This morning I took a look at the Butterfly – Monarch butterfly sun basking onto the bottlebrush tree in our garden.This butterfly reminded me when I am working with many people/children with disabilities who have struggled or finding hope for their needs. But not just people/children with disabilities, individuals who suffered depression, homeless or mental illness in Waikato.Living in a cocoon for a long time until you find a way to escape and fly away into the sky.Freedom or not? Are you afraid to ask for help or don’t know where to find someone in Waikato?There are approximately 42,000 people with children who are homeless around New Zealand.In 2014 in the city of Hamiton, there were about 80 individuals who were sleeping rough in the central city and one non-profit organisation – The Peoples’ Project placed 78 out of 80 people off the street into homes. The last report in 2016, there were 800 individuals and families into reasonable homes by the People’s Project group.Let say there are 925 disabled people, who are in labour force for adults from 15 years to 65+ in New ZealandTotal employed (disabled people) in New Zealand is 416. These figures came from 2013 Disability Survey: Social and economic outcomes tables. The number of people with disabilities including children is 1,062,000 in 2013. The sensory impairment estimated 484,000 people were limited in their everyday activities such as wearing hearing aids. (Note: Census in 2013)We have a group called Coalition of Deaf Mental Health Professionals. There is about 10% of Deaf people uses the services such as mental health or addiction service but leaving 1% of Deaf people with their first language – New Zealand Sign Language around New Zealand. Many of the services do not know about D/deaf people and their sign language due to lack of information and resources in New Zealand.I have a small number of disabled people visited me from the past to present at work. I listened (lipreading) them and gave the advice to go to the right place where there is an excellent, reasonable service that will help them. My strong advice to book an interpreter and have a support person. I did a lot of referrals for these individuals.I noticed many homeless people do not want to be involved with any organisation because of their troubles and reject by the organisation. I find another way of rejoining them to a different society, and it often works out well.At the end of my work, I received a lot of feedbacks from them and it was nice to know or hear that these people who I helped, are doing well and teaching the same way I taught them. I am a privilege to learn their stories from them. BUT there is still more works with D/deaf people and other people with disabilities to be done around the societies in New Zealand.http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/health/disabilities/DisabilitySurvey_HOTP2013/Commentary.aspxhttp://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/health/disabilities/disability-housing-2013.aspxhttps://cdmhp.org.nz/about-us/summary/https://www.thepeoplesproject.org.nz/homelessnesshttp://nzccss.org.nz/work/poverty/the-real-housing-affordability-issues/homelessness-the-invisible-housing-problem/http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/handle/10289/3950
Source: Thinking about the Butterfly
Life in Eureka 