Farewell to our first ever Community Reporters

Back in April we started our first round of our new Community Reporters programme, a dedicated programme to nurture the next generation of disabled storytellers. Ahead of our first online hui, I was sweating with nerves. It was the first time running this programme and for all of us to meet. How would people show up? Would everyone get along? Would people want to come back? I was literally faking it through the meeting, but by the end of it I realised I had no reason to worry. Everyone showed up with enthusiasm, and I was excited to hear the story pitches, all of which I could imagine being published on The D*List.

Fast forward to September, and we have now completed six months of the programme.

Matty ranked the top four disabled toilets around Kirikiriroa. Ellie wrote about the word derpy’s forgotten ableist past. Havilah interviewed her disabled pals about what it’s like to date while queer and disabled. Maioha made a relatable list of things that autistic people are sick of hearing.

At our in-person hui in June, we had a catch up with Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker who chatted with us over Zoom. We also created a team TikTok magically making our mobility aids appear.

Kitty delighted us by introducing audiences to a retro 80s TV show featuring disabled characters called The Kids From O.W.L. Havilah attended and reported on the book launch for Out of the Box by Trish Harris at Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library.

And then very recently, Kitty wrote a piece acknowledging Tim Curry’s passing and honouring him not just for his iconic roles as an actor but as a disabled person. Maioha also interviewed her friends about the word takiwātanga.

Not only has my own confidence grown in the last six months, but it has been amazing to see our community reporters grow too. And it wasn’t necessarily just in growing their storytelling skills as we might have expected. It was growing in their ability to share their needs, which they might not have done before in a workplace. We were growing in our sense of community and disability identities, together.

One of our online hui had to be cancelled because I was sick with the winter flu going around. A previous version of Olivia would have pushed through and gone through with the meeting while coughing and sneezing, so I wouldn’t disappoint others. But ‘2026 Olivia’ took a sick day and rested, and it was all fine to cancel the meeting. No one was disappointed. It was okay to take time off, just as I had encouraged others to do.

I am so proud of our community reporters – Matty, Maioha, Kitty, Havilah, Ellie and Em – for taking a leap and giving it their all. And a huge thanks to Talia for supporting the programme.