KAVAX: Voices of our Disabled Kainga

KAVAX: Voices of our Disabled Kainga - A Relationship Focused Talanoa

Welcome to another KAVAX 2026! This KAVAX: Tā Valivali will integrate our usual method of collective sharing, storytelling, and creative art-making.

What is KAVAX?

KAVAX is a Pacific transformative talanoa platform and engagement tool that cultivates neutral vā (space) for honest dialogue on sensitive issues impacting Pacific people.

We integrate collective storytelling, traditional practices, and creative expression (painting) to surface community truths that conventional consultation often misses.

KAVAX creates a space for people to speak what they cannot say in formal settings — making it a critical tool for policy-makers and agencies seeking a genuine Pacific voice on complex issues.

About this Session

This is a space for Pacific peoples with a disability — and the family and friends who walk alongside them — to talanoa about relationships. What does it look like to love, connect, and show up for each other well when disability is part of the picture?

We're going to explore three questions:

• What are we actually experiencing in our relationships?
• What does a thriving relationship look like for us?
• What do we need the people in our lives to know?

This is an open talanoa — a conversation where your voice shapes what happens next. Whether you're in a relationship, navigating a hard season, supporting whānau, or simply wanting to understand yourself better in relation to others — your experience belongs in this space.

This session is part of a KAVAX series. What we learn here will feed into ongoing work to improve the experiences of disabled people in the Pacific at work and within the disability support system.

Why this matters now?

Relationships sit at the heart of Pacific identity — yet so much of what we carry goes unsaid. Cultural expectations, intergenerational patterns, and the weight of family responsibility shape how we love, how we connect, and how we hurt.

We know that Pacific communities experience high rates of relationship stress, family harm, and mental health challenges — often suffered in silence because there is no safe space to speak.

This session is that space. We're not here to judge or prescribe. We're here to listen, share, and make sense of our experiences together — because thriving relationships don't just change individuals, they change families, and families change communities.

ACCESSIBILITY

We're committed to making this session accessible:

• The venue is wheelchair accessible
• Quiet space available if you need a break
• Alternative participation formats (written, one-on-one check-ins) available
• Dietary requirements catered for — let us know when you register

If you have specific access needs not listed here, contact us at [email protected] and we'll work with you to make it happen.

While the event is free, due to space please register and secure a spot around the kumete!

All are welcome, light kai and kava will be provided.

Info: Welcome, karakia, and a run through of the night!

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Four Shells Kava Lounge