Strong Voices

Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua

‘I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past’.

While it has been a busy couple of months at IHC, the end of October was an extraordinary period.

Two things happened that emphasised the importance of considering our rich history side by side with our future.

On 23 October, Chief Executive Andrew Crisp expressed IHC’s profound regret for the abuse and neglect survivors experienced within the support services meant to protect them – including IHC’s part in that.

The apology to survivors, members and whānau marked our formal acknowledgement of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry and affirmed our commitment to the inquiry’s recommendations and ensuring safe, quality services.

You can read more about the apology and can see Andrew deliver the apology on video.

It is with a commitment to our past and the knowledge that today the lives of people with intellectual disabilities are still more difficult than others that we look to the future.

IHC has set a high-level strategy that looks towards the next decade up to 2035. It is not an action plan – which is to come – but it affirms our values and priorities to improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. The strategy was presented and discussed at the Annual General Meeting, held in Ōtautahi Christchurch on 31 October, and you can read more about it here.

There have already been changes in the way we work at IHC. There is continued greater involvement of people with intellectual disabilities in decision-making for the organisation and a better integration between our properties and disability services.

Finally, we can end the year with more celebration – with Capture the moment, kapa haka festivals and more.

I wish you a safe and happy end of the year and a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. All the best for 2026.

Gina Rogers
Editor

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