People for Us is a peer-to-peer initiative where disabled individuals visit adults living in residential care.
People First New Zealand Ngā Tāngata Tuatahi operates the service in the Southern region which encompasses Otago, Southland and Lakes District areas in towns such as Queenstown, Wānaka, Invercargill, Dunedin and Balclutha.
Two Dunedin-based kaiārahi, Keyra Webb and David King, are visiting about 107 residential homes that accommodate anywhere from one to eight residents.
They are also conducting online check-ins using platforms such as Zoom.
A kaiārahi (mentor or guide) is a disabled person who leads the visit accompanied by a kaiāwhina (assistant to the kaiārahi).
During the visit, they work to get to know the resident, discuss disability support services they use and ensure their voices are heard.
They also assist individuals in making choices about their needs and provide information on where to access additional help if required.
Miss Webb said when she saw the job advertised, she thought it was one of the "coolest things" that was absolutely needed in the disability community.
"For me, because of my Tourette's, I can’t work a lot of jobs.
"So it was also really, really cool to be able to see something that, with my disability, I could actually do as well."
"I was ecstatic when I found out that I did, in fact, get the job."
She was new to the disability advocacy space but thought it was "so necessary and so needed".
"I’m still getting trained at the moment, but every single meeting for the trainings and everything, I just get more and more excited to be here," Miss Webb said.
Mr King has "worn a lot of different hats" in the disability sector.
He is on the national executive committee of the Disabled Persons Assembly, an organisation run by and for disabled people.
He was national chairman of People First New Zealand for two years.
During his time as chairman, Mr King travelled to New York to speak to the United Nations on how people with learning disabilities can make decisions for themselves with the right support in place.
When visiting the homes of disabled people, Miss Webb and Mr King check they are happy, have a voice and are not being abused.
"Their rights are protected under the UN convention," Mr King said.
The aim is to ensure they are living the life they want to live.
"Their dream, their hopes," he said.
"Make sure their services [are] up to [a] standard that meets their needs."
The primary objective is to find out if they are living a good life, receiving quality support and are safe.
"We have got the living experience, living with a disability.
"So we can connect a lot more easily to those people with [a] learning disability ... because we live in the disability ourselves," Mr King said.
The service is funded by the Ministry of Social Development’s Disability Support Services and aims to amplify the voices of disabled people while reducing the risk of neglect and abuse.
It follows findings from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State Care, which highlighted the historical abuse of disabled individuals living in residential facilities.
The Royal Commission noted more support and oversight were required to prevent abuse in care.
In response, People for Us was created to focus on the human rights of disabled people and ensure they received appropriate support.
