My name is Michael Krammer and I live in Christchurch which is in the South Island of New
Zealand
I am 29 years old which means I am going to have a big 30th next year! There have been a lot
of changes for me over the last 2 years due to major earthquakes especially on 22nd of
February 2011. I have had to make some tough decisions about finding somewhere to live
and leaving my flat mate, sort of thing.
I grew up living at home and went through mainstream schooling all my life. There were
some tough challenges for example bullying, some people were quite cruel to me. I did
make a lot of friends and the teaching staff guided me through all my subjects.
I have lived in two flats, the first one was very pokey, cold and damp and I got bad asthma
there. I have always lived with someone else you get bored very easily! I had a little bit of
support with budgeting, cooking and grocery shopping. I moved out of my first flat because
of the cold and went to live with the same person in a different flat. This was a nice flat it
was bigger with a lot more room. I enjoy living in my flat because I have independence to
do the things I want to do. Life changed after the February earthquake I was sitting in my
flat when the ground started to move and I could hear all these noises, the next thing that
happened the chimney fell down and bricks made a massive whole in the wall, it missed me
by inches. I had no power or water, nothing. I went into the red zone and I wasn’t
supposed to and I saw a lot of graphic images. After this I attended counselling to help me
get through it.
I am now living back with my parents and 2 brothers. This is the ideal situation as you can’t
find any rental accommodation in Christchurch at the moment. Things change when you
move back home with your parents you have to do jobs and to let them know where you
are going for various reasons. I have lost some of my independence but I can still go and
visit people and do my own thing.
I have recently been attending an Earthquake group to try and get other people organised
who haven’t experienced a major disaster like we have. We meet regularly to share ideas
and tell our stories; it’s quite interesting to hear other people’s stories. We have now
started to put together an emergency kit to show people what you need.
I have been a founding member of JOLT mixed ability Dance Company since 2001. I assist in
2 junior classes giving choreographic ideas to other dancers. The reason I love dancing is
because I have the freedom to express my own movement. It’s a big part of my life, me and
my brother did a show called ‘Let Inside me Laugh” exploring people with autism. It was
very humbling to do a show like that it was very emotional everyone found it quite difficult
to digest.
We were asked to perform for the National Special Olympics closing ceremony which had
adults and children dancing. I have danced in Wellington at the Fringe Festival, The Body
Festival in Christchurch, Dunedin and performed live for the Halberg Awards. I also do stage
management and I like it cause you basically learn on the job.
I am a member of the Jolt Charitable Trust which meets every month. I would like to share
my ideas with other people who are interested in mixed ability dance. Jolt has changed my
life never in a million years did I think I was going to perform on stage in front of an
audience!! I want to continue as long as I can doing dance which I really enjoy!
I work at Linwood Intermediate School as a cleaner Monday to Friday for 3 hours a day. It’s
quite interesting cause I learn on the job and it gives me money to buy coffees!! I work with
friendly staff they are very supportive.
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So Michael, what does living in the community mean to you?
It means having support from friends and that I can go to Jolt classes when I want to.
To have support from friends, family and neighbours. You need a circle of friends you can
call upon and to be able to socialise.
What does it mean to be included in the community?
Being excepted as an individual to do the things I want to do... sort of thing.
Having independence to get up and go to work, it doesn’t matter if it is voluntary or paid.
It’s about being out there and doing something. Going for walks on the beach. Being safe.
Dancing and for me teaching on a Saturday morning to choreographer ideas that are simple
to learn.
To interact with both sexes, ages regardless of their sexuality. Acceptance and you feel
included. Checking on your neighbours, especially the elderly.
Why is this important to you?
It is my right to be there!
So you can have a group of friends, cause you are out there and have supportive staff (at my
job)
What does the word independence mean to you?
To get myself to appointments using public transport. Meeting friends for coffee, going to
the movies and to live in a comfortable living environment.
What do you need to make your own decisions?
Need to make arrangements with other people to let them know what you are doing and
where you are going.
Support from others.
Getting feedback from your friends to ask them to support you, give you ideas and advice.
What support do you need to help you make your own decisions?
If someone makes a decision for me I want to know why they have done that because I
don’t like it. Sometimes I need support from others.
Is making your own decisions important to you? (and why?)
So I can share ideas with other students. I like honest feedback from the parents.
Cause I want to make my own arrangements e.g. Transport and the buses.
I want to go where I want to go, not where other people want me to go.
Yes it is because I am an adult.
Tell me about going to school? What was it like for you?
I was mainstreamed for all of my schooling. It was both good and bad.
I didn’t have a choice I was put in one class and I tried to do the best I could in that class.
What was good about school? What did you enjoy?
I liked making new friends sometimes I keep in touch with these people. I would like this to
happen more often. I liked learning a variety of subjects and I enjoyed word processing.
What didn’t you like about school?
I had a lot of bullying mainly in the 3rd and 4th form. It made me not want to go to school. I
would tell the teachers and they would try and sort out a resolution between me and the
other person.
Would you like to learn new things or do courses?
I would like to do new things but the courses need to be accessible and simpler to reach.
Not pitched too high. Some of them are too expensive and hard to go on.
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