title: "I forget I have a disability": Understanding young peoples’ experiences in disability sport and active recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: McBean, Catriona Lisa

subjects: Disability sport

abstract: In Aotearoa NZ, although 1 in 4 people identify as disabled, participation rates of young people with impairments (YPwI) in sport and active recreation is lower than their non-disabled peers. Over the last 85 years, the Aotearoa NZ Government has been aware of this disparity and has attempted through policy intervention to increase participation. However, the Aotearoa NZ sport system is inherently ableist and these policies have been ineffectual. Fortunately, opportunities for YPwI to participate in sport and active recreation do exist especially at the local club level.

Drawing on the social relational model of disability, I give agency to the voices of four YPwI, their parents and coaches/leaders. Through their lived experiences in sport and active recreation, these participants present unique narratives on how participating with non-disabled young people have shaped the YPwI’s experiences. From their experiences, I sought to understand how sport organisations can improve opportunities for YPwI’s participation within a sport system dominated by ableism and where discrimination through disablism goes unchallenged. 

The sport system, as a reflection of society, has a responsibility to address the inherent ableism endemic within sport and active recreation and reposition disability as a priority. Building on previous research focused on personal and societal barriers and constraints to participation, I challenge the dominance of activity adaptation and modification as a means for systemic change. To achieve an anti-ableist sport system, what is needed is more fundamental – an improved understanding of disability, flexibility around prescriptive ableist standards and rules, and increased accessibility to opportunities where YPwI can exhibit their capabilities. Integral to providing quality opportunities for YPwI, change in how the sport system considers and represents YPwI, from policy through to practice. I caution organisations to avoid enlightened ableism – where what is said and what is done are misaligned. 

I present an anti-ableist framework, co-created with the YPwI, as a way of improving disability sport provision in Aotearoa NZ that enables the social relational model to be actualised within a sport and active recreation context. The framework presented encapsulates three levels – individual, organisation and system – premised on enhancing the knowledge and understanding of disability, creating more flexibility around what participation means to YPwI and how deliverers of sport and active recreation, regardless of size or capacity, can work individually and/or collaboratively to provide more opportunities for YPwI.

text: "I forget I have a disability": Understanding young peoples’ experiences in disability sport and active recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand In Aotearoa NZ, although 1 in 4 people identify as disabled, participation rates of young people with impairments (YPwI) in sport and active recreation is lower than their non-disabled peers. Over the last 85 years, the Aotearoa NZ Government has been aware of this disparity and has attempted through policy intervention to increase participation. However, the Aotearoa NZ sport system is inherently ableist and these policies have been ineffectual. Fortunately, opportunities for YPwI to participate in sport and active recreation do exist especially at the local club level.

Drawing on the social relational model of disability, I give agency to the voices of four YPwI, their parents and coaches/leaders. Through their lived experiences in sport and active recreation, these participants present unique narratives on how participating with non-disabled young people have shaped the YPwI’s experiences. From their experiences, I sought to understand how sport organisations can improve opportunities for YPwI’s participation within a sport system dominated by ableism and where discrimination through disablism goes unchallenged. 

The sport system, as a reflection of society, has a responsibility to address the inherent ableism endemic within sport and active recreation and reposition disability as a priority. Building on previous research focused on personal and societal barriers and constraints to participation, I challenge the dominance of activity adaptation and modification as a means for systemic change. To achieve an anti-ableist sport system, what is needed is more fundamental – an improved understanding of disability, flexibility around prescriptive ableist standards and rules, and increased accessibility to opportunities where YPwI can exhibit their capabilities. Integral to providing quality opportunities for YPwI, change in how the sport system considers and represents YPwI, from policy through to practice. I caution organisations to avoid enlightened ableism – where what is said and what is done are misaligned. 

I present an anti-ableist framework, co-created with the YPwI, as a way of improving disability sport provision in Aotearoa NZ that enables the social relational model to be actualised within a sport and active recreation context. The framework presented encapsulates three levels – individual, organisation and system – premised on enhancing the knowledge and understanding of disability, creating more flexibility around what participation means to YPwI and how deliverers of sport and active recreation, regardless of size or capacity, can work individually and/or collaboratively to provide more opportunities for YPwI.

year: 2023

title: Nitrate removal, communities of denitrifiers and adverse effects in different carbon substrates for use in denitrification beds

authors: Warneke, Sören

subjects: denitrification

abstract: Denitrification beds are containers filled with wood by-products that serve as a carbon and energy source to denitrifiers, which reduce nitrate (NO₃⁻) from point source discharges into non-reactive dinitrogen (N₂) gas. This study investigates a range of alternative carbon sources and determines rates, mechanisms and factors controlling NO₃⁻ removal, denitrifying bacterial community, and the adverse effects of these substrates. Experimental barrels (0.2 m³) filled with either maize cobs, wheat straw, green waste, sawdust, pine woodchips or eucalyptus woodchips were incubated at 16.8 °C or 27.1 °C (outlet temperature), and received NO₃⁻enriched water (14.38 mg N L⁻¹and 17.15 mg N L⁻¹). After 2.5 years of incubation measurements were made of NO₃⁻–N removal rates, in vitro denitrification rates (DR), factors limiting denitrification (carbon and nitrate availability, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, and concentrations of NO₃⁻, nitrite and ammonia), copy number of nitrite reductase (nirS and nirK) and nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) genes, and greenhouse gas production (dissolved nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane), and carbon (TOC) loss. Microbial denitrification was the main mechanism for NO₃⁻–N removal. Nitrate–N removal rates ranged from 1.3 (pine woodchips) to 6.2 g N m⁻³ d⁻¹ (maize cobs), and were predominantly limited by C availability and temperature (Q₁₀ = 1.2) when NO₃⁻–N outlet concentrations remained above 1 mg L⁻¹. The NO₃⁻–N removal rate did not depend directly on substrate type, but on the quantity of microbially available carbon, which differed between carbon sources. The abundance of denitrifying genes (nirS, nirK and nosZ) was similar in replicate barrels under cold incubation, but varied substantially under warm incubation, and between substrates. Warm incubation enhanced growth of nirS containing bacteria and bacteria that lacked the nosZ gene, potentially explaining the greater N2O emission in warmer environments. Maize cob substrate had the highest NO₃⁻–N removal rate, but adverse effects include TOC release, dissolved N₂O release and substantial carbon consumption by non-denitrifiers. Woodchips removed less than half of NO₃⁻ removed by maize cobs, but provided ideal conditions for denitrifying bacteria, and adverse effects were not observed. Therefore we recommend the combination of maize cobs and woodchips to enhance NO₃⁻ removal while minimizing adverse effects in denitrification beds.

text: Nitrate removal, communities of denitrifiers and adverse effects in different carbon substrates for use in denitrification beds Denitrification beds are containers filled with wood by-products that serve as a carbon and energy source to denitrifiers, which reduce nitrate (NO₃⁻) from point source discharges into non-reactive dinitrogen (N₂) gas. This study investigates a range of alternative carbon sources and determines rates, mechanisms and factors controlling NO₃⁻ removal, denitrifying bacterial community, and the adverse effects of these substrates. Experimental barrels (0.2 m³) filled with either maize cobs, wheat straw, green waste, sawdust, pine woodchips or eucalyptus woodchips were incubated at 16.8 °C or 27.1 °C (outlet temperature), and received NO₃⁻enriched water (14.38 mg N L⁻¹and 17.15 mg N L⁻¹). After 2.5 years of incubation measurements were made of NO₃⁻–N removal rates, in vitro denitrification rates (DR), factors limiting denitrification (carbon and nitrate availability, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, and concentrations of NO₃⁻, nitrite and ammonia), copy number of nitrite reductase (nirS and nirK) and nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) genes, and greenhouse gas production (dissolved nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane), and carbon (TOC) loss. Microbial denitrification was the main mechanism for NO₃⁻–N removal. Nitrate–N removal rates ranged from 1.3 (pine woodchips) to 6.2 g N m⁻³ d⁻¹ (maize cobs), and were predominantly limited by C availability and temperature (Q₁₀ = 1.2) when NO₃⁻–N outlet concentrations remained above 1 mg L⁻¹. The NO₃⁻–N removal rate did not depend directly on substrate type, but on the quantity of microbially available carbon, which differed between carbon sources. The abundance of denitrifying genes (nirS, nirK and nosZ) was similar in replicate barrels under cold incubation, but varied substantially under warm incubation, and between substrates. Warm incubation enhanced growth of nirS containing bacteria and bacteria that lacked the nosZ gene, potentially explaining the greater N2O emission in warmer environments. Maize cob substrate had the highest NO₃⁻–N removal rate, but adverse effects include TOC release, dissolved N₂O release and substantial carbon consumption by non-denitrifiers. Woodchips removed less than half of NO₃⁻ removed by maize cobs, but provided ideal conditions for denitrifying bacteria, and adverse effects were not observed. Therefore we recommend the combination of maize cobs and woodchips to enhance NO₃⁻ removal while minimizing adverse effects in denitrification beds.

year: 2011

title: Huri whakatau: The call for Māori software requirements elicitation

authors: Brown, Tamahau

abstract: It is essential to consider specifications and design when examining the requirements for new software for stakeholders and software engineers. The Huri Whakatau project investigates current relevant requirements and design techniques to understand the Māori (Indigenous people of Aotearoa) demographic to identify any relevant gaps for examining requirements.

The process has been tested by investigating existing internationally accepted groups and their methodologies to attempt to adapt a new methodology for Māori groups. In the context of the research, an accepted group is defined as a group which is not from a developing country or Indigenous group. The research was able to identify three untested methodologies; this involved conducting an empirical study as a part of the experiment. The decision was to transform the internationally accepted soft systems methodology (SSM) with groups in a user study. Comparing previously recorded satisfaction using the technique and the use of Māori techniques determined that SSM would be the strongest candidate. When testing SSM with participants, overall, there was a higher level of satisfaction with Māori participants using the new proposed adapted Māori approach as opposed to the internationally accepted groups.

text: Huri whakatau: The call for Māori software requirements elicitation It is essential to consider specifications and design when examining the requirements for new software for stakeholders and software engineers. The Huri Whakatau project investigates current relevant requirements and design techniques to understand the Māori (Indigenous people of Aotearoa) demographic to identify any relevant gaps for examining requirements.

The process has been tested by investigating existing internationally accepted groups and their methodologies to attempt to adapt a new methodology for Māori groups. In the context of the research, an accepted group is defined as a group which is not from a developing country or Indigenous group. The research was able to identify three untested methodologies; this involved conducting an empirical study as a part of the experiment. The decision was to transform the internationally accepted soft systems methodology (SSM) with groups in a user study. Comparing previously recorded satisfaction using the technique and the use of Māori techniques determined that SSM would be the strongest candidate. When testing SSM with participants, overall, there was a higher level of satisfaction with Māori participants using the new proposed adapted Māori approach as opposed to the internationally accepted groups.

year: 2023