Sorry Sacha, we posted at the same time there.

We really do appreciate feedback, especially from people who obviously watch the show and take an interest in the issues.

Without the paralympics looming I too am looking forward to exploring some broader issues in greater depth in 09.

I do think empathy is an instinctive thing and for some it will come from personal experience but it also comes from listening to and exploring people's journeys with them.

Thanks Sacha

I agree that focusing on individual achievement alone is not enough - that's why we're tackling some more serious issues on the programme.
It is not generally the attitudes of people with disabilities that need to change thats why we targeted the audience that we did.
By highlighting the individual achievements and specifically targeting the corporate sector we hope that employers will be more open to the potential of people living with a disability.

As to the statistic, it was not part of the writing I was involved in and was a little curious about it myself - I do appreciate you explaining the real situation in detail.

Thank you Russell for your heart felt comments about the Attitude Awards

But to Sacha...
Although the evening was a celebration of the success and achievements of Kiwis living with a disability, it did have a couple of serious messages.

"Curtis explained on air last Sunday that his motivation for establishing the awards was somehow creating more opportunities for young disabled people to get paid work. While he’s a nice man, that’s just not very well-informed."

Our experience, from talking to many, is that young people making the transition from school to adulthood, find the workforce a very daunting place because of employers who concentrate on what people can't do rather than what they can.

We consciously courted the corporate sector to sponsor and attend the. event. Our simple, yet not, I believe naive, hope is that these leaders in business and industry have their eyes opened to an enormous untapped resource.

Even the fashion show that I organised had a serious message. I wanted to challenge people’s conception of beauty and rethink their stereotypes of disabled women; I think the accompanying graphics gave emphasis to this. Eleven beautiful, fashionable, desirable women who happen to be mothers, sisters, gold-medal- winning Paralympians, lawyers, lovers and entrepreneurs - not a "problem" in sight!

"That does require a bigger view of social change than the “inspiring” personality-driven stories that Attitude specialises in. Change demands a broader understanding of disability beyond the experience of the sports-playing wheelchair users with ACC-funded spinal injuries who dominate the show’s team. They at least seem to be moving on from thinking that the next adventure sports expedition or overseas holiday is the biggest issue for many disabled New Zealanders."

I get a little tired of defending the way we acquired our disabilities and how we’re funded but the truth is that there are people working on the Attitude team with a range of disabilities from dyslexia/autism to cerebral palsy.

However we acquired our disabilities we have empathy and an understanding of a wide range of issues from travel and sport to more serious issues including funding inequities, pre-natal testing for disability and accessing education.

We don't expect to change the world with one awards night but from the comments I received at the end of the night, we're already making in roads however small.