Erin Geaney Scholarship 2026 recipient announced

Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People congratulates Kerri Butler, the recipient of the inaugural Erin Geaney Scholarship.

Kerri has been awarded the scholarship to attend the Global Leadership Exchange (GLE) in Ottawa, Canada, in June 2026. The GLE is a respected international leadership programme that recognises people who are turning bold ideas into lasting, system-level change.

Kerri was selected for her strong track record of turning ideas into action. Through her leadership of He Puāwai Manukura, she has identified and begun to address a long-standing gap in the system: the lack of leadership pathways that are purpose-built for peer and lived experience leaders, and grounded in culture.

As part of the scholarship process, GLE worked with leaders across the mental health, addictions, substance use and disability sectors in New Zealand. Two independent panels selected 3 nominees, 1 from each sector. GLE’s international leadership panel then chose Kerri as the overall recipient.

Whaikaha convened the panel that identified the disability sector nominee. The panel considered a strong field of high-quality applications.

We thank everyone involved in the nomination process, particularly the nominees. Every application showed a strong commitment to turning ideas into action.

Disability sector nominations

These summaries outline the “ideas to action” initiatives submitted by disability sector nominees and considered by the Disability Panel.

Indigenous Language Access in AAC Technology (top nominee)

This project addressed the systemic exclusion of nonspeaking Indigenous people from using their own language when communicating through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). The idea emerged from lived experience and recognised that the absence of Indigenous language synthetic voices effectively silenced people in cultural, educational and community contexts.

The project moved from vision to implementation by developing the first Indigenous language synthetic voices for use on real AAC devices, supported by:

• community governance
• national user testing
• international technology partnerships.

Its impact extends nationally and internationally, reframing communication technology as a cultural and rights issue and creating a scalable model for other Indigenous languages worldwide.

Disability Representation in Global Climate Governance (second-placed nominee)

This initiative addressed the absence of disabled people from international climate decision-making, despite disabled communities being disproportionately affected by climate change. The idea was to establish sustained, meaningful representation in global climate negotiations, using the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) precedent of civil society Constituencies.

Through persistent advocacy, coalition building, and navigation of complex multilateral processes, the project initiated the campaign for a Disability Constituency within the UNFCCC, and led to the creation of a formally recognised disability caucus within the global climate framework. The impact is ongoing and systemic, embedding disability inclusion in international climate governance and enabling collective leadership by disabled people and organisations worldwide.

Rights-Based Sexuality and Relationship Education (third-placed nominee)

This project challenged the systemic denial of disabled people’s rights to intimacy, relationships and sexuality. The idea recognised this as a structural rights issue rather than a personal or moral concern.

By forming a national partnership with a disabled-led provider, the project expanded access to culturally grounded, accessible education and prevention resources. Its impact includes:

• sector-wide reframing
• strengthened abuse prevention
• scaling of disabled-led leadership.

Integrated Health and Social Services Pathway

This project responded to a system failure where disabled people with complex needs remained institutionalised due to fragmented responsibility between health and social services. The core idea was to replace siloed funding and accountability with a whole person, coordinated pathway.

By implementing pooled funding, individualised commissioning and shared accountability across agencies, the project enabled long-term institutionalised individuals to transition into sustainable community living. Its influence extended to national frameworks and commissioning approaches, demonstrating that institutionalisation is not inevitable when systems are aligned around rights and outcomes.

Discipline Integrated Sport and Recreation Model

This initiative addressed the exclusion of disabled people from mainstream sport by challenging segregated participation models. The idea was to adapt existing sports so people of all abilities could participate together.

The project resulted in a new, inclusive sporting platform supported by governance structures and a trust model, attracting participation across disability, age, gender and health status. Its impact shifted community attitudes, demonstrated scalability, and positioned inclusive sport as a mainstream, community‑wide solution rather than a niche programme.

Volition: Digital Supported Decision-making Tools

This project responded to slow and limited progress in Supported Decision Making through advocacy alone. The idea was to place practical, scalable tools directly into the hands of disabled people so they could document preferences, exercise autonomy and guide their own support.

By developing digital platforms owned and controlled by disabled people, the project has enabled increased choice, voice and alignment of supports. Its impact reaches beyond individual users, influencing service design and contributing to broader system change in how autonomy and decision-making are understood and operationalised.

Kaupapa Māori Disability Inclusive Early Learning

This initiative arose from lived experience of navigating fragmented systems that failed to meet the holistic needs of Māori children with disabilities. The idea was to create a culturally grounded, disability inclusive early learning environment led by whānau.

The result was the establishment of a purpose-built reo immersion centre integrating:

• Māori wellbeing frameworks
• disability inclusive practice
• whānau capability building.

The project shifted whānau from service recipients to leaders, gained national recognition, and produced scalable models influencing wider early learning and disability practice.

Peer‑Led Mental Health Support for Disabled Young Men

This project addressed high levels of disengagement by disabled young men from traditional mental health services. The idea emerged from recognising that services delivered by non‑disabled practitioners often failed to create safe, relatable spaces.

The resulting peer-led group model, designed by and for disabled young men, created safe national and online networks that increased confidence, self-advocacy and engagement with mental health supports. Its impact includes:

• improved access
• reduced reliance on caregivers
• a replicable peer support model.

Disability Responsiveness Workforce Capability Building

This initiative identified a gap between disability rights frameworks and everyday organisational practice. The idea was to translate high-level policy commitments into practical, operational change.

Through structured education, training, mentoring and advisory support across government and community organisations, the project strengthened disability responsiveness at scale. The impact includes:

• cultural shift
• improved engagement with disabled people
• sustained organisational capability to embed rights-based approaches.

Governance Transformation of a Global Disability Organisation

This initiative addressed the inequities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic in how global disability organisations operated. The idea was to adapt and modernise governance, participation and decision-making to ensure global equity.

Through digital capability building, accessible voting systems and technology training, the project transformed democratic participation, enabling grassroots involvement worldwide. The impact included:

• improved equity
• reduced costs
• increased resilience
• a permanent shift in global governance practice.

Disability Inclusion in National Public Health Systems

This initiative addressed the absence of disability considerations in public health planning and emergency responses. The core idea was to embed disability equity systematically across all aspects of public health work.

The project resulted in:

• a multi‑year disability work programme
• capability training
• accessible public health resources
• commitments to sustained engagement with disabled communities.

Its impact is structural, normalising disability inclusion within national public health systems.

Kaupapa Māori Disability Leadership Through National Wānanga

The tāngata whaikaha Māori led project emerged from collaboration between tāngata whaikaha Māori and disabled people to improve accessibility at national Māori celebrations creating safe spaces to reconnect within te ao Māori.

The idea is to reclaim and reshape te ao Māori spaces as inclusive and mana enhancing for disabled Māori who are tangata whenua based on Te Tiriti. This initiative has fostered collective action through local and national partnerships designing creative accessibility solutions, providing a template for disabled Māori-led inclusion in large-scale cultural events.

Global Family-Led Leadership Movement 

This project emerged from recognising that families of disabled children were often left without hope, agency or community. After co-founding an internationally developed "by families, for families" suite of programmes focused on strengths, vision and leadership, it was implemented in New Zealand.

The Now & Next suite of programmes is unique because it combines peer leadership, positive psychology, structured learning and vision-driven planning into an evidence-based system. It builds long-term capability, including a sustainable peer workforce with lived experience, rather than short-term support alone.

The resulting evidence-based, peer-facilitated coaching approach has achieved large-scale international uptake, with measurable improvements in:

• goal achievement
• empowerment
• wellbeing sustained over time.

Its impact extends beyond programme delivery, creating a global movement, international research collaboration and long-term leadership pipelines with local ownership.