About Angela
Research and Development Advisor, Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA) NZ
Angela Desmarais a disabled researcher with a passion for language. Before joining Disabled Persons Assembly NZ (DPA), Angela worked in the Education sector for 20 years across Italy, Spain, and New Zealand and has Bachelor and Master degrees in Linguistics, within the fields of Sociolinguistics and Critical Discourse Studies. Angela has since carried out research with the disabled community on a range of topics such as assistive technology, transport, healthcare, and employment.
Angela joined DPA in early 2020 and worked on Mahi Tika – Equity in Employment, a disabled-led employment programme DPA has been piloting in Waikato that empowers disabled people on their employment journey towards the work or training of their choice.
Earlier this year, Angela moved into a Research and Development Advisory role at DPA, focusing on equity in employment at a national level. This includes the continued development of Mahi Tika – Equity in Employment, as well as research on the (un)employment experiences of disabled people. Angela travels around the country meeting with employers to discuss inclusive workplaces and gain insights into their experiences of employing disabled people.
Angela is one of the 95% of DPA staff who identify as disabled.