Alexia Black (she/her/ia)
Project Lead
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Name:
Alexia Black (she/her/ia)
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Credentials:
MUXD (Master of User Experience Design), BA Hons. (Political studies and Social Anthropology)
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Position:
Project Lead
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Phone Number:
04 474 0656
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Mobile Number:
027 397 9242
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Email:
alexia.black@tepou.co.nz
I come to the Practice team at Te Pou from a long background in disability rights. I started this journey as a disability and mental health support worker, where I quickly learned that what is taught in the classroom as ‘best practice’ often does not happen in the ‘real world’ of services. I also experienced first-hand the abuse of both Disabled people and support workers, and how disempowered support workers are to advocate for the people they work with.
I have spent many years since then working to improve outcomes and quality of life for Disabled people – as both an ally and from my own lived experience background. My roles have allowed me the privilege of supporting grassroots self-advocacy; providing independent advocacy within forensic units; assisting the independent monitoring of states parties at the United Nations; undertaking qualitative research with tāngata whai ora, progressing the fight for accessible information, holding governance positions within a lived experience-led organisation and speaking on behalf of my peers in both clinical and national government spaces.
As Project Lead supporting the development of the mental health and addiction support workforce, my current role brings me full circle in a way, back to where I started but with the knowledge I have gained along the way. As a ‘UXer’ (User Experience Designer), I always seek to work alongside communities to create their own solutions and I’m super excited to do so in this diverse and typically undervalued space. To respect the mana of support workers, is to respect the mana of the people they support.