Strong Voices

It was an action-packed 24 hours for a group of families with children with intellectual disability at Whenua Iti Outdoor Education Centre in the Tasman District.

Teacher and author Keri Opai recently met with the Chief Executive’s Advisory Group to discuss whaikaha ā-hinengaro – a new Māori term for intellectual disability.

My Voice is where we get to know some of the people in our community. Mark Campbell has recently taken over as IHC Board Chair.

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For the past 30 years, Parent to Parent Sib Camps supported by IHC have offered unique camps all over New Zealand for children. The camps bring together children from eight to sixteen who all share the experience of having a sibling with additional needs.

Ray set out to ‘follow the sun’, hoping for a smooth scenic adventure… but the journey turned into something far more extraordinary.

The Chief Executive’s Advisory Group came together early in 2025. It’s chaired by National Self Advocacy Advisor David Corner. He has compiled this report for us.

There aren’t too many corners of New Zealand that IHC’s Chief Executive Andrew Crisp hasn’t found himself in over the past nine months.

Every year the IHC Calf & Rural Scheme photo competition brings out the creativity of our rural supporters, and 2025 is no exception.

Capture the moment is IHC’s photography competition for New Zealanders who have an intellectual disability. This year saw 160 entries from photographers responding to the theme Nature: the living world, celebrating everything from native birds to mountain vistas.

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Since joining IHC in February, Chief Executive Andrew Crisp has spent time listening and learning. He has visited and talked to people with intellectual disabilities, their whānau, IHC staff, carers, funders, donors and many others.