Hamida Hashim-Branson
She/Her
Why are you nominating for the Board?
I am a 54-year-old Asian/Ethnic/Minority/Migrant Autistic. I was formally diagnosed in August 2022, 3 years after my son was diagnosed in August 2019. I work for CCS Disability Action, the largest pan-disability support and advocacy organization in Aotearoa, New Zealand, in the fundraising, marketing, communication team as its National Coordinator – Donor Relationship Management. I recognize my privilege of work and diagnosis, which allows me to be openly Autistic and self-advocate. I would also like ASAN AUNZ to be slightly more active in NZ.
What Involvement have you had in Autistic Self Advocacy?
My family arrived legally on visas to New Zealand via Australia, originally from Singapore, in 2018. In late 2019, while converting the dependent visa to a student visa for my son, he was made unlawful at 6 years old (which makes anyone, at any age, vulnerable to deportation) due to not meeting acceptable standards of health (not ASH), just as Covid hit. It would take me 3 years of serious begging and challenging advocacy to turn that decision around, during which he was also not able to attend school due to being unlawful, which again required another round of serious begging advocacy to MOE after he was made lawful to get him what New Zealand calls the Ongoing Resource Scheme given to a minimal amount of students to enable them to attend specialist school. I acknowledge the example was of a parent advocate, not a self-advocate. I continue to advocate for him and self-advocate now for our Individualised Funding. I am also slowly pursuing a Master’s degree in Disability & Inclusion studies with the University of Waikato. I will also be accredited as a DEI specialist with Diversity Works NZ in December.
What experience on and contributions to other boards and committees have you had?
I have no board experience, although I am part of the Wider Staff Disabled Group and Disabled Leadership Employee Resource Group at work.
What are your areas of expertise?
- Government or stakeholder engagement.
- Co-design facilitation and participation.