Disability Connect – Enabling Good Lives Awards – Winners announced!
Disability Connect – Enabling Good Lives Awards 2026
We announced the winners of our first ever Enabling Good Lives Awards at Transition Expo this week.
Enabling Good Lives began in 2011 as a community vision to give disabled people more choice and control over their lives. Government adopted it as a pilot in 2012 but national progress for a full roll out has stalled since.
We created these awards to show that Enabling Good Lives is still here and worth fighting for.
Please join us in congratulating the winners for their mahi:
• Education – Jaden Movold and Amy Clements, I.Lead
• Housing – Len Moodley, Te Anua Nua Trust
• Employment – Rachel Moon, Air New Zealand
• Health and Wellbeing – Chris Blum, Aotearoa Disability Law
• Disability Support – Ainsley Darvell and Macushla Howell, Flying Kites
• Community Choice – Greg Robson, GlowKids
Each winner received a beautiful mosaic trophy produced by disability-led small business Nazaics and a $1,000 cash prize.
Our judges, Colleen Brown, Martine Abel-Williamson and Mark Benjamin, reviewed over 50 nominations and were impressed with the strong themes of respect, choice, control, visibility and self worth across all the categories. Check out the list of nominees on our website, they all deserve recognition for the outstanding work they do: https://disabilityconnect.org.nz/disability-connect-enabling-good-lives-awards/
Thank you to our award sponsors for helping us bring our first awards to life: Northwest 7 Day Pharmacy, SWIFT Mortgages, Able Axcess, Clipboard, Mercury, IHC
Shout out to the partners and sponsors for our Transition Expo too: Mercury, Clipboard, NZ Lottery Grants Board, Ministry of Development, Foundation North, Ōrākei Local Board and Kaikaranga.
We were excited to have received more than 50 nominations for both individuals and organisations who demonstrated EGL values.
List of Nominees:
Disability Supports
| Len Moodley, Te Anua Nua Trust |
| Geoffrey Palmer |
| Recreate New Zealand |
| Recreate |
| A Supported Life (Carissa Pereira) |
| Kathy Ansin – Gifts of Destiny |
| PHAB Pasifika Nz |
| Jacqueline Abel |
| Chris Blum of Aotearoa Disabilty Law (ADL) Community Educator |
| Caleb Shere – NZCL |
| Citizen Advocacy Auckland |
| Anthony Stowers – Groove Kuttz |
| Creative Abilities |
| I.lead |
| Univision Community Trust |
| Flying Kites |
| Alana Simpson – iSign Customer Service Officer |
| Abdulla Shiblaq |
| Stephen Scott |
| Sam Benge and Stuart Spackman |
| I Lead – Jaden Movold, Amy Clements, Sonia Thursby |
| Eden Park Team – led by Nick Sautner |
Education:
| DeafWay |
| Chris Blum of Auckland Disability Law (ADL) Community Educator |
| Ana Prieto Arevalo |
| Lorette Padayachee |
| Athena Smith |
| Greg Robson – Glow Kids Trust |
| Shannon Simpson |
| Vanna Blucher |
| Caren Brodie |
| Emma Chambers |
| Aaron Overington |
| Angela Whyte |
| Sommerville School |
| Rhonda Comins |
| Janet Williamson |
| I Lead – Jason Movold, Amy Clements (Sonia Thursby) |
| Danielle Faimanatu |
Employment:
| Sandersons Real Vitamins |
| Chris Blum of Aotearoa Disability Law (ADL) Community Educator |
| Disability Business Network |
| Rachel Moon |
| Project Employ |
Health and Wellbeing:
| Beyond the Limits Dance Classes Georgia Chandler |
| Roger |
| Chris Blum of Aotearoa Disability Law (ADL) |
| Nicola Roberts |
Housing:
| Joss Brinkman from Spectrum Care |
| Sue Michowicz- RDNS |
| Homes of Choice |
| Laura Fergusson Trust |
| Homes of Choice |
| A Supported Life (Kotuku Trust) |
| Homes of Choice |
| Laura Fergusson Trust Auckland |
| Homes of Choice |
| Len Moodley, Te Anua Nua Trust |
FAQ
Who can be nominated?
You can nominate a person, a family or whānau member, a school, an employer, a health provider, a community group, an NGO, a business, or yourself. Disability Connect staff and Board members cannot be nominated.
Award categories?
Housing, Education, Employment, Health and Wellbeing, Disability Supports.
What we are looking for?
We want to hear about people and organisations who have used the Enabling Good Lives principles in their work. This includes supporting choice and control, treating people with respect, building confidence, helping people take part in everyday life, and strengthening relationships and community connections.
Recipients of the awards must have delivered disability services in the greater Auckland area between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026.
Why award winners must be delivering services in the greater Auckland area
The Awards focus on work that supports disabled people and their families living in the greater Auckland region. This is because Disability Connect is an Auckland‑based organisation, and the Transition Expo associated with these awards is hosted and run to meet the needs of Auckland communities.
To make sure the Awards recognise real impact in our local area, all nominees must have delivered disability services, programmes, or support in the greater Auckland area between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. This helps us highlight the people and organisations who are improving everyday life for disabled people and whānau right here in Auckland.
Accessibility
We will have NZSL interpreters at the Awards. You can choose the nomination format that works best for you.
Judging
A three person panel led by Board Chair Colleen Brown KSO will review all nominations. Any conflicts of interest will be managed. Finalists will be confirmed in August.
Awards ceremony
Winners will be announced at the Transition Expo on 9 September 2026. The Expo usually has more than 1,500 visitors and around 150 organisations.
Questions
Email: admin@disabilityconnect.org.nz with Awards in the Subject line.
We look forward to celebrating the incredible mahi happening across Auckland.
