Olivia Shivas, reporter and podcast creator, has been announced as the winner of the prestigious Attitude ACC Supreme Award at the 2021 Attitude Awards. Now in their 14th year, the 2021 awards will be celebrated with a one-hour special airing on TVNZ1 on December 18th. The annual event recognises the achievements and successes of Kiwis in the disability sector.

Olivia is a reporter and homepage editor for Stuff, and in August launched a podcast on the website with friend, co-host, and former Attitude-recipient Rebecca Dubber. The podcast was initiated by Olivia and aims to share snippets of life and the questions they get as disabled Kiwis, with the aim of educating non-disabled New Zealanders on issues that are common in their community. Together, Olivia and Rebecca covered religion, dating, self-image, travel, and the representation of disability in mainstream media. Olivia initiated the podcast, from pitching the idea to senior staff, to leading the pre-production, producing, recording, interviewing, editing, post-production and distribution.

Olivia’s role at Stuff has also seen her become a consultant for their new Wellington office, to ensure an inclusive space for people with disabilities. Olivia gave recommendations on how to make the physical space more accessible based on her personal experience as a wheelchair user, with her suggestions adopted by other Stuff offices around Aotearoa. By her colleagues she’s described as a natural and approachable leader, and has helped train new staff upon their start at the company. A video from a training session with existing newsroom staff on how to accurately report on disability is kept as an education tool on the Stuff intranet.

Olivia is a regular volunteer for disability charities around the country. In 2016, she was voted onto the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s National Council as the Rangatahi Youth Representative for two years, where she reported on behalf of young Kiwis living with the disability. She became the youngest board member for StarJam, a not-for-profit organization providing free musical workshops for young people with disabilities. Before her appointment to the board, Olivia was an attendee of StarJam workshops for more than eight years. She’s also a volunteer with Radio Lollipop, which gives young patients at Starship a voice and provides a distraction during their hospital stay.

Olivia’s Supreme Award win was presented to her by Olympic gold medalist and Americas Cup sailor Blair Tuke. On her win, Olivia said: “I’m so honoured to have won the Attitude Supreme Award and Attitude Enterprise Award for our work on the podcast, but this isn’t about me. This is about all disabled people, acknowledging how far we’ve come for visibility and knowing there’s more work to be done for our equality. We set out to tell authentic stories about disabled people to reshape the way we are portrayed in the mainstream media. The way others see us and how we see ourselves and our potential impacts our real lives and what people expect from us, so here’s to telling more authentic stories and fighting ableism.

Congratulations to the other Attitude Awards finalists and winners. Seeing the calibre of talent, drive and passion in the disability community makes me so excited for the next generation of disabled people. Huge thanks to Attitude Pictures, NZ On Air, all my wonderful colleagues at Stuff, Grace and Rebecca and my family and friends who encourage and support me.”

As a previous Attitude employee, Olivia understands the mission behind the organisation and the values that Attitude look for when selecting finalists in the awards. Olivia is passionate about empowering groups that are often overlooked or marginalised, and has used her lived experience as a disabled woman to pave the way for others. Her determination to make Aotearoa a more inclusive society, coupled with her incredible personal achievements, contribute to why Attitude are delighted to name her the Supreme Winner for 2021, as well as the winner of the Enterprise Award.

On Olivia’s win, Attitude CEO Dan Buckingham: “24 amazing finalists came to the fore this year, showcasing a range of people who are either excelling in their own right, or doing phenomenal work to advance the lives others. Our panel of judges have deep knowledge and understanding of the disability sector; that they chose Olivia from such a strong field of people speaks to her work and what she is achieving. We only wish we could be celebrating her with our usual black-tie event! Fortunately, with the backing of NZ On Air and our extremely supportive family of sponsors, we have been able to put together a fantastic TV special to honour Olivia, and the 2021 finalists who are doing great things in the disability community.”

ACC is proud to be the principal sponsor of the Attitude Awards for the 14th consecutive year.

ACC Chief Executive Megan Main said: “My heartfelt congratulations to all nominees and winners at this year’s Attitude Awards, and particularly to Supreme Award winner Olivia Shivas. We commend her for helping expand the public consciousness of what it means to live with a disability and helping remove bias in our society to open up more possibilities for people with disabilities.

“Many of us gain meaning in our lives from our work, and I want to congratulate the team at the Wanganui Enterprises Trust, winner of the ACC Attitude Employer Award. The Trust is a shining example of the contribution that employers can make in improving New Zealanders’ lives every day. You have shown there are huge benefits to be gained from investing in and employing people with disabilities. Our congratulations to the Attitude Awards team for the great work you do to celebrate our disabled community. This event creates a stronger and more inclusive New Zealand.”

Olivia’s award closed an outstanding hour-long special where 25 individuals and organisations were recognised for their work in the disability sector. Hosted by TV news anchor Simon Dallow, audiences were treated a performance put together by choreographer Amelia Mcgregor, featuring Anushka Singh, a Deaf student from Ko Taku Reo, and dancers Ysabel and Martina Mercado, set to music played by the New Zealand Army Band.