SOAR Securing Our Aspirational Realities is a programme aimed to better understand and grow awareness and knowledge around working alongside whānau with disabilities.
Driven by lived experience, compassion, and a belief in equity, SOAR is all about creating awareness, access, and advocacy helping both whānau and employers better understand what inclusion really means, and how small shifts in attitude can lead to life-changing opportunities.
At the heart of the programme is Jack Lovett-Hurst, a passionate advocate and communicator who believes that everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and supported, no matter what disability they may have.
About SOAR
The SOAR programme was developed by Ngā Kete Mātauranga Pounamu. Through presentations, community events, radio broadcasting, access and advocacy work, and regular hui, SOAR supports both individuals and organisations to think differently and to move away from barriers and towards opportunity.
Workplace presentations give employers a chance to hear directly from people with lived experience about what inclusion means in practice. “Sometimes it’s as simple as being willing to listen,” says Jack.
Community events and hui offer safe, welcoming spaces for people with disabilities and their whānau to connect, share stories, and support one another. These gatherings are both social and educational, with guest speakers, advocacy discussions, and opportunities to influence how services and systems work.
SOAR is also about amplifying voices, through projects like the SOAR with Jack radio show, Facebook discussions, and advocacy documents such as the SOAR Employer Booklet, which was created collectively by members of the SOAR whānau group.
Meet Jack: A Voice for Change
Jack Lovett-Hurst, 28, has been leading the SOAR programme for several years. Born with Autosomal Dominant Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Lower Extremity-Predominant Type 2, Jack has spent most of his life in a wheelchair and undergone more than 35 operations.
But Jack’s story isn’t one of limitation, it’s one of determination. His journey is a powerful reminder that while disability can shape a person’s life, it doesn’t define their potential.
“I’ve always believed that my disability doesn’t hold me back,” says Jack. “It just means I do things differently.”
That belief has carried him across the world, literally! In 2017, Jack competed in the New York Marathon, completing the race in five hours and 51 minutes. “That was one of the proudest moments of my life,” he says. “Crossing that finish line reminded me that I could achieve anything I set my mind to.”
Today, Jack channels that same determination into his mahi with SOAR. Each week, he hosts SOAR with Jack on Radio Southland 96.4FM, a show that highlights local disability services, shares stories from the community, and raises awareness about the diverse realities of living with disability.
“I want people to see ability, not disability,” he says. “There are so many talented, capable people out there who just need a fair go.”
Through his radio show, community hui, and social media outreach, Jack has built a platform that invites open kōrero and helps dismantle stigma.
The SOAR whānau have also taken their advocacy further by developing resources for employers including a booklet that shares real perspectives and recommendations from people living with disabilities.Among the key messages:
• Give those with a disability a go.
• Listen and engage with us.
• Be accepting, open-minded, and kind.
• Understand our disability, but treat us like anyone else.
• Deliver clear information and support flexible, accessible application processes.
• Know your staff, and build workplace policies that reflect inclusion and respect.
“It’s about belonging. Everyone wants to feel like they have a purpose and a place.”
The Vision: A Community That Lifts Together
The name SOAR, Securing Our Aspirational Realities, captures the heart of the kaupapa. It’s about empowerment, connection, and flight. It’s about helping people to believe that they, too, can rise.
Jack dreams of a future where disability inclusion is simply part of the norm, where people are judged not by their challenges, but by their character, skills, and potential.
“Everyone wants to feel like they belong,” he says. “Through SOAR, we’re helping that happen.”
For Jack, the journey is personal, but it’s also collective. “We all have the ability to make the world a little fairer, a little kinder, and a lot more inclusive,” he says. “That’s what SOAR is really about, giving people the wings to take flight.”
