Council

I have three children, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild.

My life experiences have been shaped by physical disability resulting in long relationships with hospital services.

Working in the area of advocacy for people with disability, teaching self-advocacy, human rights, motivation, encouraging people to work together making change towards a more inclusive society.

DPA representative to the Workbridge Council, serving as chair
Board member of Supporting Families Southland in mental wellness, serving as chair


I bring to the Workbridge council skills and knowledge from a grassroots perspective, identifying with all people, especially with disabled people.

Ko Rimutaka te maunga.
Ko Awa Kairangi te awa.
Ko Te Upoko O Te Ika a Maui te moana.
I tipu au ki Orongomai, engari kei te noho au ki Taputeranga
Ko Leo McIntyre taku ingoa
No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

I was born in Nelson, New Zealand, and raised in Upper Hutt, near Wellington, attending St. Joseph's primary school and St Patrick's College Silverstream. I began working as an apprentice painter and decorator for the NZPO and Telecom before a back injury ended that career shortly after I qualified.

Depression followed, but I then retrained with the assistance of Workbridge to work at the Police National Video Unit in Porirua. There I developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as result of overexposure to forensic video material, forcing me to resign. I returned to the paint industry, working for Resene Paints, and began studying to be a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), after which I decided to pursue a career in mental health.

I completed my undergraduate degree in 2002, and in December 2003, began working as the manager of Temp Solutions - a temp agency employing people with mental health issues; while studying part-time for a BA (Hons) in Psychology at Victoria University of Wellington, and graduating in May 2006. From 2009-2011 I worked for Wellink Trust as a Services Manager, and now I work for Richmond NZ as a Client Engagement Facilitator.

Since 2006 I have been the Chairperson of Balance NZ - a mental health peer support network, and I am currently a member of the Mental Health Commission's Advisory Group, the Trust Board of Balance Whanganui, and an advisor to the Health Quality and Safety Commission.

Kerry Davies is an Assistant Secretary with the PSA responsible for the Community Public Services Sector. In this role she is responsible for the management and leadership of local organising teams and the implementation of the PSA' organising approach within the community public services sector. She also has responsibility for the management of external relationships between the PSA and organisations within the community public services sector. She has undertaken a variety of roles within the trade union movement which has given her a broad range of experience over the past 25 years in research, education and organising roles. Her immediate job prior to joining the PSA was with Public Services International as Project Coordinator for the Asia Pacific Women' Project. She is on the management committee of the Working Women' Resource Centre, a member of the Workplace Wellbeing Committee, a PSA rep on the Works4Us Advisory Board of People First and was a CTU rep on the DOL/PAEE Service Sector Skills Identification Reference Group and a member of the Disability Tripartite Forum and CTU rep on the MOH Disability Workforce Reference Group.

As a young child, Bev lost both eyes to cancer. She completed her education in Auckland, including time at Homai College in Manurewa, the purpose built school for the blind.

After leaving school, Bev worked as a librarian assistant at the RNZFB in their Talking Book and Braille Library. This was followed by a number of telephonist/reception positions, including at Housing Corporation, where she was part of a group that wrote their first Equal Employment Opportunity Policy (EEO).

Bev later gained several counselling certificates and computer skills, and began guest speaking engagements on behalf of the RNZFB. Bev is a Life Member of the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand (ABCNZ), and was for many years involved both locally and nationally, holding a number of leadership roles. Bev has been a member of DPA, and was actively involved in Camelia House (refuge for Women and Children with Disabilities). Bev has held various positions in a number of Lions Clubs, and is currently a member of the Papatoetoe Lions Club. Bev has also participated in a Lions Club Senior Leadership Institute.

In 1989 Bev helped form and today remains a member of New Zealand Vision Impaired Empowering Women (NZVIEW). Since January 2002 Bev has been employed at Teletech NZ as a Customer Service Representative providing emergency assistance for a number of different companies, primarily insurance based, both here in New Zealand and in Australia. In Bev's spare time, she and her husband, who is partially sighted, enjoy travelling here and overseas.

Bev represents the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand Inc.

Ko Gaylene Te Rauna tāku ingoa. I te taha o taku māmā - ko Manawa-ā-hiwi te awa, ko Whakaipu te maunga, ko Ngāti Tāwahaki te hapu, ko Tāhoe te iwi. I te taha o tāku pāpā - ko Waiapu te awa, ko Hikurangi te maunga, ko Ngāti Porou te iwi.

I have worked in both the private and public sectors as a Secretary and then as a Personal Assistant since 1993. I currently work as an administrator for Whānau Care Services, Māori Health Development Group in the Wellington Hospital.

I am a Tumuaki member of Ngati Kāpo o Aotearoa. I have been a member of Ngati Kapo o Aotearoa since I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Barbara was appointed legal adviser to Business New Zealand after working in a similar role with its predecessor organisation, the New Zealand Employers' Federation.

Barbara's employment relations experience includes a period as employer representative on the former Labour Court as well as involvement in the work of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and attendance at ILO seminars on workplace equal opportunities.

Barbara was involved in the setting up of the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust and has been responsible for preparing booklets for employers on the employment of disabled people and on human rights issues in general. She has contributed articles on employment relations and employment law to a number of legal publications and has assisted with the development of legal unit standards for the Qualifications Authority.

As well as representing Business New Zealand on the Workbridge Council, Barbara is currently its representative on the National Council on the Employment of Women. She is also involved in the work of BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Council of the OECD, as a member of the organisation's Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (ELSA) Committee.

Human Resources Institute of NZ (HRINZ) Council Member position currently vacant

When Pati went from able bodied to disabled, he experienced depression for two years and lacked the confidence to go out and connect with people or do basic outings such as shopping or going out for dinner with friends. He's now using his experiences to help and assist other disabled people to contribute and participate at all levels.
Pati is contributing to the disability sector through his involvement with a large number of organisations such as the Wellington Pasifika Disability Network (Chair), Faiva Ora National Leadership Group (Chair), ACC Serious Injury Service Advisory Group (Chair), Health and Disability Commissioners Consumer Advisory Group, Office Disability Issues Advisory Council, Member Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA) National Executive Committee and a Whanau Ora - Whanau Champion.
Pati was motivated to apply for a position on the Workbridge Council to contribute his experience and skills, to work collaboratively on opening up employment and work opportunities for our disabled community with a focus on Pasefika disabled. Pati brings a range of great skills and experience in leadership, event management, community and youth development experience. "I want to empower our Pacific disabled community to challenge attitudes and contribute fully at all levels on disability issues."
I know from experience and I truly believe when one door closes another one opens'. Keep knocking and that door will eventually open ... it's not an easy task but it's worth the effort, pain and commitment!

Donald lives in Blenheim and is a member of the Blenheim and Top of the South People First groups. He is currently secretary of the Blenheim group. He has been a member of People First for a year and in this time he has represented the group at the Low Income Road Show, presenting what it is like to live on the benefit, and also has helped to develop a project about the understanding and management of money. Don has had past experience working full-time in farming and plant nurseries. Don is a very strong advocate for people with learning disabilities and wants to spread the word about the Human Rights Act for disabled persons in Aotearoa. In his spare time he likes to have BBQ ' with friends and watch cars that are fast and noisy.'

Wendy Neilson, MNZM., J.P. M. Ed (Hons) Dip Tch is a Teaching Fellow at the School of Education, University of Waikato. She has also taught at primary, secondary and tertiary level and has worked on contract for a number of Government Departments. Her Master's thesis investigated how women with congenital disabilities saw success.

Wendy lives with disability and is actively involved with disability issues at both a personal and political level and has been on a number of national Boards/Councils including Workbridge (Vice-President), Podiatrists Board, SPARC Disability Advisory Group and is currently immediate Past- President of DPA NZ and on the MOH Local Advisory Group for the New Model for supporting disabled people in the Bay of Plenty.

Wendy is an Accredited Barrier Free Auditor and delivers Disability Awareness workshops to schools and corporate bodies in the Bay of Plenty . In her 'spare' time Wendy and her husband love gardening and hosting friends, but her greatest joy is being a grandmother.

Wendy has been involved with Workbridge at a governance level over many years and she is passionate about the value of employment to empower disabled people to live the life they choose.

Kellye Bensley has recently joined Deaf Aotearoa as a staff member, in the role of Community Engagement Manager which is a role that focuses on the community at a strategic level.

Kellye was involved in the Deaf Aotearoa Board from 2009-2012, the first two years as a Board member and the last year as a President so she has a good understanding of governance and strategic planning. Kellye has also been involved in international meetings such as World Federation of the Deaf's (WFD) general assembly as well as International Committee of Sports for the Deaf's (ICSD) congresses overseas.

Kellye is profoundly Deaf and has a Deaf husband and a hearing son and is of Ngati Kahungunu descent (Wairoa). Outside of work, she enjoys reading, travelling, and having a good old laugh.