Tarryn
“Disabled people want to live a life like everyone else and be treated like everyone else, I don’t think everyone understands that.”
Tarryn.
Our support workers deliver services that are tailored to your individual wants and needs. With Amanda and Shelly in her corner, Tarryn reconnected with her community and passions – from getting around independently to performing and hosting radio shows. We hope you enjoy reading the singer’s story.
Tarryn has an incredible voice and finished in the top eight of popular television show Homai Te Pakipaki in 2012. Tarryn loves singing any genre but feels a particular affinity with the rock and roll style and music from the ‘50s and ‘60s.
“Singing brings me joy. It allows you to be in the moment – that’s the beauty of music,” she explains.
Tarryn is blind and was referred to CCS Disability Action after she felt she needed a change, having been with another provider for many years. She wanted some practical support and to rebuild her confidence and community connections. “I was going through a bit of a rough patch, in terms of my wellbeing. I felt like I needed to get back out there again,” explains Tarryn.
“Tarryn is such a lovely person and is so talented. Her voice is amazing. It’s been such a pleasure to get to know her,” says service coordinator Amanda Hatcher. “When I met Tarryn, other than her mum and auntie – who she lives with – she had become quite socially isolated. Our role was, firstly, to understand what was important to her, then to work with her to build some of the skills needed for her to access her community independently and reconnect with the things she enjoys,” explains Amanda.
Amanda.
Part of this involved employing two support workers, Shelly and Marie – each of whom bring different interests, ideas, and energy to their working relationship.
One of the things that was important to Tarryn was to learn to catch the bus so she could visit her dad in a nearby rest home. Amanda connected with the local bus company to smooth the way for a successful journey.
“Because we don’t have any technological features in our bus stops or service to make them accessible for blind users, Tarryn can’t easily tell if a bus is the correct one. To get around this, we contacted bus company CityLink and asked if they would be open to letting their drivers know when to expect Tarryn at a bus stop. They were more than happy to do that, so that was one barrier removed,” says Amanda.
Shelly.
For the first trip, Shelly supported Tarryn in contacting CityLink to let them know her travel plans. She went along with Tarryn for the first few journeys until she felt comfortable handling the bus on her own. The precious time Tarryn was able to spend with her dad was made even more significant when he passed away.
“Mum and I used to visit dad together three or four times a week. It was nice for me to be able to catch the bus to have extra time with him by myself too,” she says.
Tarryn was also keen to meet some other like-minded people and to stretch herself, by performing in public – having previously been very busy performing at local rest homes, for example.
“Tarryn has so much to give, so it’s simply been a matter of creating opportunities for her to get to know people and give her a chance to shine,” explains Amanda.
Shelly shares Tarryn’s passion for music and found a country music club that meets fortnightly in Waitara for a sing-along. Tarryn was keen to head along and find out if it was a good fit for her.
Both Shelly and Tarryn went to the first session, and Tarryn – proving unafraid to sing in front of strangers off the cuff – got up and sang a song. It must have gone down a treat, because afterwards the club president invited Tarryn to sing at the 2024 Taranaki Music Festival.
“The country music club is really good fun and it’s nice to be around other music-lovers. I’m looking forward to the festival – I think it’ll be awesome,” says Tarryn.
Tarryn in the studio.
Tarryn also enjoys co-hosting a show on local access radio called Me And My Mates. The show focuses on the lived experiences of disabled people and her hopes are to shift attitudes towards disabled people.
“We started the show as we wanted to give disabled people a voice and hopefully educate non-disabled people. Disabled people want to live a life like everyone else and be treated like everyone else, I don’t think everyone understands that. We interview guest speakers or just have a chat with friends about the experiences they face. I love it. It’s a lot of fun!” explains Tarryn.
Overall, the move to CCS Disability Action has been a positive one, with plenty for Tarryn to look forward to and achieve. “My support workers are amazing. The relationship with CCS Disability Action works really well,” she says.