title: Replacing medical and social models of disability by a communities-based model of equal access for people of differing abilities: A Māori perspective

authors: Hickey, Huhana

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: I argue here that although the social model of disability which currently prevails in New Zealand is preferable in many ways to the earlier medical model, it is nevertheless based on a largely uni-dimensional concept of society and continues an established tradition of negativity, one that is evident in the ongoing use of the word 'disabled' itself by those who subscribe to the social model. I argue here that the social model of disability should be replaced by a communities-based model of equal access for people of differing abilities, one that is, in the New Zealand context, informed by a further developed Māori model of health and wellbeing proposed by Mason Durie, Te Whare Tapa Whā. This mode is designed in such a way as to accommodate difference and diversity. In the discussion of different models, I use the words 'disabled' and 'disability'; in other contexts, I replace 'disabled people' by 'people of differing abilities'.

text: Replacing medical and social models of disability by a communities-based model of equal access for people of differing abilities: A Māori perspective I argue here that although the social model of disability which currently prevails in New Zealand is preferable in many ways to the earlier medical model, it is nevertheless based on a largely uni-dimensional concept of society and continues an established tradition of negativity, one that is evident in the ongoing use of the word 'disabled' itself by those who subscribe to the social model. I argue here that the social model of disability should be replaced by a communities-based model of equal access for people of differing abilities, one that is, in the New Zealand context, informed by a further developed Māori model of health and wellbeing proposed by Mason Durie, Te Whare Tapa Whā. This mode is designed in such a way as to accommodate difference and diversity. In the discussion of different models, I use the words 'disabled' and 'disability'; in other contexts, I replace 'disabled people' by 'people of differing abilities'.

year: 2006-02

title: Te Nahi o Te Taniwha: Teeth of the Taniwha

authors: Rout, Matthew

abstract: This report outlines the scope of the project He oranga whānau: mahi ngātahi Whānau livelihoods within the context of work and Māori economies of wellbeing, which has been funded by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga—the New Zealand Māori Centre of Research Excellence. Its purpose is to set the direction and design for the research project. To say the creation of such economies will be a complex task is an understatement. Three factors make this task a ‘wicked problem’.

text: Te Nahi o Te Taniwha: Teeth of the Taniwha This report outlines the scope of the project He oranga whānau: mahi ngātahi Whānau livelihoods within the context of work and Māori economies of wellbeing, which has been funded by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga—the New Zealand Māori Centre of Research Excellence. Its purpose is to set the direction and design for the research project. To say the creation of such economies will be a complex task is an understatement. Three factors make this task a ‘wicked problem’.

year: 2022

title: Supercapacitor-assisted refrigerator for DC powered households

authors: Sirimanne, Don Charles Themiya

abstract: Energy efficiency is a prime concern in power generation as well as in usage. Product developers and end users are encouraged to reduce their carbon footprint for help in the fight against climate change. In this effect designing power electronic systems with high end to end efficiency is paramount. Direct DC application with tactical circuit topologies show promising results for improved efficiency gains resulting in increased attention for the DC microgrid concept. DC powered households are developed, where solar photovoltaics on rooftops generate purely DC electricity to power the immediate community. Recent developments have made solar generation quite economical for this to be realized. Unfortunately, solar power is not consistent due to environmental factors, thus needing an alternate DC source or energy storage for uninterrupted supply of power. To meet this demand research into energy storage has ramped up. As a result, supercapacitor technology has advanced considerably with superior characteristics compared to rechargeable batteries. Almost all modern white goods run on DC internally. The inverter-based refrigerator operates using a variable frequency inverter for efficient and smooth operation. The refrigerator has shown to function efficiently within a range around the nominal operating voltage. This has allowed the application of the well matured supercapacitor assisted loss management (SCALoM) technique to develop a power converter to operate the refrigerator with the characteristic DC power supply of a solar photovoltaic (PV) array. The system benefits from the replacement of the battery and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) Charge controller with supercapacitors for a solar power system with long operation time in between of service intervals. While MPPT charge controller is based on a high frequency switch mode DC-DC converter, the proposed power converter allows for switching frequencies in the mHz region, allowing lower switching losses and reduction in potential electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference. The concept was proven by using a 24V DC camping fridge and obtaining an efficiency of up to 94%. This work will lead to the development of the converter for a consumer grade 240Vac inverter driven refrigerator where the AC-DC converter is bypassed to achieve improved efficiency. This thesis covers the broader design and technical aspects of the power converter.

text: Supercapacitor-assisted refrigerator for DC powered households Energy efficiency is a prime concern in power generation as well as in usage. Product developers and end users are encouraged to reduce their carbon footprint for help in the fight against climate change. In this effect designing power electronic systems with high end to end efficiency is paramount. Direct DC application with tactical circuit topologies show promising results for improved efficiency gains resulting in increased attention for the DC microgrid concept. DC powered households are developed, where solar photovoltaics on rooftops generate purely DC electricity to power the immediate community. Recent developments have made solar generation quite economical for this to be realized. Unfortunately, solar power is not consistent due to environmental factors, thus needing an alternate DC source or energy storage for uninterrupted supply of power. To meet this demand research into energy storage has ramped up. As a result, supercapacitor technology has advanced considerably with superior characteristics compared to rechargeable batteries. Almost all modern white goods run on DC internally. The inverter-based refrigerator operates using a variable frequency inverter for efficient and smooth operation. The refrigerator has shown to function efficiently within a range around the nominal operating voltage. This has allowed the application of the well matured supercapacitor assisted loss management (SCALoM) technique to develop a power converter to operate the refrigerator with the characteristic DC power supply of a solar photovoltaic (PV) array. The system benefits from the replacement of the battery and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) Charge controller with supercapacitors for a solar power system with long operation time in between of service intervals. While MPPT charge controller is based on a high frequency switch mode DC-DC converter, the proposed power converter allows for switching frequencies in the mHz region, allowing lower switching losses and reduction in potential electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference. The concept was proven by using a 24V DC camping fridge and obtaining an efficiency of up to 94%. This work will lead to the development of the converter for a consumer grade 240Vac inverter driven refrigerator where the AC-DC converter is bypassed to achieve improved efficiency. This thesis covers the broader design and technical aspects of the power converter.

year: 2023