In 2022, All is for All has been working with the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State Care (‘the Royal Commission') to provide advice for how it can best reach d/Deaf and disabled survivors and their families/whānau. We’ve been working to help the Royal Commission improve the accessibility of its outreach and engagement with the d/Deaf and disabled community. It has been a privilege to help support a monumental moment in our legal and national history and to support those in our community who have been affected so much by the events of the past.
Over the last few months, the Royal Commission held public hearings, and spoke to and heard from experts, survivors, their family/whānau and witnesses about abuse in different places of state care. The hearing for d/Deaf, disabled and people who experience mental distress was held in July this year.
The hearing stage was all about acknowledging the history, abuse and the harm of the past. The next stage of the inquiry is not just about making sure that we learn from the past, but also that we listen to those who experienced abuse, harm and neglect to prevent it happening in future. The Royal Commission is now looking to hear from survivors and the community to share their lived experience and shape the future of care.
“The Royal Commission has set up a digital platform using Social Pinpoint, to offer more ways for people to provide feedback and thoughts to the Royal Commission, in a way comfortable for them. On the platform, you’ll find more information about the Royal Commission’s work and its future engagements here: https://www.korero.abuseincare.org.nz/”
We’re continuing to work with the Royal Commission as it moves into this next stage, and remain committed to ensuring the systems and processes used are as accessible and easy as possible for d/Deaf, disabled survivors and their families/whānau. This means ensuring all the information is provided in alternative formats quickly, as well as broadening the range of communication channels people can use to share feedback and ask questions.
Community feedback has stressed the need for a range of mediums and options for feedback to be shared. In-person gatherings, which have been used to share information and for kōrero in the hearing stage, don’t work for everyone and don’t suit everyone’s ability to communicate or participate.
With this in mind, the Royal Commission has set up a digital platform using Social Pinpoint, to offer more ways for people to provide feedback and thoughts to the Royal Commission, in a way comfortable for them. On the platform, you’ll find more information about the Royal Commission’s work and its future engagements here: https://www.korero.abuseincare.org.nz/. You will also find an ‘ideas wall’ where people can share their experiences, reflections and suggestions for improving the future of care in Aotearoa, New Zealand. We want our community to be heard, so if you, your family, whānau or someone you know have any feedback to share with the Royal Commission, we invite you to visit the website linked above.
All images sourced from abuseincare.org