Community Connections

09/06/2026

The latest Connector is hot off the press! Check it out here!

Ngā pānuitanga Newsletters Te tūhonotanga The Connector The Connector is a quarterly newsletter written for the people we support, their families/whānau, and the communities surrounding Community Connections. Ngā

07/06/2026

Congratulations, from all of us at Community Connections, David Corner!
How wonderful to get this recognition for all your hard work and dedication.
https://www.facebook.com/GovernorGeneralNewZealand/photos/mr-david-corner-of-wellington-onzm-for-services-to-people-with-intellectual-and-/1518540422962541/

Mr David Corner, of Wellington, ONZM for services to people with intellectual and learning disabilities

Mr David Corner has been a National Self Advocate Advisor with IHC New Zealand for 29 years, drawing on his own experience with an intellectual disability and Autism. He was involved with deinstitutionalisation of people with intellectual disabilities from large-scale institutions in the early 2000s. He is a member of the New Zealand Disability Strategy employment working group and was on the Association of Supported Employment New Zealand and Community Connections Boards. He chairs the IHC CEO Advisory Committee and was Inclusion International’s Asia-Pacific representative. He is a Life Member of People First New Zealand and Inclusion International. He is on Te Rōpū Kaiārahi Hauātanga, the Chief Ombudsman’s Disability Advisory panel. Mr Corner co-authored an international journal chapter about the effectiveness of Easy Read information for people with learning disabilities.

07/05/2026

Community Connections Business Team doing their bit to celebrate NZSL week!
Share your signed song with us!

05/05/2026

This week is New Zealand Sign Language week.
Did you know, it's 20 years since NZSL was recognised as an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand?
Help celebrate and make Aotearoa a place where anyone can sign anywhere!

30/04/2026

A lovely post to close Autism Awareness month with.
Your voice is beautiful and you have the right to use it to express yourself with pride.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1K5Gx5Ymki/

28/04/2026

Wednesday, April 29th, at 10am is the time for Hoods Up Volume Down!
We'd love you to participate in a 'Hoods Up Volume Down' quiet hour for Autism Acceptance Month.
At 10am, turn down the lights, turn down the noise and turn up for the autistic and wider autism communities.

Autism New Zealand (https://autismnz.org.nz/autism-acceptance-month/) have more information, some cool resources, and posters, as well as hoodies to buy.
You can also register your event with them, so they know just how big Hoods Up Volume Down is growing!

Share with us how you spend your quiet hour - did you stay inside and keep the environment quiet with dim lights? Did you find a quiet spot out in nature or in your local community? Let us know what the experience was like for you and what insights you gained.

07/04/2026

Have you caught up with the latest edition of The Connector yet?
Find it here:

Ngā pānuitanga Newsletters Te tūhonotanga The Connector The Connector is a quarterly newsletter written for the people we support, their families/whānau, and the communities surrounding Community Connections. Ngā Pānuitanga

26/03/2026

'This is a critical moment.'
'Disability support services are a vital part of New Zealand’s social infrastructure. Ensuring their continuity, particularly in times of disruption, must be a priority.'

Read our open letter to the government calling for urgent action: https://nzdsn.org.nz/open-letter-to-government-fuel-pressures-and-the-impact-on-disability-support-services/

11/02/2026

IHC Art Awards

Exciting news, entries for the IHC Art Awards 2026 open at 9.00am on Friday 1 May and close at 5.00pm on Sunday 31 May 2026.

Please note that we’ve made a couple of updates to the Art Awards Terms and Conditions. We kindly ask that you take a moment to read through the Terms and Conditions before submitting your entry and agreeing to the conditions of entry.

The updates are:

Framing and Mounting
Artworks that are not framed or mounted (excluding sculptures and craft) won’t be able to be displayed at Webb’s Wellington or made available for sale this year. These pieces will be returned to the artist.

Payment Details
Due to the growing number of entries and the increasing administration costs involved in purchasing Prezzy Cards and Gift Cards, we are no longer able to make payments using these methods. If your artwork is sold, we will pay 100% of the sale proceeds directly into your bank account.

When sending in your artwork, please include proof of your bank account details. This can be a bank deposit slip or a copy of an online bank statement (with transactions removed) that clearly shows the bank logo, your account name, and your account number.

Please ensure we receive your proof of bank account by Monday 15 June 2026.

If we haven’t received these details by Monday 15 June 2026, we won’t be able to submit your entry for this year’s Art Awards, and any artwork already received will be returned to you.

The Art Awards website is currently being updated but please visit the website for further information, including the updated Terms and Conditions.

The IHC Art Awards provides artists with an intellectual disability or intellectual disability and autism the opportunity to have their talent recognised, their voices heard and to sell their work. The IHC Art Awards are open to people aged 13 or over and don’t need to be using our services.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact either Danette on 021 244 2697 or Helen on 022 016 6365.

Warmest regards

H


Helen Alloway | Programmes Coordinator
IHC New Zealand
Tel: 04 463 2495 | Mobile: 022 016 6365 | www.ihc.org.nz
Level 15, 57 Willis Street | PO Box 4155, Wellington 6140

IHC is New Zealand's leading provider of services for people with intellectual disabilities. IHC advocates for the rights, inclusion and welfare of all people with intellectual disabilities and supports them to live satisfying lives in the community.

12/12/2025

This is our last video in the series, where our Everyday Networks members talk what their favourite thing is about being in a network group.
We hope you've enjoyed these videos as much as we enjoyed making them!
https://youtu.be/IHfuAeg-9Mk

This video features our Everyday Networks members talking about what their favourite things are about being part of Everyday Networks groups. For more inform...