Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
About 300 people, chanting "nothing about us, without us" and "disability rights are human rights", have marched through central New Plymouth protesting changes to disability services.
The government is restructuring Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People.
It is losing responsibility for delivering support services, which will move to the Ministry of Social Development.
Hundreds of protesters, many in fancy dress, some using wheelchairs or walking with the aid of caregivers or family members, made their way up Devon Street before picketing the National Party offices on Gill Street.
Co-organiser Francine Jones, of Taranaki Disability Action, said they were fed up but determined.
"We're here to show we're not going to back down. We need this freedom to be able to live our best lives and we can't sit back and let this happen. They're actually taking back all the power from Whaikaha which is awful because that is something we all advocated for big time."
Her son, Nash, was living with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, and she was worried about her access to respite care.
"They've taken away our freedom in the way like a big thing for me is to be able to sleep a full night's sleep and quite often that means booking into a hotel for a night. They've taken away our choice to be able to do that."
Protest co-organiser Francine Jones of Taranaki Disabilty Action with son Nash, who lives with Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome and dad Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Jones also feared residential care would no longer be available for Nash when she was unable to care for him full-time.
Elizabeth Millen, 11, lives with cerebral palsy.
She was worried about what funding cuts would mean for her favourite hobby.
"The funding it lets me go to Riding for the Disabled which means my core strength has been really developed and I learned how to look after animals."
Her mum Stacey said their choices were being eroded.
"Elizabeth and everybody else needs to be able to determine how their funding is spent, so we can do things that are best suited for her. So, if we need to get socks or splits or things that the government don't provide we can actually get them."
Elizabeth Millen, 11, and mum Stacey are worried about funding cuts. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Lucy-Anne Thomas is also living with cerebral palsy.
She was anxious about the affect of funding cuts on her schoolwork.
"Specifically because I'm a girl who worries far too much about here grades ... I'm surprised it hasn't killed me yet ... without a learning assistant somethings I can't do very well, I feel bad about it. I worry without a learning assistant I won't be able to do what I need for my learning."
The 11-year-old had a message for the government.
"Please stop this it affects our lives so much that it is bad. It's really bad. It's so bad we can't demonstrate it with a metaphor."
Lucy-Anne Thomas and family wore her favourite colour for the protest. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Her mum Vicky did not think the disabled community was getting a fair go.
"I'm here because it feels like the government isn't listening to the disabled community and not taking into consideration our opinion and what matters to us before making rash cuts. All we want is to be listened to and consulted."
Asked for comment, Whaikaha referred RNZ to Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston's August media statement.
In it Upston said the shift of support service delivery was "significant but necessary".
"We must now take urgent action after an independent review found the delivery of these services is in a dire state, with unsustainable spending and a lack of fairness and transparency around what support disabled people can access.
The minister said much of the problem stemmed from the "rushed" six-month establishment of the Ministry of Disabled People - Whaikaha.
The government was committed to supporting disabled people, and had provided a record $1.1 billion dollar funding boost to disability support services in the Budget, she said.
