Journey towards Para sport legislative changes in NZ

We are Year 13 sociology students, Paul Huggins, Poon Chongcharoen and Elena McCrossan from Hillcrest High School. We are on a mission to get para sport in New Zealand the fairer and more equitable media coverage and recognition it deserves. We aim to do this through legislation changes. We are trying to get the Government to amend the Broadcasting Act of 1989 and the MEMA Act of 2007. The changes we would like to see in the Broadcasting Act of 1989 are to ensure that there is an equitable standard of accessibility for people to watch our beloved para-athletes, as well as the degree of provision and support in place to facilitate the path forward for people with disabilities, so that they can be present within the media landscape. For the MEMA Act of 2007, in Section 3 of the legislation, we acknowledge that there are protections in place for the NZ Olympic Committee, NZ Commonwealth Games Committee, and events run by these incorporated entities for athletes under these organisations. However, there are not, in any way, shape or form, protections for Paralympics NZ or any events that are related to the Paralympics, the Halberg Games, or Parafed, etc. We have had support from members from both sides of the political aisle, but we need your support as the general public to help us get the opportunity to go to Wellington to formally lobby for changes that provide more equitable coverage at all levels of para sport, and to get these changes across the finish line.