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Kia ora e te whānau,
Welcome back and happy Spring! We have lighter days and only 6 weeks of classes left this trimester. We hope that you feel enlivened by the sunshine and are forming bright plans for Summer.
This bumper Spring newsletter includes:
- updates from our team
- student column
- internship opportunities
- financial awards, resources, and support.
Ngā mihi,
Te Amaru—Disability Services
Open Day reflection
We were thrilled to work with the whole Mana Taurite me te Oranga Tauira—Student Equity and Wellbeing team, alongside Hope and Summer from the Disabled Students Association (DSA) at Open Day!
We spoke with hundreds of future students and their whānau, and had some great one-on-one kōrero at the expo and in our office.
It was wonderful to see so many future students showing up with confidence, a strong sense of disability pride, and a keenness to embrace inclusivity. The buzz on campus was amazing, with teams across the University demonstrating why Te Herenga Waka is an incredible place to study.
Welcome to our new team member
We’re delighted to introduce Alice Butler-Cormack, our new Academic Inclusion Coordinator. Alice graduated from Te Herenga Waka a few years ago and brings an array of experience in coordination, managing a busy inbox, training, and problem-solving issues as they come up. She has worked in various roles in the Ministry for Primary Industries and private businesses. Alice has a passion for inclusion and loves learning and training. She has been busy learning her new role and coordinating reader writers for accessible assessments.
Alice Butler-Cormack, Academic Inclusion Coordinator
Student Column
Styling mobility aids to match your vibe
by Michaela.C
I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user, this means I can stand or walk short distances, and when doing so I need to use crutches or a cane. However, you'll often see me rolling around campus in my wheelchair, and most times I go out, I'm using my chair. I spend many hours a day sitting in my chair and it's an extension of my body. Even when I’m not using my chair, I am almost always am reliant on another mobility aid.
As such, I have added a few customisations and decorations onto my chair to make it feel more my own. These include spoke wraps, and an octopus that wraps around the frame of my chair.
When I go out to events or for special occasions I'll decorate my chair further, whether this is fairy lights on the wheels, or homemade spoke guards.
When I attended the Armageddon expo, I decorated my chair to match my steampunk themed outfit. When I attended a friend’s Barbie themed party, I decorated my crutches to be pink.
My biggest tip when navigating the world with a mobility aid is to make it your own. Add decorations and make it feel like you. When attending special events incorporate it into the theme and outfit, it's a part of you and a tool that helps you. Accessorise and have fun with it.
Decorating my mobility aids has helped so much with confidence and comfortability with needing them.
Do you have a helpful study tip, a way to look after your wellbeing, or a story that might lift someone’s spirits? We want to hear from you!
Send us a short submission for our student column with your practical advice or positive perspective. It could be about:
- how you manage your disability needs
- what helps you stay connected
- something that made your day better.
Submissions should be:
- uplifting, encouraging, or empowering
- focused on study, wellbeing, or campus life
- submitted as a Word document
- 250 words or less.
We’ll feature selected tips in our newsletter to support and inspire others.
📧 Send your tips to: disability@vuw.ac.nz
🗓️ You can submit anytime!
📝 Please note: submissions may be edited for clarity or length.
Whaikaha All-of-Government Summer Internship Pilot
Are you currently studying or have recently graduated? Are you keen to bring lived experience, disability perspectives, and a passion for equity to your work?
The Whaikaha All-of-Government Summer Internship pilot has 13 roles available across 11 government agencies.
Applications will close at midnight on Friday 5 September. You can apply online and find more information on the Ministry's webpage.
Te Amaru - Disability Services Access Awards
Apply now for the Te Amaru—Disability Services Access Awards
This year we have a total of $15,000, comprising approximately 15 awards of between $500 and $1500 to award to disabled domestic students who are experiencing financial hardship, who have made good academic progress and who have one or more years left of study.
Closing date for applications is Thursday 2 October 2025.
To find out more and apply, visit the Awards and scholarships website.
Need food or financial help?
If you’re in need of financial support, food, or menstrual products, check out the information below.
Financial assistance and the Hardship Fund
- Talk to the Student Finance team to get help managing your budget, applying for emergency funds, and more.
VUWSA Food Options
- The Community Pantry gives out emergency food parcels to those who need them throughout the year. If you are currently experiencing financial hardship, this is for you. To get a Community Pantry food parcel visit the VUWSA Kelburn office or the Te Aro library; and fill out a Community Pantry form.
- Free bread is available most Fridays (not in the last month of the year). You can pick some up from outside the VUWSA office at 10 am on Friday.
The Bubble
- Manawa Ora—Student Wellbeing provides free fruit and hot drinks at The Bubble (SU216), 11 am-2 pm Monday to Friday, during teaching weeks in Trimesters 1 and 2.
Free menstrual products and discounts
- VUWSA offers free packs of pads and tampons and subsidised reusable menstrual products at every campus – click here to find out more.
Free meals and other local food assistance
- Visit Kaibosh Food Rescue's urgent food webpage for an additional list of local organisations that provide food assistance.
Get support with inclusive technology
If you’re facing technical issues accessing your course content or wanting to learn how to use Read & Write and/or Genio (fka. Glean) software, which can support your everyday study tasks—Kit, our Inclusive Technology Assistant is here to help.
Here’s how you can connect with Kit:
- Book a workshop or appointment.
- Email a question to inclusivesoftware@vuw.ac.nz.
- Book an appointment through reception.
Access suites at the campus libraries
The University’s libraries have a range of services and resources to support you, including access suites. Access suites are quiet places for disabled students to rest and study with ergonomic furniture, equipment, technology, and amenities that are not found in general University study spaces. When you register with Te Amaru—Disability Services, you’re automatically granted entry to our access suites using your student ID card.
You can find the access suites in our campus libraries:
- Kelburn (RB103)—past the Hub on level 1, before Louis’ Takeaway Café, you’ll find the access suite just inside the library gates.
- Pipitea (RHGO5)—the access suite is located behind the library office.
Disabled Students' Association (DSA)
The VUW Disabled Students Association is a student-led group providing social meetups and advocacy opportunities for disabled/tangata whaikaha/deaf/neurodivergent students. We’d love to have you all involved.
From 1–3 pm, every Thursday from week two during Trimester 2, the Disabled Students’ Association hosts weekly social meetups at the Hunter Lounge. The venue is accessible, and NZSL interpreters will be available. Join when you can for a relaxed hangout.
For more information, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, join our Discord Server, or email vuwdsa@gmail.com.
—Annabelle (She/Her) and Hope (She/Her)
Disabled Students Association representatives
6-12 October is Mental Health Awareness Week
📅 Mental Health Awareness Week is coming soon
Te Herenga Waka, in collaboration with VUWSA, is putting together a University-wide programme for students and staff across all three campuses, designed to support wellbeing and strengthen social connections. This year’s theme is Top Up Together, which encourages us to connect with others and top up our mental meters.
Sign of the month
The sign of the month is 'arotake—review' because we've been reflecting on our wellbeing with the new Wellbeing Kete module—it's free for students, so be sure to check it out!
Stay connected
Check out our website for useful information www.wgtn.ac.nz/disability
Follow us on Instagram @vuwequitywellbeing
Connect with us on Facebook
