Te Rōpū Kaiārahi Hauātanga

Te Rōpū Kaiārahi Hauātanga, the Disability Advisory Panel, was formed in late 2021 to inform the Chief Ombudsman's work in the area of disability rights.

Te Rōpū Kaiārahi Hauātanga's purpose is to ensure the Chief Ombudsman has access to timely and high-quality expert advice from New Zealanders with lived experience of disability. This approach reflects the mantra of the disability rights movement: ‘nothing about us, without us’.

The panel’s work

The team of nine provides key insights on accessibility and equity from disabled people across the nation. 

The panel also helps to identify, deconstruct and confront barriers that prevent disabled people from participating fully in society. They provide centred critical perspectives from Māori and young disabled persons to show the intersections of these barriers with other social issues in Aotearoa.

Videos featuring panel members

The Ombudsman has made videos featuring past and present Te Rōpū Kaiārahi Hauātanga members discussing the work of the Ombudsman.

Watch the videos at these links:

• Watch a video about the inaugural Te Rōpū Kaiārahi Hauātanga meeting
• Watch a video about the Ombudsman's Accessibility Strategy and Action Plan
• Watch a video about what the Ombudsman can do for the Deaf community

What does Te Rōpū Kaiārahi Hauātanga mean

• Te Rōpū - The Group
• Kaiārahi - Guide
• Hauātanga - Disability

The word hauātanga also has connections with Tāwhirimātea—the god of weather, storms and wind (hau) — who is also blind. This connection gives strength to the term.

Panel members

David Corner

IHC New Zealand 

David Corner is a respected advocate for people with intellectual disabilities. He has been a self-advocate for over 27 years, and has dedicated his career at IHC to teaching and supporting others in the intellectual disability community.

David uses his experiences as a person with an intellectual disability and autism to fuel his advocacy for others, working to ensure they are heard and included.

David has worked with a wide range of organisations to develop and deliver training programs and workshops. He teaches people with intellectual disabilities about their rights, self-advocacy, and how to access resources to lead fulfilling lives. He also raises awareness of the issues that intellectually disabled people face and of ableism in our society.

David has experience advising at international, national, and local levels. David has addressed bodies such as the United Nations UNCRPD Committee and was a Council member for Inclusion International for 12 years. David is now a Life Member of Inclusion International and People First.

Lara Draper

Deaf Aotearoa

Lara Draper is Deaf and uses New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). She is passionate about Deaf issues and advocating for Deaf people’s rights. Lara is the General Manager for Adult and Senior Services at Deaf Aotearoa (not for profit national organisation, DPO) and based in Christchurch.  She manages Hauora and Employment services supporting the Deaf community including Deaf seniors and also leads on Adult Community Education (ACE).

Lara grew up in the north of England, and after studying Sports Science degree and primary school teaching post-graduate certificate in education, she moved to London to become a presenter on the BBC TV See Hear! Programme. Lara continued in this role for 5 years and presented programmes using British Sign Language (BSL). She has had a varied career as a social care manager for Deaf services, a lecturer, disability co-ordinator, tutor, teacher and project-leader. Prior to becoming a GM for Deaf Aotearoa, Lara was a Team Leader for the First Signs service for 5 years.  This programme provides support for families of Deaf babies and children aged 0 – 5.

Sam Fitness

Youth Member

Sam Fitness has completed a resource planning degree at Massey University and brings his youth perspective to the panel. He is looking forward to the next step in his career development, and his long term goal is to work in a planning position facilitating inclusive spaces for disabled people in the community.

Sam is a C5 tetraplegic and a full-time wheelchair user. He currently plays wheelchair rugby for the Bay of Plenty team in his home of Tauranga. Sam believes that disability sport can have a pivotal role in expanding people’s lives.

Dr Lea Galvin

Nelson Tasman Hospice | Te Wai Pounamu Consumer Advisory Panel

Dr Lea Galvin is a Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist who is a wheelchair user and a passionate disability rights advocate.

Lea has worked within the Health and Disability sector for the past 20 years. She has dedicated her clinical expertise to ensuring the rights of parents with disabilities are recognised within NZ family and criminal courts. She also brings her experience of governance and strategic planning within the health sector to the panel.

Lea currently works as the Clinical Services Manager for the Nelson Tasman Hospice and sits on the Te Wai Pounamu Consumer Advisory Panel. In these roles she provides disability specific guidance to the NZ health care sector. 

Dr Jonathan Godfrey ONZM

School of Fundamental Sciences Massey University | Blind Citizens NZ

A lecturer in statistics at Massey University, Dr Jonathan Godfrey’s research focuses on removing barriers to the thousands of blind people around the world. He wants to make sure that visual elements in statistical thinking and practice are accessible to everyone.

Jonathan is currently National President at Blind Citizens NZ.

Andrew Hall

NZ Spinal Trust

Andrew Hall lives in Christchurch and manages NZ Spinal Trust’s Peer & Whānau Support service. He previously worked for Professor Alan Clarke establishing the organisation’s vocational rehabilitation programme, following which he served 5 years as chief executive of the Trust.  

In 1983 Andrew sustained a spinal cord injury resulting in C#6 incomplete tetraplegia. Following that he completed a B.Comm (Ag) – Economics at Lincoln University and had a 20+ year career in IT, and an eight-year stint farming a sheep, cattle and lucerne property in Central Otago. He has now been a Director of the NZ Rugby Foundation for 6 years and is the Deputy Chair of the Burwood Academy Trust and Vice-President of the Australia New Zealand Spinal Cord Society. He is also a founding Trustee of the Pacific Disability Support Trust and the Ben Lei’a Trust.

His particular areas of interest are: Peer support, Vocational Rehabilitation, Information Technology, Not-for-Profit Management and Governance, Strategic Planning, Finance, Agriculture

Leo McIntyre

VisAble | Te Whatu Ora Wellington

Leo McIntyre is a respected disability and human rights advocate, in particular representing people with lived experience of mental distress. He has worked in mental health for over 20 years, and worked with the Disabled People’s Organisations Coalition from its inception until 2023. Leo is currently a board member of VisAble, a disabled-people-led NGO providing sector education and safeguarding from abuse for disabled people and adults at risk. He brings experience in rights advocacy, in governance and management, and a deep knowledge of the mental health system.

Logan McMullen

Blindside Advocacy and Consulting

Logan McMullen is the Director of Blindside Advocacy and Consulting, a strong voice in New Zealand’s disability sector. Since losing his sight in 1998 at the age of 24, Logan has built a career spanning the non-profit, corporate, and public sectors.

Logan brings a wealth of expertise in advocacy, dispute resolution, executive management, and governance. He has a blend of communication skills, strategic management acumen, advanced computer literacy, and a talent for conflict resolution and consensus building.

Logan’s work focuses on empowering individuals and organisations to overcome barriers and achieve their goals. As the Director of Blindside Advocacy and Consulting, Logan provides services that include ACC claim and review management, adaptive technology support, disability awareness training, DSS advocacy, supported advocacy, team training, and corporate speaking.

Logan has made many contributions to the disability sector, where he has contributed significantly to shaping policies, resolving disputes, and fostering inclusive cultures.

Dorothy Taare-Smith

Taonga Takiwātanga Charitable Trust

Ko Hikurangi te Maunga
Ko Waiapu te Awa
Ko Horouta te Waka
Ko Ngāti Porou te Iwi
Ko Turanganui-a-kiwa e noho ana
Ko Dorothy Taare-Smith tōku ingoa

Dorothy Taare-Smith has extensive experience supporting whānau Māori in the Tairāwhiti region, particularly those coming to terms with an autism diagnoses. 

Dorothy has a background in special education, disability advocacy and is the founder and director of Taonga Takiwātanga Charitable Trust. She holds a Master’s degree in Specialist Teaching (Autism Spectrum) and is currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate degree in Health Studies. 

Dorothy guides whānau through the health and disability sectors, ensuring they are not hindered by unfamiliar terminology and Western concepts. Taonga Takiwātanga Charitable Trust offers Marae-based professional development for both whānau and professionals, fostering a supportive environment grounded in Māori cultural perspectives. She helps whānau understand the meaning of autism through the lens of Te Ao Māori. Her commitment to her community drives her efforts, working closely with whānau Māori to make a meaningful impact through her work. Most importantly, Dorothy is the Grandmother of Carni, her Taonga Takiwātanga (treasure on the autism spectrum).