Perceptions differ about the effectiveness of the Disability Strategy’s implementation over the last six years. It is evident that central government agencies have undertaken significant and numerous activities related to implementing the Disability Strategy, particularly in the area of creating a greater understanding of disability issues. However, disabled people, disabled persons’ membership organisations and providers are disappointed with the level of progress.

These differing perspectives on progress to date are, in part, due to differences in how the Disability Strategy is perceived. Disabled people and disabled persons’ membership organisations consider the Disability Strategy to be a contract between themselves and government to remove the barriers they face to living fully participatory lives. A few disabled people comment that the Disability Strategy is the disabled person’s equivalent to the Treaty of Waitangi.

Many disabled people, disabled persons’ membership organisations and providers expected that by 2007 implementation activities would have resulted in greater progress in New Zealand becoming an enabling society.

“People thought the Strategy would unlock the bank vault, that suddenly government agencies would get it. It’s clear that there are real barriers to children, young people and their families who are still having to jump through hoops to get a level of funding that is critical to their being able to participate in society.” (Disability service provider)

In contrast, central government agencies are more inclined to view the Disability Strategy as the government’s commitment to creating incremental year-by-year change alongside other priorities, work streams, and budgets.

“People hold it up and say ‘that the Government said that you must do this or you must do that’ and you have to say ‘well actually, what the Government said was that this is what they want to attend to’.”(Central government)

Central government agencies perceive that incremental change is occurring. This reflects that agencies are, in the main, focusing on delivering key Disability Strategy outputs, with less focus on delivering to intended outcomes.