The D*List wrapped: 2023 edition

Welcome to The D*List Wrapped: 2023 Edition! It's been a big six months since we launched The D*List in June. We’ve published 70 original pieces of content on the website and have a growing list of 30 paid contributors across the motu regularly pitching ideas and writing content. Most of them are based in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland and Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, but we also have contributors writing from the south in Ōtepoti/Dunedin, Rotorua and Taranaki.

For every person who contacts us at The D*List, whether it’s to be a writer, sending us an idea or just to say hi, we always make time for kōrero and to hear their story. Being in different community spaces, building relationships and having conversations continues to shape the direction of The D*List mahi every day.

In the first week of going live - yikes clicking that go live button was scary! - we set out our brief history and future vision. Who knew disabled people wanted to lead and start their own organisations? We did and we were so excited to introduce our kaimahi with a manifesto from our executive director Red Nicholson. And, as editor, I wrote an unapologetic and replenishing editorial vision which included some great D words such as disabled, diverse, DGAF, divine and dynamic.

When The D*List launched, we knew our primary goal would be to use our platform to amplify stories we wouldn't see in the mainstream media and prioritise disabled voices for a disabled audience. One of the first pieces I wrote explored why mobility vans were so out of reach for disabled people. We also covered community news and events, including disabled models taking the runway at New Zealand Fashion Week, a new app with audio-described content for blind/low vision communities and events coverage from Te Hoenga Waka Kapa Haka Festival, which was accompanied by some stunning images from award-winning photographer Becki Moss, and Cha’Nel Kaa-Luke’s report from the World Federation of the Deaf Congress.

Disability confusion (and rage) resonated with many of you when we realised how hard getting a new TM card could be (surprise, surprise). We had a deluge of responses via Instagram and loved hearing about your own personal experiences of receiving a card - I was so glad I wasn’t the only one! So to follow up on this hot topic, we put together a simple how-to guide on getting a TM card - and it was a hit, so we curated a few more guides, including a guide to accessible protesting written by our very own Beth Awatere, and in the lead up to this year’s general election, Ari Kerssens offered different ways to vote that make it more accessible.

Personal essays that touch our soul and make us feel seen in a way that only another disabled person could clearly resonated with many of you. Amelia Jacobson wrote about how flatting helped smash her internalised ableism, Ite Lemalu wrote about how the right classroom helped him finally thrive in high school and Henrietta Bollinger wrote about the internal conflict of wanting to show up to protest but needing to look after yourself first. And one of our most popular pieces of reflection was a letter to the mums of disabled kids. 

Disability joy was consumed by many of you like this piece by Soph Jackson writing about the joy of mutual care. Melissa Irving interviewed advocates taking a radical approach to disability pride, Umi Asaka wrote about how disabled communities give her strength and Robyn Hunt researched local history of disability day. We also showcased a range of voices in our communities through a series called My D*List.

And finally, sass and relatable disability lols was something you were hungry for, which included Ari Kerssens’ hot take that we’re doing visual descriptions wrong which was our most read piece. We highlighted the lack of accessible housing in a piece titled: Housing Minister confused by notion of disabled person upstairs, and used satire to highlight other disability issues in the articles Disabled Kiwis avoid imminent benefit cuts by working at being more inspiring and 'You thought we were serious?' - Govt admits it never meant to promise most promises. We also listed the annoying things we find in accessible bathrooms and ranked our favourite lifts in Tāmaki Makaurau and the most iconic lifts in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

It's been an amazing six months and I can't wait to see what 2024 on The D*List has in store!