From Wellington City Council’s (WCC) Accessibility Advisory Group (AAG):

On behalf of  AAG, we’d like to invite to Wellington DPA members a co-hosted Housing Forum. AAG saw this as a chance to come together with DPA on an incredibly important topic (housing) while also promoting the work AAG does to support and push WCC to do better for disabled people.

The Housing Forum will primarily be speaking to the rental market, and in attendance from Wellington City Council (WCC) will be officers from the Te Kainga Programme and the Housing Development Team.

As part of this forum we’re wondering if any of you would like to speak specifically on your experience with inaccessible housing in the rental market?

We’re looking for a maximum of five speakers speakers who will have five minutes speaking time each, and we’re looking to cover off a range of different disabilities/impairments, cultural diversities, and experiences within the chosen speakers.

This offer is also going out to current AAG members. If there is a lot of interest, Chris Ford (DPA Acting Wellington Kaituitui) and Melissa Wells (Senior Accessibility Advisor, WCC) will be choosing the speakers in advance of the meeting.

How the hui will run: The five chosen speakers will speak first, facilitated by Chris, and then Nick Ruane and Rachel Noble (AAG co-chairs) will open the floor up and coordinate discussion on the accessibility needs required for different parts of a home – bathroom, bedroom, entrance etc. We will end the forum with some concrete recommendations for our WCC Housing officers.

AAG meetings are public meetings so even if you don’t wish to speak but do wish to attend and be involved in the discussion, just let Melissa or Chris know and we’ll ensure the zoom link gets out to you.

When: 5.30pm, Tuesday 22 March
Where: Zoom - email Chris Ford at Wellington@dpa.org.nz for the Zoom link

Sign language interpreters will be present.