involved in performing, in particular through dance, since she was 11, and loves the impact she can have on other people.
The 19-year-old, who learned new skills such as driving, fitness and working long days in a disciplined manner while making Poppy, always wanted to act but now sees a range of career opportunities in the film industry, and wants to study film at university.
Her biggest disability isn't Down syndrome, but other people's assumptions of what she can achieve.
"I just don't care what people say about what they think I can't do," Hunsdale says.
"It's about putting your mind on what you want to do, and knowing how that's going to affect your life… positively."
Tim Young has a bit on this year.
He's got a new job, is - with his wife - building a new home in Ngāruawāhia, and, in February, will become a dad.
And he's among the finalists for the Attitude Community Champion Award.
"My wife nominated me, so it wasn't too hard to impress her. It's really cool to be selected and to celebrate the disability community."
Young, who sought a seat on Hamilton's City Council last year, has advocated for a number of accessibility issues, including fully accessible toilets to be installed in five key locations around the city, co-founded The Magical Bridge working group and helped raise seed funding of $35,000 to install the best accessible playground in the country.
The 32-year-old has also started a business, Smart Access Ltd, to do accessibility audits around the world, and to develop an application providing accessibility data to the public for free.
Enabling Good Lives, a partnership between the disability sector and government agencies, paid him to develop a community of disabled job seekers, and he led the funding applications that have successfully raised $500,000 for a two-year trial of the project.
Getting into disability advocacy wasn't the original plan Young, who became a tetraplegic after a snowboarding accident in 2009, says.
"I wanted to get into technology… but being a disabled person, I've found gaps [in accessibility]."
Young, who describes himself as a researcher and developer, is a bit of a "yes person", he says.
"I find it very hard to say no."
Covid-19 has meant a tough year for many Kiwis and although everyone's situation is different, Young says focusing on the future helped him in the toughest of times.
"It's always helpful to look forward and be excited about the future. I've faced mortality, and you don't want to waste another day."
He also decided after his accident that staying upbeat would help in the search for love, which he found when he met his wife, Erika Lamb.
"I knew there'd be more chance to find a wife if I had a positive outlook. My wife, she's very special to me. I'm just so lucky to have found her."
The Independence Collective is a brewing business on the Kapiti Coast. The bosses - Janie and Nathan Martin, Cameron Stichbury and Neville Pugh - have intellectual disabilities.
The quartet are involved in all business decisions, including types of beer brewed, recipes, brewing partners, branding, sales and promotion.
Janie Martin is now a confident brand ambassador, happy to tell the story of The Independence Collective and Change Maker beer. She's spoken at the New Zealand Disability Support Network conference, TradeMe and was interviewed on radio.
The four collective members are supported by a disability agency and depend on benefits to meet their needs.
From the start, the most important thing for them was to be part of a business - not a charity.
Living with multiple congenital conditions, Hill defies the opinions of many specialists to continually achieve her goals.
The 19-year-old wants to be a para-athlete and ambassador for disability and inclusion.
Training three times a week, she's represented Auckland at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships, winning a bronze medal in the seniors' Para women's 200 metre race.
Caleb has brushed major brain trauma to the side and not only defied the odds to survive, but re-learned the basics of life. He now attends school and karate, and is providing inspiration to others.
The 13-year-old, a Child Cancer Foundation ambassador, created a joke book and, after the Covid-19 level 4 lockdown halted production, arranged for the book to be downloaded for free.
This helped provide Caleb's favourite medicine of comic relief to children who might be struggling with lockdown, and he's been working hard to distribute the downloads, including providing signed copies to young people in hospital.
This year Caleb's also raising awareness of Wig Wednesday and has challenged himself to get 20 businesses signed up to the cause.
The current chief executive of Workbridge, Mosen has been blind since birth and has a degenerative hearing impairment.
The 51-year-old's one of the few disabled chief executives of national disability organisations and introduced new initiatives, including accessible kiosks and digital channels during the lockdown.
He's been chairman of the Blind Foundation and president of Blind Citizens New Zealand and also successfully advocated for a change in the law governing disabled people serving on juries, as well as achieving a law change to the Copyright Act that was emulated worldwide and became an international treaty.
Mosen is also founder of ACB Radio, the global internet radio network for the blind community and has a podcast - Mosen at Large - about disability issues.
Born with spina bifida, Winterburn relies on crutches full-time. He has fused ankles and all his feet are pinned - his knees are where his functionality ends.
He runs his own furniture restoration business "Furnichur" which focuses on mid-century restoration.
Until the Covid-19 lockdown he also ran his own Airbnb catering for tourists walking the Tongariro Crossing.
When the lockdown closed down his Airbnb he was quick to crank up his 3D printer to make face masks.
Born with cerebral palsy, Faiva communicates through dance.
She lives for the everyday challenge that pushes her to be more determined.
A constant role model for disabled and non-disabled artists and audiences, the 52-year-old shows that with the right determination anything is possible.
Tuki, 60, became visually impaired at the age of 17.
He's worked at the Blind Foundation at Kilwell Sport as a factory handyman for 41 years.
He's also been part of the Rotorua chapter of Achilles International - which supports people with disabilities participating in mainstream athletics - for five years.
Tuki's supported individuals and members of both Achilles and the Blind Sports Association to improve their self-esteem and confidence, and the experience has helped them set and achieve goals in other areas of their lives.
That support has especially helped some young male members come out of their shells and increase their social skills.
A Kiwibank Local Hero in 2019 and Geneva Supreme Support Worker in 2018, Hogg continued her tireless efforts as support worker, advocate, local area co-ordinator, board member, volunteer and a friend to many people and communities impacted by disability this year.
During the level 4 lockdown Hogg helped families apply for food grants, as well as providing phone support to a number of people.
The 47-year-old's volunteered for various organisations, including as a Habitat for Humanity director since 2017 and Koha Kai board member and chairwoman.
She's taken the time to build trust with people others have given up on by building rapport and listening, and moving forward at the speed of the person she engages with.
One was a young person who hadn't left their room, but was able to successfully begin employment due to Hogg's coaching.
An accident that left him paralysed aged 15 took Everson's sporting dreams away in an instant.
Now 24, he's used his mental strength to build up his physical strength, and is now the co-captain of the New Zealand Wheel Blacks.
Goodwin is passionate about developing innovative ways to support whānau with disabled children, including their inclusion at school and helping parents to co-design solutions to their challenges.
The 60-year-old also provided a lifeline during the Covid-19 lockdown for parents of disabled children.
She's the convenor of Awhi-at-home, a Facebook page supporting parents 24 hours a day.
Post-lockdown, Awhi continues as a whānau-driven collective, collaborating to create social change by informing, connecting and nurturing people linked by disability.
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