Michael Gourley, of Wellington
Michael Gourley, of Wellington, received the Queen's Service Medal for services to people with disabilities. Mr Gourley is a radio broadcaster who has worked to break down barriers for disabled people and bring their concerns to a wider audience. For more than 20 years, he has advocated for disabled people through positions at the former Department of Social Welfare, the Wellington College of Education, Sport and Recreation New Zealand, and most prominently, at Radio New Zealand. He was a key figure in the successful Like Minds Like Mine campaign on mental illness. In 2008 he completed five years as National President of the Disabled Persons Assembly, and he represented New Zealand on several occasions in the development and adoption of the text of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In 2001 Mr Gourley became the first New Zealand recipient of the prestigious Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.