Congratulations to Jade Farrar – New Year Honour

Congratulations to Cerebral Palsy Society member Jade Farrar!

As part of the New Year Honours announced on January 1, 2026, Jade was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for his services to people with disabilities and the Pacific community.

Such wonderful, and well deserved, recognition!

Jade Farrar
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to people with disabilities and the Pacific community

Citation:

Mr Jade Farrar has been a prominent leader and advocate in New Zealand’s disability sector since the early 2010s.

Mr Farrar draws on his personal experience, beginning his advocacy at age 15 with PHAB, an organisation empowering disabled youth. He established PHAB Pasifika and served on its Council and Management Committee.

He was also an active member of I Lead, a network for young disabled people, and later the Faiva Ora leadership group, facilitated by Le va.

He served as Strategic Disability Advisor at Te Pou, the national disability workforce development agency.

He became a founding member of the National Leadership Group for Enabling Good Lives (EGL) in 2012, developing its regional groups to provide opportunities for disabled people to become leaders and advocates. As Chair since 2021, he serves as a primary link between community leadership, officials and ministers, guiding strategic change that has assisted more than 4,500 disabled people and their families.

He has significant governance experience, serving on the Boards of Spectrum Care, Community Living Trust, Enable New Zealand, Yes Disability Action, and the Disabled Person’s Assembly’s National Executive Committee.

Through his business, Epic Studios, Mr Farrar has worked with numerous organisations to ensure the accessibility of their communications and digital media.