June 25, 2015
Advocates vital for disabled
A support worker is recommending Maori disabled take an advocate whenever they have to deal with government agencies.
Statistics New Zealand says one in four Maori are disabled, and they tended to have lower incomes than other Maori.
Raewyn Skipper says for meetings with WINZ, ACC and even hospital appointments are all places where an advocate is valuable, expecially for kaumatua.
"As a whole our people are always whakama so they don't open up up unless they havea support person they trust, who they can depend on, whose information is accurate, so it's all about building up that trust," she says.
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