New Zealand Rehabilitation Association

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

The Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha, in partnership with Creative HQ, is seeking applications from across New Zealand for the Access Activator pilot programme. 

09/03/2026

The show lead talks reconnecting to parts of yourself, disability leadership in the arts and vulnerable storytelling.

04/03/2026

Rehabilitation is not just about recovery- it is also about living well with your condition. How can better support Mate Wareware- dementia?

Comment from Auckland University: Māori are disproportionately affected by mate wareware. And because language shapes care, we use the te reo term rather than dementia for good reason.

04/03/2026

🧠 March is Brain Injury Awareness Month 🧠

Did you know around 32,000 traumatic brain injuries happen in Aotearoa each year, with about 2,000 being moderate to severe? Many of these lead to long-term challenges, and recovery is a journey that takes time, support, and expert care.

At ABI Rehabilitation, we’re proud to provide specialist intensive inpatient rehab for adults with moderate and severe TBI - helping people work on physical and cognitive skills, rebuild confidence, and regain independence. Our talented team includes doctors, therapists, psychologists, nurses and more, all passionate about supporting clients and whānau through rehabilitation.

Let’s raise awareness, support recovery, and recognise the strength of those affected by brain injury.

Learn more about our services here https://loom.ly/rPL443s

04/03/2026

Make a cuppa and sit down for the latest updates in the NZ Rehabilitated Review!

Professor Nicola Kayes (AUT - Auckland University of Technology) provides expert commentary on the latest Rehabilitation Research Review, including a Portuguese study emphasising the need for integrated survivorship care with vocational support for chemotherapy patients.

Read your copy of all the latest research HERE: https://tinyurl.com/3ne5896z
Auckland Branch of Physiotherapy New Zealand Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy New Zealand Physiotherapy New Zealand

15/02/2026

Have you registered for the ASSBI/NZSIGN 2026 conference coming to Ōtautahi/ Christchurch?
The conference begins on Thursday 7th May with four half-day workshops by Noah Silverberg, Frank Muscara, Felicity Bright, Paul Skirrow, Suzanne Pitama and Tracy Haitana and is followed by 2 full days of presentations and events on Friday 8th May and Saturday 9th May. Keynotes by Noah, Vicki Anderson, Makarena Dudley and Felicity. There will also be the ASSBI Presidential Address by A/Professor Barbra Zupan, and a professionally focused address by NZSIGN Chair Dr Nic Ward. In addition to platform presentations, there will be “how-to” sessions, Datablitz presentations, and posters. Lived experience and student sessions will also feature. Events include a free Welcome Reception on Thursday 7th May, a Conference Dinner (additional fee) as well as Student Networking event.

09/02/2026

You’re invited to the first Rehab Conversation of 2026

The New Zealand Rehabilitation Association (NZRA) warmly invites you to join our next free online Rehab Conversation — a space to connect with colleagues, share ideas, and strengthen rehabilitation practice across Aotearoa.

These short lunchtime sessions are designed to be practical, thoughtful, and grounded in real-world clinical and research experience.

Theme:

🔹 The influence of the physical environment on inpatient rehabilitation

🔹 The role of speech-language therapy in older persons’ mental health services

Date: Monday 16 February

Time: 12:00–12:50pm (NZT)

Where: Online via Zoom

Speakers:

• Emma Lett – Physiotherapist and postgraduate student exploring how ward design and the built environment shape rehabilitation outcomes and patient experience. She will share evidence informing a quality improvement initiative on her inpatient ward.

• Annette Rotherham – Researcher and advanced practice clinician in older persons’ mental health, specialising in aphasia, communication partner training, and progressive neurological conditions. Her PhD work has led to a novel outcome measure for couple conversations in aphasia.

Whether you’re a clinician, researcher, student, or service leader, this session offers insights that can inform everyday practice and service design.

👉 Register to receive the Zoom link: [insert registration link]

These events remain free thanks to NZRA members supporting the costs of hosting and coordination — if you’re not yet a member, we’d love to have you join.

👉 Join NZRA (NZ$25/year): https://www.rehabilitation.org.nz/join-us

Please share this invitation with your networks. (We ask everyone to register individually so we can send updates directly.)
Questions? Contact Anne (NZRA Secretary): ahawker011@gmail.com

05/02/2026

30/11/2025

Kia ora koutou NZRA whānau,
For those who may not have heard about this opportunity .... there is one week left to register your interest in being part of Te Ara Whakatika, an important national project led by the National Trauma Network to strengthen the quality, equity, and cultural responsiveness of trauma services across Aotearoa.

The project team has just updated the webpage with extra information—including responses to FAQs and a PDF of the survey questions to help services prepare before completing the online form.
👉 More information is available here: https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/our-work/trauma-work-programme/trauma-project-expressions-of-interest/

If your service is keen to participate, please submit the online application form by Friday 5 December 2025.
The application form can be found here: https://forms.office.com/r/XsKxBeA7Wq

For any pātai not covered on the site, you can contact:
📧 jessica.lockett@majortrauma.nz
(Jessica Lockett, Quality Improvement Advisor)

30/10/2025

💡 ACC Secondary Care Online Market Event – Invitation to NZRA Members

ACC will be hosting its next Secondary Care Market Engagement Event on Tuesday 25 November, 12:00–1:00pm, focused on sharing early design concepts for an enhanced service delivery model aimed at achieving better outcomes for people with musculoskeletal injuries.

This builds on earlier engagement with both primary and secondary care sectors in May, where sector insights helped shape ACC’s thinking on how best to strengthen continuity, equity, and timeliness of care. You can watch recordings of ACC's previous events on their website: https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.comms.acc.co.nz%2F%3Fqs%3D5d5ab99c9d21c1063d1a0e41eab6226c8198bc3cfbbcd99bc4e9ef113433503a7917ee4f676f3633fa394d5b0fd4656cb815979a637f5432&data=05%7C02%7Crachelle.martin%40otago.ac.nz%7Cd9e114529a66418bf03108de15ab4fae%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C638972022721834870%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=0t%2FaNzz3RKBdww6fbVcwzun%2Bvb4VurYCVmTd0pj%2BhEI%3D&reserved=0

At this upcoming session, ACC will:
🔹 Present initial design concepts and how they respond to current system challenges
🔹 Share updates on work to improve elective surgery performance
🔹 Outline opportunities to give feedback and ask questions

This is a valuable opportunity for those working across rehabilitation, musculoskeletal care, and service delivery innovation to contribute to shaping the next phase of ACC’s service model design.

🗓️ Tuesday 25 November, 12:00–1:00pm
📍 Online
🔗 Register here: https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.comms.acc.co.nz%2F%3Fqs%3D5d5ab99c9d21c1062c5f04238055163d85ef1f6318c9efde28a7d06e0042b19783e03bc930d10db25c29f5ed251cd8083f73c2828f46203c&data=05%7C02%7Crachelle.martin%40otago.ac.nz%7Cd9e114529a66418bf03108de15ab4fae%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C638972022721851576%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=sTs7W9C9%2FPcZ2vKWgDfvr5qP8Ib5jBHJpQcr1YhCAKs%3D&reserved=0

If you have questions, contact engage.secondarycare@acc.co.nz

It’s vital we work with experts like you in helping New Zealanders get back to work and independence after injury. 2025 is about focusing on how we work with the health sector and commission for services to improve outcomes for injured people.

30/10/2025

🌿 Invitation to Participate in Research on Individualised Funding in Aotearoa New Zealand 🌿

Samanthi Bandara, a PhD candidate at the University of Canterbury, is conducting a study exploring how Individualised Funding (IF) impacts the choice, control, participation, inclusion, and equity of disabled New Zealanders, their whānau/families, and carers.
She is wanting to speak with disabled people who live in Canterbury and who currently use IF. She wants to better understand how IF works in practice.

🗣️ Participation involves a relaxed, one-on-one conversation at a location that suits you — including your home or residential setting.
🌏 Participants from across the Canterbury region are welcome, particularly Pacific disabled people and Tāngata whaikaha Māori, including those in Kaikōura, Waitaki, Hurunui, and Waimakariri.
✅ Approved by the University of Canterbury Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 2025/53).

If you or someone you know uses Individualised Funding and would like to contribute, please reach out to Samanthi directly:
📧 samanthi.bandara@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
📱 021 0277 8644

Please share this post or pass it on to others who might be interested. Your voice and experience can make a real difference in shaping the future of funding for disabled New Zealanders.