How we work
Kaitiakitanga te hapori | FVSV / Disability Community voices
Our approach to involving the community
We appreciate that this kaupapa (subject matter and conversation) is sensitive and must be handled with care.
VisAble provides a safe place of sharing for the people who join our hui, and who tell their stories to make a difference for others.
The findings are kept anonymous.
When engaging with the disability community via hui and kōrero, VisAble’s approach is to:
build trust through sharing and connection
support understanding of family violence, sexual violence, and safeguarding / whakahaumarutia
talk about what stops people from getting help
come up with solutions to improve access to help.
This involves:
listening to the voices of disabled people
identifying the barriers to getting help
creating solutions together, based on lived experience.
VisAble collects the insights, ideas and information, and the proposed solutions, and:
removes all identifiable details (making sure its anonymous and maintaining privacy, unless people direct us otherwise) a
makes the findings visible and available to organisations and professionals who support disabled people
actively promotes change.
Our process follows four steps:
-
Whaka-whanaungatanga
Getting to know each other and building trust.
-
Information gathering
Listening to stories and lived experiences.
-
Designing solutions
Creating ideas together.
-
Socialising ideas
Checking the solutions with our community and sharing them with the Executive Board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence and others.
Why this is important
Many disabled people face barriers when they try to get help or speak up about abuse. They are often left out of decisions and planning. This mahi is important because it:
Centres the voices of disabled people
Shows that lived experience is valued expertise
Helps create safer systems that work for everyone.
Maintaining your privacy
Keeping your details and information private is important. Find out about our Privacy Policy.
VisAble’s values (ngā mātāpono) are present throughout this kaupapa.
In practice, this looks like:
Manaakitanga– creating space for people to be themselves.
Kaitiakitanga – protecting the voice and trust of our community.
Mana taurite – making sure everyone has a fair chance to speak and be heard.
Mana motuhake– self-determination; people choose how they want to take part.
Kotahitanga – working together, side by side, to create change.
ngā mātāpono
VisAble’s values in practice
What people have said
“You made a space where we could be real. No masks. Just us.”
“I was crapping myself on the way here. But today, everything that’s been stuck inside my whole life—it came out.”
“Never laughed so much in a violence workshop before. It felt good to feel safe and still be myself.”
“I didn’t realise how much abuse in our community goes unseen. This gave me tools to notice and respond better.”
If you’d like to be involved
VisAble will promote any future survey or hui opportunities on its FVSV / Disability Community voices page.
If you’re a disabled person, or you support a disabled person, you might be interested in participating.
We’ll advise how to register your interest at that time.
Your insights and ideas will make a difference and we’d welcome your involvement.
