Over Alert Levels 3 & 4, communication was a hot topic for many New Zealanders. Many people were adapting to working and learning from home; keeping in touch with friends and family remotely; and attending virtual meetings, appointments, and other services.
Series Introduction
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all New Zealanders, but it hasn’t impacted everyone equally. Our disabled and Māori communities have borne the brunt of this pandemic, experiencing major challenges to accessing essential services, and significant struggles during the nationwide lockdowns. However, disabled people have also pulled together to ensure our communities are kept safe, and our people have what they need to get by.
This accessible six part video series showcases the stories of disabled community members across Aotearoa, exploring their experiences of the pandemic during Alert Levels 3 and 4. From making sure they could get kai for their whānau to getting essential help to those who need it most – we hear from disabled kiwis in their own words so that we can ensure a more accessible future for our whole team of 5 million.
This series is brought to you by the DPO Coalition, with funding from the Office for Disability Issues, and proudly produced by Activate Agency. All videos contain NZSL, captions in English and te reo Māori, and Audio Description. Transcripts are available below in English, and te reo Māori, and episode summaries are available in plain English.
Episode 2 | Communication
Over Alert Levels 3 & 4, communication was a hot topic for many New Zealanders. Many people were adapting to working and learning from home; keeping in touch with friends and family remotely; and attending virtual meetings, appointments, and other services.
However, many disabled people found additional challenges in communicating during the pandemic. At a time when clear communication about the pandemic and other changes was critical, some services did not have accessible communication options like NZSL, and others failed to provide the information that disabled people needed to stay connected and be well during the lockdowns.
Play episode 2 for Joyce, Michelle, and Jonathan’s thoughts on communication during Covid Alert Levels 3 & 4.
This video contains the following accessibility features: NZSL, Captions in English & te reo Māori; Audio Description.
The DPO Coalition acknowledges the contribution of all disability sector organisations to make sure that the wellbeing of, informational needs, and support for disabled people was monitored and improved upon throughout the impact of COVID-19.
The video was made for the DPO Coalition with funding from the Office for Disability Issues. The video was produced by Activate Agency.
Accessible Transcript – Word
Transcript – te reo Māori – PDF
Transcript – te reo Māori – Word
Transcript – English – PDF
Transcript – English – Word
Episode summary – plain English – PDF
Episode summary – plain English – Word