GRACE LEE
COMMITTEE CHAIR
My name is Grace Lee, I am the newly appointed chair person for the i-lead committee but have been part of the disability sector since I was 15 years old and am now in my late 20’s. I was born with cerebal palsy-spastic diplegia and my passion is to create a more accessible future for other young people living with impairments. Despite living with an impairment, I am your typical young person. I enjoy traveling, listening to music and being with my friends. I also hold a full-time job outside of the sector, so am always keeping busy!
To learn more about Grace, click here.
ABDULLA SHIBLAQ
COMMITTEE DEPUTY CHAIR
Hey, little about myself – I’m a 28 year old Palestinian working at YES disability as a youth facilitator and involved with the I.Lead team. The experiences I’ve had in my life has ignited my passion of helping people whom have had similar experiences as I have. I completed a counselling degree (post grad diploma) allowing me to use my personal experiences and qualification background to contribute to the I.Lead Committee.
To learn more about Abdulla, click here.
NAOMI VAILIMA
COMMITTEE SECRETARY
Talofa Lava! It’s your girl Naomi here. I’m a 23 year old Samoan who has been involved with the disability sector since my high school years. Since then I’ve been able to accomplish my certificate in social work, had a great number of opportunities working alongside some really cool people breaking barriers amongst other things. I am one of the few founders of Phusion, as well as being part of a few board committees and projects. I have a passion of supporting our pacific people and our youth. All this may sound boring, but if you meet me in person you’ll see I’m just a regular shy person who is ready to see more of the world. Oh and I’m also the secretary of I.Lead and I have been part of the committee since 2019.
To learn more about Naomi, click here.
FAITHLEEN TOU
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Hello, my name is Faithleen Tou. I am 19 years old. My disability is Femoral Hypoplasia Facies Syndrome, which practically means I was born with no knees and my right arm is fused. I am half Samoan and half Cook Island.
To learn more about Faithleen, click here.
Lachlan nagle
COMMITTEE MEMBER
KATHLEEN DERRICK
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Kathleen is a representative of Kids with Arthritis NZ, and has lived experience with Rheumatoid Arthritis. She is also a member of YES Disability’s Youth Engagement Group, as well as being one of the founding members of the Phusion Dance Group, an all-abilities dance group dedicated to Pacifica dance and culture. Her bubbly attitude and caring nature has been a welcome addition to any group or project she’s been involved in.
To learn more about Kathleen, click here.
ASHE BLACK
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Kia ora! My name is Ashe, I’m a 26 year old transgender man, and I live with Septo-Optic Dysplasia. This means that I’m partially blind and have some learning and processing delays. I’ve worked in the youth space since late 2020 as a facilitator for Rainbow Youth, and now work as a Youth Worker for Shore Junction, a youth hub that runs under YES. I’m also a member of the Rainbow Communities Advisory Panel for Auckland city! I’m passionate about making the LGBT and disabled spaces more accessible and mainstream, and love to write, play video games, and draw in my free time!
NIAH LOVO
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Niah is a major advocate for pasifika youth with disabilities. She has been a part of many different pasifika projects within the disability sector, and is a resounding voice when it comes to the nature of pasifika youth with disabilities and how they fit into their families, aiga, communities and cultures. She helped found Phusion, an all-abilities pasifika dance group that advocates for inclusiveness and cultural identity for.
To learn more about Niah, click here.
JADEn MOVOLD
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Jaden is an 18-year old university student, competitive athlete, leader, advocate, and community contributor. He lives with Spina Bifida and has a strong belief that we all have the ability to make positive contributions to society. He is passionate about advocating for young New Zealanders, in particular, those who live with a disability so that their voice is heard. Aside from being on the National I-Lead committee, Jaden also serves on the Ministry of Youth Development Youth Advisory Group, the Halberg Foundation Youth Council and is a youth ambassador for the YES Disability Resource Centre.
To learn more about Jaden, click here.
Amy clements
COMMITTEE MEMBER
My name is Amy and I am 24 years old. I am studying a Bachelor of Communication and I’ve been involved in the disability activism space since I was a teen. Having grown up with an invisible physical disability, I have faced a lot of discrimination and skeptism of my disability status; both from medical professionals and members of the wider community. My mission is to improve things for future generations of disabled tamariki, so that they never have to experience the struggles that I had.
Prakashni Prakash
COMMITTEE MEMBER
My name is Prakashni Prakash and I am a 29 years old. I am Deaf and also have cerebal palsy. I was born in Fiji but moved to New Zealand when I was a baby. I grew up with friends in the deaf community who had sign language experience, I am from Indian descent so my sign language is a little different than NZSL. I enjoy travelling and learning about different cultures and places.
To learn more about Prakashni, click here.
jordan kareroa
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Kia Orana, my name is Jordan Kareroa and I am Cook Island and I’m 28 years old I have a learning disability it’s called Global developmental delay. My hobbies are playing sports ten pin bowling and basketball for Special Olympics i like to hang out with my friends and family and eat some good food.
To learn more about Jordan, click here.
KRAMER HOEFLICH
ALUMNI
Kia Orana, Ko toku ingoa Kramer Hoeflich. I was born and raised in the beautiful Cook Islands on the island of Rarotonga, till I was 15 and a spinal cord injury changed my life and brought me to New Zealand. During this time, I was faced with many challenges and had to overcome many barriers to become the person I am today. This is where I found my passion to work with young people of all abilities, cultures and backgrounds, alongside them make a difference within in the community. I have a strong focus on equality, inclusion and diversity this is reflected on the projects, events and boards I am a part of.
I am a strong believer in the unique ingenuity that young people possess and the unlimited potential that is tapped when we work together as a community. I am passionate about working to change perceptions of what young people of all abilities can achieve and contribute. One of the ways I plan on doing this is by building awareness and acceptance around mental illness and breaking the taboo that surrounds youth suicide. I am a strong voice for the both the Pasifika and disability sector, my aim is to bridge the gap between disability, youth, community & government.