Wally is both a Trustee of Tiaho Trust and one of the lead facilitators for Wānanga Tūhono – Disability Responsiveness Training. As a wheelchair user with lived experience of disability, Wally brings valuable insight, authenticity, and practical knowledge to every workshop.
Through Wānanga Tūhono, Wally helps organisations connect with the lived experiences of tāngata whaikaha, building understanding, confidence, and inclusive practice. He supports participants to better understand the Social Model of Disability, challenge assumptions, and recognise the importance of preserving dignity, autonomy, and mana.
Proudly of Ngāti Kahu and Ngāpuhi descent, Wally is a strong advocate for disability rights and inclusion. He believes meaningful change happens when people are willing to learn from lived experience and work together to create more accessible and welcoming communities. Outside of his governance and facilitation roles, Wally enjoys an active lifestyle previously a waka ama participant and now playing pool at an international level (Wheelchair Cuesport).
Managing Director and founder of Disability Responsiveness New Zealand, Dr Pam MacNeill, hails from Christchurch, where she began her State Sector career in Care and Protection Social Work and Community Work.
Pam was National Manager of the Mainstream Employment Programme at the State Services Commission in Wellington for 16 years. She also worked as Disability Programme Developer at the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner and developed the role of Disability Responsiveness Educator at Capital & Coast District Health Board.
In 2010, Pam established Pam MacNeill Consulting and managed contracts for State and community sector organisations. Her work included developing and facilitating disability responsiveness training workshops, managing employment-related projects and producing reports for the Convention Coalition Monitoring Group that were ultimately presented to the United Nations.
After completing a two-year contract as Quality Improvement Lead within Disability Support Services at the Ministry of Health, Pam relaunched her consultancy as Disability Responsiveness New Zealand in May 2016 and registered DRNZ Ltd as a company in 2017. She continues to undertake short and long-term contracts for organisations including the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care and Whaikaha.
Pam was awarded her PhD from Massey University in December 2024. Her research examined the barriers and enablers to employment for disabled New Zealanders, both generally and within the disability sector. It highlighted the importance of self-determination, creating opportunities for disabled people and employers to connect, and increasing the number of disabled people in paid leadership roles across the disability sector.
Paul has over 20 years of international experience in disability inclusion, high-performing teams, and talent acquisition. He has held pivotal leadership roles with major global brands across APAC, EMEA and Aotearoa, supporting organizations to develop and implement effective disability inclusion strategies that bridge the gap between global best practice and local operational reality.
Paul’s global perspective is complemented by deep hands-on consulting and operational expertise. He is renowned for his ability to perform “deep dives” into the employee lifecycle, from candidate attraction and inclusive recruitment to workplace adjustments and retention. He excels at achieving practical outcomes that benefit disabled and neurodivergent individuals while simultaneously driving innovation and quality for the wider workforce.
As someone with lived experience of disability, Paul brings a versatile and authentic lens to his work. He is a certified consultant in intercultural intelligence and high-performing teams, specialising in finding solutions to complex problems in environments of all sizes. He is dedicated to creating cultures where every individual can fulfill their potential, believing that a truly inclusive environment is the foundation for organizational excellence.
At the Tiaho Trust, Paul leverages his background as an award-winning network chair and change agent to support clients on their disability inclusion journeys.
09 430 3406
administrator@tiaho.org.nz