Loren’s Latest

Article by Loren Corbett
Whangarei is filled with inspirational people living their lives with disabilities and so often they go unnoticed.

At Tiaho we get the chance to work with many of these amazing people. Throughout this year I will be getting to know some of them and sharing with you just snippets of their achievements.

I thought it would be more than appropriate to start the ball rolling with Vanassa McGoldrick, a registered legal executive, mother of two, and strong advocate for disabled peoples rights.

Vanassa is currently studying towards a degree in Law. However it has not been as easy for her as everyone else. When she was looking into studying Law with the intention of doing it by correspondence through the University of Auckland, she discovered that Correspondence Law was not an option and was informed that the only way she would be able to study was on campus.

As simple as it sounded to move to a new city, find a flat and live on a student budget, simple was the last word in Vannasa’s head.  Moving from Whangarei meant that she would have had to find a place to live that was accessible. Not to mention moving her two daughters to another school and losing all of the support she currently gets. 

However, even if Vanassa managed to organize all of this, she would have to put herself in a wheelchair in order to be able to get around a large university campus.  Vanassa makes it her daily quest to stay out of a wheelchair at all costs -  5 times a week she gyms, she swims and she is determined to stay walking for as long as is possible. 

To give up her mobility to get the education she desired, she viewed as a breach of her basic human rights.

The reply to Vanassa’s request to be allowed to do her law degree by correspondence from the University of Auckland was a simple ‘no’ and that her only chance was to contact another University to see if they would make allowances for her to slip under the radar and do it by Correspondence.

To cut a long story shorter, The University of Otago accepted Vanassa, as a trial to see if it was possible. This meant that for the past two years Vanassa has been studying by distance, emailing in her assignments, getting students in Otago to tape the lectures, and receiving the lecturer’s notes by post. 

She has kept up full-time study for the past two years, whilst working part-time, being a Mum and being actively involved in the disabled community.

At the end of her four years of study, Vanassa does not only want a Law Degree, but she also wants to open the doors for people with other disabilities to be able to study the same way that she has.

During my catch up with Vanassa I got the opportunity to understand a lot more about the work she also does around Whangarei with being part of the Disability Sector Reference Group for the Whangarei District Council, Whangarei Accessible Housing Trust and CCS Disability Action. Whilst Vanassa herself says, “It took me a long time to figure that I can make a difference.”

The Whangarei disabled community is very grateful for the work she has done. However these amazing details will have to be saved for another time.

If you would like to share your story or know of someone who has done something you would like to share, send me an email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) . I would love to hear from you.

Until next time,
Take care,
Loren