There are specific population groups of disabled people whose experiences differ because of things such as ethnicity, age and gender.  These can create additional barriers to inclusion. 

Objective 11: Promote Participation of Disabled Māori

The Strategy acknowledges that the Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand's founding document and that the Government is committed to fulfilling its obligations as a Treaty partner.  Central to the Treaty relationship and the implementation of Treaty principles is a common understanding that Māori will have a key role in developing and implementing disability strategies for Māori, and that the Crown and Māori will relate to each other in good faith with mutual respect, co-operation and trust.

Actions

11.1 Build the capacity of disabled Māori through the equitable allocation of resources within the context of Māori development frameworks

Te Puni Kokiri has representation on an interagency group working with the Office for Disability Issues within the Ministry of Social Development on the review of payment to and support of family caregivers of disabled people.  Te Puni Kokiri advice has included:

• ensuring there is a sufficient collection of information, specifically data on Māori ethnicity
• a request to put forward Māori representatives for consultation
• contacting Te Puni Kokiri's Regions and Operations General Manager to request whether its regional offices can assist with consultation
• the nomination of appropriate Māori facilitators to assist with the consultation.

Te Puni Kokiri has also contributed to work led by the Office for Disability Issues to develop a draft framework for coherent services and support on an equitable basis for all disabled people, based on a whole-of-government and life-cycle approach, and consistent with the principles of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.  Te Puni Kokiri's advice on this work focused on the following areas:

• difficulties for rural Māori accessing services
• consultation with Māori
• gathering consistent data on disability populations, in particular disabled Māori.

11.2 Establish more disability support services designed and provided by Māori for Māori

The Ministry of Health reported on the Māori Provider Development Scheme (MPDS), which provides resources on an annual basis to increase the participation of Māori in the health and disability sectors.  In 2002-03 an amount was allocated to two Māori disability providers to assist in infrastructure development, workforce development and service integration.  It is planned this will continue in future years.  An attempt to develop criteria focused on assisting disabled Māori under this scheme was not successful, but the Māori Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health plans to continue the work in future years.

11.3 Ensure mainstream providers of disability services are accessible to and culturally appropriate for disabled Māori and their whānau

The Ministry of Health reported on a three-year joint venture project between the Ministry of Health, the Health Research Council and ACC.  This project aims to provide information about the use and experience of Māori when accessing health and disability services.

During 2002-03 the Ministry established a steering group, including two disabled Māori representatives, to provide advice on all aspects of this research project.  In April 2003, a preferred researcher was selected to undertake the research, and planning will begin for the interviews and surveys.  The steering group met the researchers and is confident the needs of health and disability consumers will be reflected in the design, implementation, reporting and dissemination of the research.

11.4 Train more Māori disability service provider professionals and increase the advisory capacity of Māori; and

11.5 Ensure that government-funded or -sponsored marae-based initiatives meet the access requirements of disabled people (and encourage all other marae-based initiatives to also meet those requirements); and

11.6 Support training and development of trilingual interpreters for Deaf people

The Ministry of Education made available six scholarships for the training of trilingual interpreters fluent in Māori, English and New Zealand Sign Language.

11.7 Ensure Te Puni Kokiri undertakes a leadership role in promoting the participation of disabled Māori

Te Puni Kokiri reports have included, where appropriate, a specific disability perspective in its lead policy, to ensure that the Minister of Māori Affairs receives policy advice that includes the perspective of disabled Māori. In particular Te Puni Kokiri places emphasis on those agencies funded specifically to provide services to disabled Māori.

Objective 12: Promote Participation of Disabled Pacific Peoples

Actions

12.1 Increase access to, and quality of, both Pacific and mainstream service providers that deliver disability services to disabled Pacific peoples, their families and communities

No specific activity to implement this action was reported by government agencies for the 2002-03 year.

12.2 Support disability workforce development and training for Pacific peoples, by training Pacific peoples as providers of disability information and services for their local communities

In June 2003, Cabinet signed off on the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs' State Sector Wide Pacific Workforce Development Strategy.  This Strategy, which was supported by the Department of Labour, the Ministries of Economic Development, Education, Health and Women's Affairs, the State Services Commission, the Tertiary Education Commission and the Treasury, looks to support and align all of the Government's individual Pacific workforce development strategies. 

The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs is working with the Ministry of Health in ensuring that Pacific disability workforce issues are not neglected within this work.  In February 2003, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs was approached by the Pacific Health Branch of the Ministry of Health to assist in the formation of a Ministry of Health Pacific Health Workforce Development Strategy (PHWDS).  Since this time, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has met regularly with Ministry of Health officials to discuss the formation of the PHWDS.  The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has also ensured that the Ministry of Health is a member of the inter-sectoral group looking at the State Sector Wide Pacific Workforce Development Strategy, to assure alignment between the two strategies.

12.3 Encourage Pacific communities to consider disability issues and perspectives and further their own understanding of disability through the development of community-based plans for disability issues

The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs continues to work with government agencies on the implementation and monitoring of agreed milestones within the eight regional 'Pacific Capacity Building Programme of Action' reports.  In particular, the Ministry has worked closely with the Pacific Health Branch of the Ministry of Health and District Health Boards on the implementation and monitoring of disability and health milestones.

The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs completed its third and fourth rounds of consultation in June 2002 and December 2002 respectively. In addition, the Ministry met with the Ministry of Health in November 2002, specifically to discuss the implementation of disability and health milestones.  The Ministry is currently undertaking the fifth round of reporting on health and disability milestones.

In February 2003, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs met with the Pacific Health Branch of the Ministry of Health in discussion about the planned evaluation of the first year of the Pacific Health and Disability Action Plan.  The Ministry is currently working closely with the Pacific Health Branch around the processes for this evaluation.

In August 2002, the National Pacific Radio Network, named 'Niu FM', was launched.  The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs had worked extensively for 10 months towards its formation.  The Radio Network has developed its ethnic-specific programming, and there are continuing opportunity and scope for disability programming to be incorporated.

12.4 Support training and development of trilingual interpreters for Deaf people

No specific activity to implement these actions was reported by government agencies for the 2002-03 year.

12.5 Ensure the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs undertakes a leadership role in promoting the participation of disabled Pacific peoples

The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs continues to assist and support Community Reference Groups, although it is unable to work directly with the Groups. Disabled Pacific peoples continue to be represented on Community Reference Groups, with two members serving through to June 2003.

The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs is continuing to add Pacific peoples and organisations to appropriate databases that are operating in other government departments, as well as maintaining its own contact list.  These databases identify appropriate Pacific disability service providers and organisations, as well as individuals who have indicated that they hold a particular interest in disability issues.  This collaboration with other agencies has been of mutual benefit.  For example, by working closely with the Office for Disability Issues the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs was able to add an additional 12 Deaf Pacific individuals to its own contacts list.

These contact lists can assist, where disabled Pacific peoples agree, in improving Pacific representation on health and disability boards and groups, as well as being used as a communication database to improve the dissemination of information to the Pacific disability community.

Objective 13: Enable Disabled Children and Youth to Lead Full and Active Lives

The Ministries of Education, Health, Youth Affairs and Social Development and the Department of Child Youth and Family Services are the key government departments for the implementation of this objective.

Actions

13.1 Ensure all agencies that support children, youth and families work collaboratively to ensure that their services are accessible, appropriate and welcoming to disabled children, youth and their families

There have been a number of separate pieces of work in 2002-03 to implement this action and its objective. 

The Department of Child Youth and Family Services, in conjunction with the Ministries of Health, Education and Social Development, is working to focus on addressing service gaps and shortfalls for children with high and complex needs, which includes some disabled children and youth.  This work, known as the High and Complex Needs Strategy, aims to enhance service collaboration for children and young people receiving services from two or more of these agencies.  It was established in 2000, and developed a service view with three tiers or systems:

• individualised packages of services for children and young people with the highest and most complex unmet needs
• local/regional inter-sectoral service development initiatives to meet specific needs
• inter-sectoral case collaboration.

Between May 2002 and June 2003, the outcomes of these three service streams have been:

• 66 children and youth were funded for individualised packages of care, 41% of whom were identified as disabled. The fund for these individualised packages was also reviewed, and recommendations made and implemented, in the 2002-03 period
• as at June 2003, seven local/regional inter-sectoral service development proposals were being considered
• inter-sectoral collaboration has largely focused on the Strengthening Families initiative, which sees meetings between families and all of the agencies involved in their care.

A second phase of the review of the High and Complex Needs Strategy looked at how the whole Strategy fits with local/regional service development and local collaboration.  This phase of the review has made recommendations which will be considered in the 2003-04 year, and actioned as appropriate.

The Department of Child Youth and Family Services has reported that it was not always possible to get a timely response to situations of service need, when there was a disagreement between the Ministry of Health and the Department of Child Youth and Family Services about where services and their costs sit in regards to disability versus care and protection issues.  A provisional memorandum of understanding was developed in the 2002-03 year to resolve this issue.  This will be reviewed and revised in the 2003-04 year.

13.2 Ensure that the Youth Development Strategy recognises the needs of disabled children and youth

As part of the action for child and youth development work programme the Ministry of Youth Affairs, in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Development, provided a progress report to the Ministers of Youth Affairs and Social Services and Employment in June 2002.  This report identified further work required to increase the participation of disabled children, adolescents and young adults in all decision-making processes that affect them.  This work is progressing.

13.3 Conduct anti-discrimination and education campaigns that are age-appropriate and effective; and

13.4 Establish a process for including advice from disabled people on disability issues for children and youth within relevant government agencies and Commissioners' offices

No specific activity to implement these actions was reported by government agencies for the 2002-03 year.

13.5 Provide access for disabled children, youth and their families to child-, youth- and family-focused support, education, health care services, rehabilitation services, recreation opportunities and training

In order to support and promote the access of disabled young people to pre-employment training and opportunities, the Ministry of Youth Affairs conducted a survey of the 60 providers of the conservation and youth service corps programmes.  It found that while young disabled people were able to access programmes, providers needed further training to upskill them on disability awareness and inclusiveness.  This training will be done in 2003-04.  The survey also identified that a specific programme for young Deaf people can be operationalised in Auckland.  This will also occur in 2003-04.  

The Department of Child Youth and Family Services recognised that disabled children and young people in the Department's residential care facilities had mobility needs that were not being met.  A baseline review was expected to determine the size of this need and identify a funding stream by June 2003.  This baseline report is now expected in late 2003. 

In May 2003 the Ministry of Youth Affairs developed a statement for all providers to use in their publications and media aimed at increasing access to services by young disabled people.

13.6 Improve support for disabled children and youth during transition between early childhood education, primary school, secondary school, tertiary education and employment; and

13.7 Introduce ways of involving disabled children and youth in decision-making and giving them greater control over their lives; and

13.8 Develop a range of accommodation options so that disabled young people can live independently; and.

13.9 Provide and evaluate educational initiatives about sexuality, safety and relationships for disabled children and youth

No specific activity to implement these actions was reported by government agencies for the 2002-03 year.

13.10   Ensure the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Ministry of Social Policy undertake a leadership role in promoting the participation of disabled children and youth

In order to increase the understanding of children's and young people's rights and the application of a rights framework to policy and practice, the Ministry of Youth Affairs has been using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to raise awareness of issues.  As part of this work it has been working with government agencies to help them develop service solutions and improve the performance of existing services. 

Objective 14: Promote Participation of Disabled Women in Order to Improve their Quality of Life

The focus of the six actions under this objective is to reduce inequalities for women by providing women with better social, economic, relationship, employment, access to services and education choices.

The Ministries of Women's Affairs and Health have both reported on this objective. Work on this objective was minimal in the 2002-03 year.  The Office for Disability Issues will be working together with staff from the Ministry of Women's Affairs to jointly encourage departments to include work in their implementation plans that will increase and enhance the participation of women, particularly in the areas of work and economic development.  It is envisaged that next year more specific work will occur in implementing this objective, as a result of the alliance between the Ministry of Women's Affairs and the Office for Disability Issues. 

Actions

14.1 Promote women's rights and provide opportunities for disabled women to achieve the same level of economic wellbeing and educational attainment as men; and

14.2 Provide equitable, appropriate and welcoming access to services; and

14.3 Support disabled women to live independent and secure lives in the environment and with the people of their choosing

No specific activity to implement these actions was reported by government agencies for the 2002-03 year.

14.4 Ensure that criteria and considerations for the health- and reproduction-related treatment of disabled women are the same as for non-disabled women

All BreastScreen Aotearoa providers that provide screening and assessment services to BreastScreen Aotearoa were required to undertake a review of all services and facilities to ensure the programme was both appropriate and accessible for disabled women.  The services and facilities were reviewed and the information collated as part of an ongoing quality monitoring and audit process.  The results showed that disabled women are not able to use appropriate breast screen services within their regions.  The National Policy and Quality Standards were revised to contain references to ensure both facilities and processes are in place to optimise access for disabled women.  In 2003-04 ongoing audits will be undertaken to monitor the effectiveness and appropriateness of these revisions.  This information has also provided the basis for a review and upgrade of five of the existing screening programme's mobile units, and changes in the design of the two new mobile units being built.

14.5 Include the perspectives of disabled women in the development of all strategies

No specific activity to implement this action was reported by government agencies for the 2002-03 year.

14.6 Ensure the Ministry of Women's Affairs undertakes a leadership role in promoting the participation of disabled women, to improve their quality of life

The Ministry of Women's Affairs consulted with disabled women on the discussion paper entitled 'Towards an Action Plan for Women'.  Some points raised in the consultation were included in the proposed Women's Action Plan.  This is being submitted to the Government for consideration in November 2003.

The Ministry of Women's Affairs nominations database has been upgraded to allow the records of women who identify themselves as disabled to be retrieved easily when searching for appropriate nominations.  This ensures disabled women can be identified and invited to put their names forward for positions for which they are qualified.

Objective 15: Value Families, Whānau and People Providing Ongoing Support

Work in this area is beginning to make a difference for people providing care and support to disabled family members.  In the second report on progress, the Ministry of Health was the only agency contributing to the implementation of this objective –this year the Department of Labour and the Ministry of Social Development have both also been active in implementing objective 15.

Actions

15.1 Ensure needs assessment processes are holistic and take account of the needs of families/whānau as well as the disabled person

The work reported under objective 7 'create long-term support systems centred on the individual' is implementing this action as part of the needs assessment pilots.

15.2 Improve the support and choices for those who support disabled people; and

15.3 Provide education and information for families with disabled family members

In September 1998, Cabinet approved funding for carers' training programmes to be managed by the Ministry of Health.  One million dollars per year was allocated.  Pilot programmes were set up in 1999 and evaluated in 2001.  As a result of the evaluation funding was refocused.

In October 2001, the Ministry of Health established a Carers' Interest Group to oversee and develop initiatives to support carer organisations and carer training programmes.  A range of new support services for family and whānau carers has been developed.  These include Family and Whānau Carer Training Programmes, the Alternative Funding Proposal initiative, and a carers' website (discussed under objective 15.8).  In 2002-03 the Family and Whānau Carer Training Programmes were operating in all Disability Services Directorate localities.  The purpose of the Programme is to provide support for the family/whānau carers of children and adults with disabilities.  This Programme enables carers to ensure that care is provided more easily, safely and effectively, benefiting carers themselves and their disabled family members.  The Alternative Funding Proposal initiative was fully operational by January 2003. The initiative funds projects that will develop networks and reduce isolation, disseminate information in a manner that carers can receive and understand, and increase the skill levels of carers. 

The Early Bird Parenting programme to support and train parents of children and young people with ASD, continued to operate and further develop in 2002-03.  This is jointly funded by the Ministries of Health and Education.

15.4 Ensure that, where appropriate, the family, whānau and those who support disabled people are given an opportunity to have input into decisions affecting their disabled family member

This action has been considered by the government inter-sectoral working group looking to develop new approaches to needs assessment and service co-ordination (objective 7).  It is expected that next year's report will include the outcomes of this working group.

15.5 Develop a resource kit for professionals on when and how to interact with families/whānau of disabled people

No specific activity to implement this action was reported by government agencies for the 2002-03 year.

15.6 Work actively to ensure that families, whānau and those who support disabled people can be involved in policy and service development and delivery, and in monitoring and evaluation processes where appropriate

The Ministry of Social Development's Office for Disability Issues contracted the Standards and Monitoring Service to adapt an American programme called 'Partners in Policy Making' to the New Zealand situation.  This programme is specifically aimed at developing the skills and leadership required of families becoming involved in policy, service development and delivery and monitoring and evaluation.  It will be delivered in the 2003-04 year.

15.7 Encourage debate around responsibility for caring, payment for caring and how to further recognise and value the caring role

Work was undertaken in 2001-02 by the Ministry of Social Development on high-level policy issues and questions relating to the payment of caregivers of disabled people.  In 2002-03 the Office for Disability Issues was asked to build on this earlier work, and a proposed work programme was developed and approved by Cabinet in June 2003.  This work is due for completion by the end of 2004.

15.8 Provide families and those who support disabled people with information that is accurate, accessible and easily found

In 2002 the Carers NZ Information Network established a website that hosts on-line information that enables carers to access information throughout New Zealand, and acts as a support for the development of carer support activities and services.  The website can be reached at www.carers.net.nz.  The Carers NZ Information Network continues to operate and further develop linkages between various carer groups.