The Auckland woman who’s taken out the top honour at an awards celebrating the disabled community says she never had role models in a wheelchair who could use their platform for good.
That’s what digital producer Olivia Shivas says she trying to do.
Shivas, who was born with muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, has been crowned supreme winner at the annual Attitude awards, which is once again shining a light on disabled Kiwis who’ve achieved big goals in the past year.
The awards are usually given out at a glitzy gala evening for finalists and winners, but that wasn’t possible this year due to Covid.
Winners were instead surprised one-by-one and filmed for a special that aired on TVNZ1 this afternoon.
Shivas has been recognised as a result of the ‘What’s Wrong With You?’ podcast she made with Paralympian Rebecca Dubber for media outlet Stuff.
Shivas came up with the idea for the idea, pitched it to senior staff, organised the funding, produced, recorded and edited the whole series.
“The reason we chose the title ‘What's Wrong With You?’ is because it's quite confronting and people are surprised disabled people are asked that so often,” she told 1 NEWS.
The episodes address other bizarre comments disabled Kiwis face on a daily basis and shine a light on accessibility barriers in New Zealand.
“For me and my disabled friends, yes there are challenges, but it's not because of our disabilities it's because of the world we live in and it's not accessible for us,” Shivas said.
“My initial kind of naive hope was once people heard the podcast, that everyone was going to build ramps and employ disabled people… and I know that's not a reality that's going to happen straight away.”
But she says her podcast, and events like the Attitude awards will help create conversation and awareness.
Rangitoto college graduate Jaden Movold has also been named a winner.
He’s received the Spirit of Attitude award, after previously receiving the youth award.
1News has followed Movold over the years, as he’s competed in swimming events, triathlons, and wheelchair basketball.
He’s now a record holding wheelchair racer and dreams of competing at the 2024 Paralympics.
“I live with spina bifida and with that I've had 31 major surgeries… lots of hospital appointments, a lot of discrimination,” he said.
“People say you’re in a wheelchair, you don't deserve to be included… but I've overcome that.”
He was deputy head boy of Rangitoto College this year, has completed over 500 hours of community service and is an ambassador for two organisations.
“You do have those things that get you down, but it teaches you to be resilient,” Movold said.
He says achieving his goals is the coolest thing in his life.
Other winners include Alice Mander, a fourth year law and arts student at Victoria University, and Carlos Biggemann from Dunedin, who’s a photographer and poet.
Mander established the National Disabled Students Association, which represents disabled tertiary students to Government, disabled persons’ organisations and tertiary institutions.
She single-handedly wrote the constitution for the NDSA, and has offered it to other universities across the country.
Biggemann’s won international awards for his photography and with 14 other Dunedin-based poets has published a book called Cumulus.
He’s won the Creative Award.
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