Leading the way for Deaf youth

Rachel Berry (20) is committed to strengthening and integrating the Deaf community in New Zealand and around the world.

The Three Kings woman is a finalist in the Youth category in the 2015 Attitude Awards. The national awards celebrate the excellence and achievements of Kiwis with a disability.

Rachel’s foray into leadership and advocacy for the Deaf community began when she was just 14-years-old and living in Christchurch. She set up the Canterbury Deaf Youth Group in the wake of the Canterbury earthquake to bring young people together for support and to meet new friends.

Rachel had found her passion and was determined to keep working with young people in the Deaf community. She moved to Auckland and took up an internship at Magnet, the youth wing of Deaf Aotearoa.

One year on, Rachel now works as a Facilitator for Deaf Aotearoa and is studying a Bachelor of Health and Social Development at Unitec. She’s also President of the Auckland Deaf Youth Group.

“I don’t entirely like to boast that I’m the president because in reality, everyone in the group contributes as much as I do.”

Rachel and the Auckland Deaf Youth Group are busy fundraising to send Deaf youth from Auckland on a Spirit of Adventure voyage next April. She hopes that by supporting these young people, they’ll ‘pay-it-forward’ to other members of the Deaf community.

Rachel is thinking global and dreaming big. Her long-term goals are to make it onto the international board of the World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section and to attend Frontrunners, an education and advocacy programme for Deaf people in Denmark. She’s already travelled to Turkey recently to represent New Zealand at the World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section camp.

In the future Rachel would like to see the establishment of a New Zealand Sign Language school, open to all New Zealanders of all hearing abilities. As an official language of New Zealand, Rachel says a NZSL school would not only benefit Deaf people, but could also make our communities more inclusive.

With passion and commitment, Rachel is emerging as a world leader for the Deaf community.

She will find out if she has won at a black-tie gala on World Disability Day, December 3 at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre.

There are eight categories in the 2015 Attitude Awards: Courage in Sport, Spirit of Attitude, Making a Difference, Artistic Achievement, Youth, Junior, the Attitude ACC Employer Award and Sport Performer of the Year. The overall winner of the Attitude ACC Supreme Award is selected from the category winners and a People’s Choice winner and Hall of Fame inductee are also announced on the night.

Attitude Awards Trustee Dan Buckingham, a member of the elite national wheelchair rugby team the Wheel Blacks, says: “It's always an exciting time here at Attitude as we find out who the finalists are and count down to the big night. The Awards reflect what Attitude is all about – sharing stories that prove people with disabilities can overcome adversity and achieve greatness, whether that be big or small.”

“We thank our fantastic family of sponsors who allow us to present the Attitude Awards year on year. Collectively we are changing people’s view of what is achievable when someone lives with a disability.”

Dan encourages everyone to visit AttitudeLive.com in early November to see short films of the finalists and to vote for the person most deserving of the ‘People’s Choice Award’.

The Youth Award is sponsored by the Wayne Francis Charitable Trust.

Other Sponsors supporting the Awards include: ACC, Westpac, Drake Medox, Ministry of Health, Barfoot & Thompson, IHC Foundation, Air New Zealand, Lion Foundation and Invacare.

Chief Executive of ACC Scott Pickering says ACC is proud to be principal sponsor of the awards for the eighth year, including sponsorship of the Attitude ACC Employer Award and the Attitude ACC Supreme Award.

“The Attitude Awards shine a light on New Zealand’s unsung heroes. At ACC we’re delighted to support the Awards and to acknowledge New Zealanders who live life to the fullest, achieve their goals and provide role models to our community.”

For tickets to the Attitude Awards gala evening on December 3 contact Sue Wales-Earl at sue@attitudeawards.org or phone 09 378 1564.

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Watch previous Awards footage at www.AttitudeLive.com

ENDS

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