I get a lot of people telling me how wonderful, amazing, inspirational, etc, etc, they think I am. To be honest, it gets a bit tedious and it's difficult to respond to such compliments, because they are often unnecessary.

Mostly, I'm just out doing unadmirable, uninspiring stuff, like having lunch.

Over the years I've developed a standard response: "Thanks, it takes one to know one." It graciously returns the compliment and, unless the person is a complete neanderthal, they get the wit and, usually, any disability-related tension is dispelled.

On the face of it, Winston Peter's offer of $6000 towards meeting MP Mojo Mathers' access needs, which was today refused by Parliamentary Services via Speaker Lockwood Smith, seems decent. Peters has also challenged other parties to match his offer.

But this charitable handout goes to the heart of a huge problem in NZ and other countries. The "special" needs of people to access communication, services, housing and equipment are too often seen to reside in the realm of goodwill and sympathy, rather than rights and empathy.

We are no longer hidden away in institutions, economically inviable and unproductive. We are living in communities, contributing to the economy and higher in productivity than others in many cases. We therefore have the right and responsibility to be equitably resourced, not given guilty compensation.

I'm currently reading a very interesting book — "I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power", by TEDster Brene Brown. The book's core themes are the causes and connections between shame, courage, empathy and compassion.

One of the sub-themes Brown talks about is the difference between empathy (understanding) and sympathy (pity). Instantly I got thinking about the astounding amount of sympathy or pity people display about the experience of disability.

Brown says sympathy conveys the idea that you could not possibly understand someone's experience, while also implying that you are glad you cannot. "In most cases, when we give sympathy we do not reach across to understand the world as others see it," she writes. "Inherent in sympathy is, 'I don't understand your world, but from this view things look pretty bad.'"

...in a court of law.

What an embarrassing mantra for a civil society, where one is supposedly innocent until proven guilty.

I know a parent being prosecuted for theft of Government funding approved for their significantly disabled child, and I read of grandparents being denied money to care for their grandchildren.

{ Safe and sound } is an idea for a new, multi-faceted service designed for people managing their own disability support through the Ministry of Health Individualised Funding scheme or ACC direct payments.

People opting into this method of support do so because they are looking for customised support to fit their lifestyle, which current home-based support services struggle to provide. However, it does involve the responsibility of employing one or more people.

Hello, it's 2012 - hope you had a great break. So, are you ready for change?

Not cataclysmic, apocalyptic, chronomatic, revelational change.

I mean subtle, gentle, influential and revolutionary change. Like this:

Disability awareness is slowly becoming more commonplace in workplaces around New Zealand, though it hasn't really taken off like other diversity issues. You find it sometimes in community organisations, particularly disability service providers, and some Government agencies.

In most cases the corporate world asks, "What does disability have to do with us?" 

So here's the dilemma: Awareness of disability is a red herring. Everyone is aware on some level that what we call "disability" exists in some people (medical model). Some are even aware that "disability" can be seen as a social construct of environmental, attitudinal and policy barriers that exclude 20% of society (social model).

I promoted Giant Leap, NZ's first international disability arts festival in 2005, by jumping of Auckland's harbour bridge. And I did it live to air on TVNZ's Breakfast show, talking to later-to-become controversial host, Paul Henry. Followed by interview with US humourist David Roche.

The Be. accessible team will be travelling to 12 cities around New Zealand and would like to invite you to join them in co-creating a 100% accessible society. Visit their website for more information, dates and locations.

Address to the Creative Spaces Network Forum convened by Arts Access Aotearoa Wednesday 8 June 2011 Museum Hotel, Wellington

Kia ora tatau katoa te whanau tapatapahi ana. Greetings my creative family. If this was an episode of “Stars in their Eyes”, I’d be saying, “Tonight Matthew, I’m going to be the Shirtless Dancing Guy.” But I’ll keep my shirt on. And I won’t dance.