■ Don’t we all wish that life was simpler? Faced with complex systems and a maze of rules and guidelines in health, education, social services and consumer law, it can be too easy to give up before our voices are heard and our needs met, says Whakatāne Accessible and Inclusive’s Ruth Gerzon.

When people are heard and understood, their health improves, educational outcomes rise, and whānau thrive.

Advocacy can be the bridge between isolation and participation, between disempowerment and action.

Advocacy is particularly vital for disabled people, Māori, Pacific peoples, people with mental illness and people in rest homes.

It isn’t about speaking for people, but about ensuring that people are supported to speak for themselves, or to have their views represented when they cannot.

It is grounded in the principles of manaakitanga, kotahitanga, and tino rangatiratanga.

Good advocacy is relational, person-led, and respectful of culture and context.

The health system is particularly overwhelming. People struggle to access care, get clear diagnoses, or understand their treatment options.

For Māori, there are long-standing inequities, and many disabled people find services do not fully respect their autonomy and expertise in their own lives.

In the mid-1990s I managed an advocacy service supporting people to voice complaints under the newly minted Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights.

The code sets out 10 rights, emphasising good communication, respect, shared decision-making and compassionate and person-centred care.

Back then, not all medical professionals, rest home and disability service managers were in favour of the new code.  

At times, it was tricky to get them to even come into the room to meet with someone who had a complaint.  

Close to three decades later, the code has contributed to much better relationships between health professionals, patients and service users.  

While challenges remain, the code is now a powerful tool for advocacy, giving people a clear framework to assert their rights.

I have also seen improvements in other agencies. Work and Income now has a website where you can put in your details to work out what benefits you are entitled to.

You can then go to an interview armed with this knowledge. The agency also has an excellent Code of Conduct and a simple complaints system.

A Plain Language Act came into force about two years ago, making it even easier for people to engage with government agencies and understand their rights.  

I can’t for the life of me understand why our Government plans to repeal such a useful act.

In education, communication every child now has the right to an inclusive education.

Schools include whānau in planning, yet, it can still be difficult to get the right support for their tamariki.

In spite of many positive changes to our right to be heard, advocacy is still needed. Things don’t always go well, and tight budgets have lead to a reduction in staff.  

Advocacy for oneself or others can be stressful but specific processes can make it easier for advocates to succeed in being heard. I have facilitated workshops in advocacy for over 20 years, but I’m soon moving on to focus on other things in my life.

However, I will facilitate two final workshops, one introductory and one advanced, for Whakatāne Accessible and Inclusive (WAI).

WAI welcomes all comers to these workshops. They will be on Thursday mornings after the school holidays.  

For details, email WAI. [email protected] or phone me on 027 430 8149.