Everything she fought for: Amanda’s story

It did not feel real until she sat back down. Amanda Stewart had walked across the stage, shaken the right hands, and returned to her seat. Then she looked at the piece of paper in her hands and saw her own name on it.

"That moment meant everything," she says.

Amanda’s graduation.

The date was 16 April 2026. The degree was a Bachelor of Teaching, majoring in Early Childhood Education. Amanda had begun the journey at the University of Waikato in July 2016, through the Certificate of University Preparation. Almost ten years lay between the start and that seat in the graduation hall.

"When I first started, I never truly believed I would be able to complete it," she says. "I now know that I am resilient, determined, and capable of doing hard things."

Amanda lives in the Waikato, flatting with her partner. CCS Disability Action has walked alongside her since 2010, which is a long time to know someone. Over those years the support has changed shape as her life has changed.

Today it involves day-to-day support at home and in the community. Some weeks that means groceries and errands. Other weeks it means a trip to the hairdresser. The support bends to suit her, not the other way around.

One of the people who knows her well is Udaya Eldhose, her former Service Coordinator (now Senior Coordinator) in the Waikato branch.

"She knows her rights," Udaya says. "If something changes, she will ask me what it is, what the reason is, and why. We are answerable to her, and I am glad she asks as that's how it should be. It is really good to see people know their rights, and ask for clarity," Udaya says. "That is empowering."

To see a disabled person lead so firmly in her own life is, for CCS Disability Action, a genuine win. It is the social model in practice: not a person being 'managed', but a person directing the support that is hers by right.

Much of that leadership has been built alongside one steady presence. Amanda's Support Worker, Lyn, known to everyone as Buffy, has worked with CCS Disability Action for about 15 years, and has been alongside Amanda for more than 13 of them. Theirs is a long working relationship, and a trusting one.

"My job has been to support Amanda to make her own decisions, and to encourage her to reach her full potential," Lyn says. Working with Amanda is a clear source of happiness. “She has matured into an amazing young independent woman. I have no doubt she will achieve exactly what she sets her mind to. I am so very proud of her, and grateful to be a part of her growth."

None of the past decade was easy. Amanda is upfront about that.

"There were so many moments that tested me," she says. "I faced ongoing health challenges, attitudinal barriers, I had to find the right equipment to support my vision impairment, and there were times I felt overwhelmed, exhausted, and unsure if I would ever make it to the end."

What carried her, in her view, was the people around her, and her own determination. She is generous about the help she had. Supportive lecturers. Fellow students who are now kaiako themselves. Student and accessibility support teams at the University of Waikato who, she says, "worked alongside me every step of the way. They helped me understand what was required, kept me on track, and made sure I had everything I needed to succeed."

Lyn and home were with her through it all.

"Mum, Malcolm, Jenni, Rowena, Lyn and so many other wonderful family members and friends who were always there to listen, calm me down, and support me in so many different ways," she says. "I truly could not have done this without every single one of you."

The journey was not a straight line. The world changed around her degree, more than once, and she kept going.

"From face-to-face classrooms and lecture halls to lockdowns and Zoom classes, and back again, this journey has shaped me in ways I will never forget," she says. "I have come so far and grown so much."

Amanda at CCS Disability Action Waikato branch’s 90th anniversary celebration.

Now comes the next chapter, and it points outward. Amanda is starting voluntary work at Te Whare Poi Poi, CCS Disability Action's respite home in Waikato, to build her knowledge and experience as she moves into the early childhood sector. Further ahead, she hopes to become a Play Specialist at the hospital, supporting children the way she was supported when she was young. The work she wants to do is clear in her mind.

"I want to work with tamariki and their whānau, especially those navigating disabilities and health conditions," she says. "I want to use my lived experience to advocate for them, to stand alongside them, and to help create the very best outcomes and opportunities for their futures."

It is a fitting direction for someone who has spent a decade learning, often the hard way, what good support looks like and what it feels like when a system finally listens. The woman who has spent many years advocating for herself, now wants to stand in a classroom and do the same for tamariki and their whānau.

"This is more than just a degree," Amanda says. "This is everything I fought for."

About CCS Disability Action

CCS Disability Action is the largest pan-disability support and advocacy organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

We support people with all types of impairments and have been working alongside disabled people since 1935.

We are at the forefront of service provision, advocacy and information sharing in the disability sector. We partner with disabled people, their families and whānau to enable them to have choice and control in their lives. Our vision is to see every disabled person and whānau hauā interwoven into the lives of their whānau and community.