Latest from Disabilities

Legal case over drink during pregnancy

Could a UK case being heard in court today about compensation to a girl born with fetal alcohol syndrome set a precedent to prosecute pregnant women who drink?

Peter Calder: Clocking in for sense of purpose

Keith Shelley gets to work early. Really early. The gates don't open until 7.30, but he's outside by "six or five past, depending on the buses".

Surf's up for disabled Kiwis

Champion rower Rob Waddell celebrated the launch of a new surf programme for young, disabled Kiwis at Auckland's Mission Bay yesterday.

Kerre McIvor: Harsh view out of line

The evolutionary biologist and philosopher Richard Dawkins created a Twitterstorm this week when he posted about a young woman in Ireland who was forced to give birth to a baby conceived through rape.

Mums warned to speak up

Cerise Lawn says pregnant women must speak up when things don't look right, after signs of distress were overlooked and her baby was left struggling with disabilities from a damaged brain.

Ainsley Newson: We need to talk about disability

The details of a surrogacy case involving an Australian couple commissioning a pregnancy in Thailand have created outrage in all sorts of quarters.

Mother's love comes to fore

Jared and Sarah Chisnall watched their eldest daughter deteriorate from a healthy 2-year-old to a brain-damaged 7-year-old. Now their son has the same condition.

Kids solve bank's access problem

A group of primary school children have solved a problem that our biggest bank couldn't solve - finding a way to let disabled people into its downtown Auckland branch.

Pride of NZ Awards: Disability turned to advantage

Being accepted by her peers has been something a young Auckland teenager has always wanted.

Getting on their high horse

Danielle Wright connects with a group of special children getting active on horseback.

Trust investigates 'irregular payments' claim

A taxpayer-funded South Auckland disability support provider which received $30 million last year is investigating its own accounts.

My happy place: Lily Edmonds-Anderson, teenager

Disabled athlete swaps water for wheels in Paralympics bid

Disabled athlete Daniel Holt had only just found his sporting niche in the swimming pool when it was ripped away from him.

Rugby: Prosthetic limbs close to passing

Thanks to New Zealand research funded by the International Rugby Board, revolutionary prostheses and hearing aids are close to fruition.

Few parents paid for care of disabled children

A 13-year legal battle by parents seeking the right to be paid caregivers for their disabled adult children has ended in bitterness, with only a handful of parents being paid.

The courage to change

Some people choose to make changes in their life, sometimes personal, others are work related. For other people, though, that change is forced on them.