New Year Honours: Jade Farrar builds unified vision for life without barriers

Pacific disability advocate and community leader Jade Carlo Farrar says building a collective is key to creating meaningful change in policy and society.

His comments follow his recognition in the 2026 New Year Honours list. The Chair of the National Leadership Group for Enabling Good Lives (EGL) and Director of Epic Studios, has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his long service to people with disabilities and the Pacific community.

The annual honours recognise individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities and the country, with 177 recipients named this year. Farrar is one of only eight recipients of Pacific descent being recognised in the 2026 list. He says the honour was unexpected and is still sinking in.

“Funny story about how I found out: I was actually in the midst of taking Santa photos with my daughter. So nominees do get a little bit of notice and there's a process to go through. So yeah, really mixed emotions.I was excited in the midst of photos. It was a busy time at the time,” Farrar says.

Farrar also serves on the boards of Spectrum Care, Community Living Trust, and Enable New Zealand, bringing extensive governance experience to the disability sector. He is a member of the Faiva Ora leadership group and previously acted as a strategic disability advisor for Te Pou, the national workforce development agency.

Having begun his advocacy at fifteen, Farrar established PHAB Pasifika to create a specific space for Pacific disabled youth. He says the group’s members now influence policy and meet with ministers.

“They regularly meet with senior officials and sometimes ministers. In the arts space through the Nesian programme, they're even winning awards for the contribution they're making to Pacific dance.

“So I could not be more thrilled for what PHAB Pasifika has become today. Nothing existed before PHAB Pasifika, and I want to acknowledge the team at PHAB for all the work they did, it wasn't just me to get that group established.”

As the Chair of the National Leadership Group for Enabling Good Lives (EGL) since 2019, Farrar has guided strategic changes for more than 4,500 disabled people. He says that achieving success at high-level government tables starts with "forming a collective and a unified vision for what good looks like."

“I know that Pacific people are really good at being unified and having clear visions for success. So for me, the journey to the high level government tables actually starts with building stronger communities.”

Through his company, Epic Studios, Farrar also focuses on digital accessibility. He advises Pacific organisations and churches to involve disabled people and their families before starting any digital project.

“Before you touch a single line of code or you start building your app, involve disabled people and their families in the conversation about what you're trying to do. Leverage the skills and insights that exist within the disability community by doing this. Ultimately, your product, whether that be a website or an app, will be cheaper and possibly more effective.”

Listen to Jade Farrar’s full interview below.

Heading into 2026, Farrar shares gratitude to every person and moment that has contributed to his journey. He also encourages others to take up the mantle of leadership, saying, “If I can do it, you can too”.

“I want to thank everybody that's contributed to my journey through leadership, anybody that's mentored me, anybody that's had a conversation with me. Maybe you've even challenged some of my ideas. I want to thank everybody that could have possibly contributed to where I am today. I want to thank you very much.”

For more details about the other Pacific recipients, click here.