Being Me: Te Huia Apaapa
26-year-old Te Huia Apaapa is a gifted runner and triathlete known as ‘The Rocketman’. Te Huia has a...
Being Me: Joshua Sade-Inia
Joshua Sade-Inia is a burns survivor who’s scars cover half of his body. To Josh they represent his ...
Being Me
The quintessential Attitude episode. Being Me tells the story of remarkable individuals who face the...
Being Me: Juanita Willems
Pre-Christmas Juanita Willems is flat out, collecting, wrapping and distributing presents for foste...
Being Me: Bailee Lobb
Installation artist Bailee Lobb uses her colourful works to explore lived experience of disability, ...
Being Me: Susan Williams 8/5/22
Non-binary performance artist Susan Williams adores theatre. Their latest show, Illegally Blind, is ...
Being Me: Gigi
Gigi, a sassy girl with Down Syndrome from a small town America has a big dream - to walk the catwal...
Being Us: Nathan and Michael
A friendship born out of a love for sport, Nathan and Michael's fates aligned thanks to their passio...
Being Us: Liam and Shane
Liam has Down Syndrome, and while technically Shane is teaching him life skills, Liam's the one who'...
Being Me: Claire
Claire Freeman's achieved a lot since a spinal injury that put her in a wheelchair at 17, a design d...
Being Me Freedom
Freedom was diagnosed with eye cancer at three months old, having both eyes removed by age five. Now...
Being Me Shakti
Shakti Krishnan is leaving his family to pursue tertiary life in the big smoke, and to prove to his ...
Being Me: Heather
As Heather Lawson turns heads while walking the streets of Melbourne with her dressed-up walking can...
Being Me: Devon Briggs
Para-athlete Devon Briggs was born with severe clubfeet, twisted backwards. The 18-year-old has end...
Being Me: Carlos
Carlos Biggeman is an award-winning photographer, he’s about to publish a book of his work. He was b...
Being Me: Cory
Punk-rock frontman Cory Newman is creating big waves with his band. The award-winning 17-year-old, w...
Being Me: Eamon
32-year-old Eamon Wood has travelled all over the world in his wheelchair. Now he’s back home in Chr...
Being Me: Jono
At birth, Jono Nelson was given just 24 hours to live. Now the Timaru-based hand cyclist, who lives ...
Being Me: Brylee
At six, Brylee Mills lost her arm, and has been coming to terms with it ever since. She's embarking ...
Being Me: Brent Eyskens
Unable to communicate verbally, songwriter Brent Eyskens - who lives with Cerebral Palsy - has found...
Being Me: Eltje
Eltje lived for cycling and competing. While out training, she was struck by a car and suffered a tr...
Being Me: Kiranjit Singh
Tetraplegic, Kiranjit Singh, is competing to qualify for the 2024 Paralympics in Para-sport shooting...
Being Me: Sam Smith
Sam Smith is a comedian and a new dad. He doesn't take life too seriously but he's just been diagnos...
Being Me: Jason
Throughout childhood Jason Edgecombe was different and suffered endless rejection. But a diagnosis o...
Being Me Sam
Sam Humphrey is the height of your average 7-year old. Except that he's not 7 - he's 22. However Sam...
Being Me: Cody Steps Up
Tetraplegia hasn’t stopped wheelchair rugby star Cody Everson from stepping up to adulthood. He owns...
Being Me: Danielle Aitchison
Danielle Aitchison was born with Cerebral Palsy. As a child she struggled to walk, but her family en...
Being Me: Steff Green
Author Steff Green writes full-time from her home in the Kaipara Harbour. Legally blind, Steff was o...
Being Me Rex
Rhys Davies was a successful I.T. engineer before a head injury changed life dramatically. He's not ...
Being Me Alix
Alix Generous has spoken at the United Nations, made a significant contribution to science, given tw...
Being Me: Robbie
Robbie Francis is 27, and doing her bit to change the world. She's bringing together disability, sus...
Being Me: John
Sport has been a huge part of John Marrable’s life since an accident put him in a wheelchair. His ma...
Being Me: Aidan Terpstra
Aidan’s life changed forever when he was knocked out with a king-hit punch. The injury to his brain ...
Being Me: Lusi
Groundbreaking performer Lusi Faiva reconnects with her Samoan heritage as she makes her mark on Wel...
Being Me: Petra
When she was six Petra was diagnosed with cancer. She beat it - four times before she was sixteen. N...
Being Me: Ian
Ian Stewart is a flamboyant 24-year-old with an eye for fashion, beauty and soap operas. But when dy...
Being Me: Josh Davies
26-year-old Josh Davies is a stand-up comedian trying to turn making people laugh into a full time l...
Being Me: Veronique Theberge
Five years on from an acquired brain injury due to encephalitis, Veronique Theberge is training for ...
Being Me: Hayley
17-year-old double amputee, Haley Birch is breaking records. Having survived meningococcal disease, ...
Being Me: Rachael Leahcar
Australian singer-songwriter, Rachael Leahcar, was born with retinitis pigmentosa and at 25-years-ol...
Being Me: Geneva
Geneva Tino's cerebral palsy means she needs a TalkLink device to communicate... ironically the 24-y...
Being Me: Jared Flitcroft
Jared Flitcroft is a filmmaker, businessman, family man, and he is Deaf. Overcoming barriers to achi...
Being Me: Dillon Maydon
Dillon's life was altered at just eighteen when he was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare ge...
Being Us: Andrey and Eilish
Best friends Andrey and Eilish are the Yin to each other's Yang and would be lost without one anothe...
Being Me Nick
Nick Chisholm is a body builder whose body is paralysed, a talker who spells words out with his eyes...
Being Me: Ripu
Ripu was 21, living in Sydney and finishing a Masters in Journalism when meningococcal septicaemia n...
Being Me: Cyrus
Resourceful 13-year-old Cyrus, who lives with Cerebral Palsy, wanted an accessible swing in the park...
Being Me: Marfan Syndrome
Over 6 feet tall at just 13 years old, Milly manages the rare condition Marfan Syndrome, while griev...
Being Me: William
Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and anxiety as a child, 25-year-old William Luskie is now an...
Being Me: Erica
Born with a rare condition that affects her outward appearance, Erica Perry proves it’s what’s on th...
Being Me: Rachel Māia
Rachel Māia lives in constant pain, considering amputating her leg to reach new heights.
Being Me: Barney Looks Back
Barney lost his hands and legs from meningitis as a baby. At 25, he looks back on the life lessons ...
Being Me: Samarra
Samarra Wright grew up fearing she’d get MND - it killed her mother and many of her wider family. H...
Being Me: Jack
At 18, Jack Brown made a decision that would put him in a wheelchair for life. Facing his new realit...
Being Me: Sarah
Though born with CHARGE syndrome, 22-year-old Sarah Dalton doesn’t let it define her. She’s an avid ...
Being Me: Joshua
Joshua Sade-Inia is a burns survivor. The scars, which cover almost half his body represent his ins...
Being Me: Ming Ming
Blind since birth, Ming Ming has never let that stop him being involved in everything from cricket t...
Being Me: Kasem
13-year-old refugee Kasem lost his leg and much of his upper arm in a bomb attack in Syria, which al...
William Luskie is a 25 year-old dancer and artist living in Dunedin. He catches the bus into town, meets up with friends and lives with his cat, Monty. He is a Disability Advocate and Advisor for the Donald Beasley Institute and a self-described ‘Platist’.
When he was 14 he was diagnosed with autism and aspergers but he does not let this stop him; “I think I’m just a normal human being, it’s just my confidence and anxiety that plays up.”
Will has been living in many different houses in the residential service sector, and other people have done the decision-making for him.
But recently he has decided he wants to make the decisions for himself and take control of his own life, he says “I’m just trying to explore who I am and fight for my own self.”
Will describes himself as a ‘Platist’ which he defines as “When you have too much on your plate and it’s just trying to have a diverse range of activities or tasks or interests in your daily life.”
As a Disability Advocate and Advisor at the Donald Beasley Institute, William researches education in the field of disability, with a particular focus on learning disability. Will’s role is to help come up with ideas in the theorising part of the Institute.
His mentors at the Institute are helping him to research the different options for housing which he could pursue to increase his independence.
When he was looking for a new place to live to get out of residential service homes, Mel Smith General Manager of CCS Disability Action says “In true Will fashion he just keeps going and keeps looking for the next solution and the next idea.”
Will loves to dance to express himself, and last year he did a solo which told the story of all of his thoughts and feelings. He dances with Hahna Briggs who co-founded the Gasp! Dance Collective, an inclusive dance class. Hahna believes; “Dance is just such an amazing art form for anyone that maybe finds words difficult or for some people who have a lot of words to express themselves.”
He also enjoys art which he does at Studio 2, “I just started coming here to express myself.”
That same creative desire to express himself has led him to explore public speaking where one day Will wandered into a Toastmasters class, “It’s helping me in terms of public speaking, I just need to keep expanding and growing.”
Will is also striving to put more effort into making friends, “I’ve sort of not really engaged or invested enough emotionally or socially in friendships, I find it sort of easier in a professional relationship.”
A sentiment supported by Will’s friend Josh,”I’ve seen a significant change in his confidence, he’s still got a long way to go but he’ll get there.”
Winning the Leadership Award at the 2018 Attitude Awards is proof that Will’s way of embracing life is paying off. To have the self-belief and confidence to know “I’ve got this” shows how far Will has come. Mel Smith believes “the journey that he’s made, he’s been braver than most of us ever have to be.”
Being Me: William
Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and anxiety as a child, 25-year-old William Luskie is now an...
My Perfect Family:Fragile X
To discover you’re the carrier of the genetic condition Fragile X only after your children are born ...
Crips In Cars: Jess & Jason
Jessica Tyson is Miss World New Zealand and a mental health advocate. Jason Gillard has channelled h...
Crips In Cars: Paula & Hunter
Paula Bennett is a politician and former Deputy Prime Minister. Hunter McGregor studied media design...
My Perfect Family: Hunter
Hunter McGregor is a passionate gamer, a design school graduate, and he runs a B&B with his mum, Roi...
My Perfect Family: Welcome Home Stevie
Murray and Janine's son Steven was a gentle boy with autism. 18 months ago he left their house with ...
Unlocking Autism
As a neurologist and mother, Ros Hill is determined to unlock the mysteries of autism.
My Perfect Family: Courtenay
Demar Gear was just five months old when she contracted meningitis, leaving her unable to walk or ta...
The Mutes
In this rock-u-mentary we go on tour with The Mutes from Mars. They've been madly practicing for one...
Being Me Alix
Alix Generous has spoken at the United Nations, made a significant contribution to science, given tw...
Seclusion
Ashley lives with autism, behavioural challenges and mental un-wellness. He's in a secure mental hea...
Being Me: Jason
Throughout childhood Jason Edgecombe was different and suffered endless rejection. But a diagnosis o...
My Perfect Family: Meet the Asners
They call themselves the "The Brady Bunch of Autism". Descendants of Hollywood royalty, Matt and Nav...
Damiana Rides Again
For years Damian Day has cycled up and down New Zealand searching for a place to fit in. Has he fina...
Philip's Puppets
Meet Philip - a quirky puppeteer living with Autism. With the help of 2 puppets he's spreading a mes...
My Perfect Family: Twins
For young mum Nikki Stokes being a mother of five means there's never a dull moment. With non-verbal...
Jimmy Wants a Job
Twenty-two-year-old Jimmy Rae Brown wants a job, he loves film and he may just have found the perfec...
Josh Flannagan: Horse Whisperer
Humans and the way they behave have always confused Josh Flannagan but his special affinity with hor...
My Perfect Family: Scruff's Bunch
Kim Preston (Scruff) reckon's she'll be caring for her three adult sons with Autism until she 'carks...
Sam's Big Adventure
Sam Muir-James can swim to Rangitoto Island, perform magic tricks and make children laugh. He doesn'...
Being Matt Frost
When the personal becomes political: Matt Frost, policy advisor and advocate asks us to take a walk ...
Hunter's Universe: Hunter's World
Hunter is a young guy living with Autism. He has an unusual way of looking at the world. He writes s...
Four Go Flatting
Four young people reckon it's time they moved out of home and went flatting. But with intellectual d...
Brothers and Sisters
The unique perspective of those closest to us, our brothers and sisters.
My Perfect Family: Kim Preston
Raising three boys is always a big task, especially when two of them have severe autism. But Kim Pre...
Tiny Houses Jason Gillard
Jason has autism and never fit in with his peers at school. But it's his quirks and attention to det...
My Perfect Family: The Priestleys
Four of the six Priestley family members live with Autism. Because they’re able to function at a hig...
My Perfect Family: The Cookie Project
Born with disabilities including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Ngā Hou now works as a baker at The Cookie ...
Born Different
James, a teenager with autism, knows what it’s like to feel like an outsider. He wrestles between st...
My Perfect Family: Melody
Within just one year Melody entirely lost her vision, gave birth to her first child, and left her ho...
Being Me: Denise
Living with autism and anxiety disorder has made social connections difficult for Denise. But in a n...
Being Me: Julia
Artist and disability activist Julia Young lives with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. She has learned to...
My Perfect Family: Georgia Heard
Georgia Heard thought she had parenting all mapped out. But when the younger of her two boys was di...
My Perfect Family: Grace Payne
Grace Payne is a powerlifter who has competed in the Special Olympics as an autistic athlete. Now, 2...
Tiny Houses Jason Gillard
Jason has autism and never fit in with his peers at school. But it's his quirks and attention to det...
My Perfect Family: Grace Payne
Grace Payne is a powerlifter who has competed in the Special Olympics as an autistic athlete. Now, 2...
Being Me: Te Huia Apaapa
26-year-old Te Huia Apaapa is a gifted runner and triathlete known as ‘The Rocketman’. Te Huia has a...
Bulletproof: Ashley
30-year-old Ashley Treseder dived off a pier in NSW and broke his neck. Now fresh out of rehab and i...
