Katharine (Kate) Milford receives a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, recognising her leadership improving the lives of people with aphasia in Aotearoa New Zealand, through her work with Aphasia New Zealand (AphasiaNZ) Charitable Trust. Aphasia is a longterm language impairment which can lead people to withdraw from their communities, despite having much still to contribute.

For almost 20 years, Kate has been a leading advocate for people with aphasia, championing initiatives that support people to live full, connected lives in their communities. She has played a key role in improving education and awareness about aphasia among health professionals and the wider public.

Originally a Speech Language Therapist in the United Kingdom, Kate moved to New Zealand in 2000. Working in South and Central Auckland she became more aware of the long-term impact of aphasia and need for tailored on-going services.

Following the first aphasia conference, organised by clinicians and academics in Auckland, Kate raised her hand (she says “with trepidation”) and with others initiated the establishment of an Incorporated Society, with the specific objective of delivering biennial aphasia conferences in New Zealand. Widely consulting with people directly impacted by aphasia and others, Kate realised that more could be done.

“It became much more apparent that while the conferences were valued, we were only supporting a small number of people with aphasia and we needed to do things differently” says Kate.

Kate then led the development of a new community-based model of support, establishing specialist aphasia advisors around the country to provide home visits, education, awarenessraising and communication groups. This innovative approach is unique internationally, and has extended support to many more people with aphasia and their whānau, ensuring help is available closer to home and over the longer term.

Through her role as Board Secretary, Kate led the transition of AphasiaNZ from Incorporated Society to Charitable Trust, and continues to serve as Trustee.

The Trustees of AphasiaNZ state “Kate has consistently applied her energy, drive and commitment in the unwavering pursuit of bettering the lives of all those affected by aphasia, their families and whānau, and in allowing them to play a full and active role within their local communities and beyond. It is no exaggeration to state that without her, our organisation would not exist.”

Through her work, people with aphasia are building confidence, learning strategies to communicate, and reconnecting with the activities and relationships that matter most to them.

Responding to the honour, Kate says: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award, and thankful for the opportunity to raise awareness of aphasia. I am privileged to work alongside people with aphasia and their whānau and am consistently impressed by their resilience and bravery.”

About Aphasia

• Aphasia is a language disorder usually associated with stroke, but can also occur with brain injury, brain tumour or other neurological diseases.
• Aphasia affects a person's use of language - finding words and holding conversations, understanding spoken language, reading and/or writing. Words and numbers may both be impacted.
• Aphasia is a disorder of communication – not cognition/intellect.
• With roughly 1/3 of stroke survivors experiencing aphasia, we estimate 29,000 people (more than Parkinson’s Disease) are living with aphasia in Aotearoa/New Zealand– and this is just stroke-related.
• If we think about our brains having an organised library of words that we can easily access; with aphasia the library has been shaken up, the books have fallen off the shelves and become mixed up; you know the word/book is there, you just cannot find it.
• Aphasia may lead to social isolation (even within families), difficulties with relationships, difficulty finding work, and depression (present in 60% of people with aphasia post-stroke).
• Aphasia New Zealand (AphasiaNZ) is a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting people living with aphasia throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. It provides information, community-based programmes, and advocacy to help people with aphasia stay connected, communicate with confidence, and participate fully in life after stroke or brain injury. AphasiaNZ works alongside health professionals, community partners and funders to raise awareness of aphasia and improve access to long-term support nationwide. For more information see aphasia.org.nz.
• For more information and/or support for aphasia, individuals should seek out a local Speech Language Therapist via their GP, and/or go to https://www.aphasia.org.nz/

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