This section makes recommendations to improve the effectiveness of future implementation activities, and to extend implementation of the Disability Strategy further into wider agencies and society. It also offers considerations for disabled persons’ membership organisations and providers as partners in the implementation of the Disability Strategy.

The Disability Strategy outcomes framework is the structure around which the following implementation recommendations are drawn for the Office for Disability Issues, central government agencies and the expansion of implementation of the Disability Strategy beyond the government sector.

Focusing on outcomes for disabled people

The evidence available from this review offers some insight into achievements over the last six years.  The review found that central government agencies have been active in implementing the Disability Strategy, with most progress made in gaining an understanding of the issues facing disabled people and involving disabled people, some progress made in reducing barriers and less in maximising opportunities for disabled people. Thus, government capacity is building. Further, some fundamental regulatory changes have been made which, long-term, will remove barriers to participation in the areas of communication, accessibility and employment.

The perceptions of disabled people match, generally, this finding. To reiterate, disabled people perceive that across central government agencies, there is a greater understanding of disability issues, and attempts are being made to include them in decision-making. However, disabled people’s perception is that, despite wide implementation activity, little has changed for them in the life outcome areas of health and wellbeing, education, transport, housing and disability supports, and that the disparities between disabled people in general and disabled Māori, Pacific people, rural people or those with high and complex needs are increasing. These life outcome areas, and these groups of disabled people, require particular focus in the ongoing implementation of the Disability Strategy.

Recommendation 1: Implementation activities that are likely to have the greatest positive effect on the lives of disabled people should be prioritised. Given the broad focus of the Disability Strategy, the diversity of disabled people, and the number of agencies involved in its implementation, a prioritisation process is needed to ensure effective and efficient implementation.

Recommendation 2: Those disabled people who are the most disadvantaged – Māori, Pacific people, those living in rural areas, and those with high or complex needs should receive additional focus in future implementation planning and activity.

Office for Disability Issues

Ongoing targeted promotion of the Disability Strategy

In the last couple of years, the Office for Disability Issues has adopted a more focused approach to implementing the Disability Strategy. This is reflected in their identification of priority areas (health, education, employment and income, transport, building and housing), and in their use of a three tiered approach (accessibility, disability perspective, priority outcome areas) with central government agencies.

For complex priority areas, such as health and transport where responsibilities are dispersed across many agencies, multi-agency and multi-year solutions are essential to achieve improved outcomes for disabled people. A key benefit of using a matrix approach, connecting priority areas to key agencies, is the potential to foster a multi-agency response.

It is acknowledged that the development of inter-agency work has its inherent challenges. However, in pursuing improved long-term outcomes for disabled people the Office for Disability Issues needs to consider ways to promote and support inter-agency work, and actions beyond central government, which seek to remove barriers to participation and maximise opportunities in complex priority areas.

Recommendation 3: Continue to target those central government agencies with responsibility for priority areas, and encourage them to contribute to multi-agency multi-year plans and reports for each priority area.

Recommendation 4: Develop a similar tiered approach to local government, District Health Boards and other entities, and encourage these bodies to contribute alongside central government to multi-year plans for each of the priority areas.

These two recommendations raise a resource challenge for the Office for Disability Issues, as work also needs to continue on promoting accessibility throughout central government, and more widely, and ensuring the inclusion of a disability perspective within agencies. Effective tactics are needed to continue work on these areas. This may occur through the tailoring of the annual progress report and educational activities undertaken to enable completion. These are referred to below.

Enhancing education role

In general, central government agencies perceive the Office for Disability Issues’ role to be one of monitoring the planning and reporting of implementation activities, and as a source of advice relating to disability issues. Central government agencies are seeking more direction and education in implementing the Disability Strategy, especially those who have responsibility for key disability policy work. Central government agencies want education activities on disability responsiveness around their relevant priority area/s (e.g. housing). This offers the Office for Disability Issues the opportunity to invite the breadth of agencies with responsibilities or interest, (i.e. central government and wider), to participate in seminars and training relating to priority areas.

Recommendation 5: That the Office for Disability Issues provides other agencies with enhanced direction and education in implementing the Disability Strategy; for example, through provision of seminars and training relating to priority areas.

Clarifying partnership

Over the last six years, central government agencies, especially those responsible for key disability policy areas, are engaging more with disabled people. While this inclusion is noted by disabled people, the engagement is described by some participants as tokenistic and lacking meaning. Ongoing engagement at this level has potential in the long-term to damage relationships.

Recommendation 6: That the Office for Disability Issues, facilitate discussions between central government agencies, disabled people and disabled persons’ membership organisations to develop a common understanding of what is meant by partnership in decision-making.

Recommendation 7: That the Office for Disability Issues provides central government agencies with examples of successful partnerships with disabled people to determine how these can be replicated or refined for use by their agencies.

Continuing to support regulatory change

Regulatory changes offer long-term potential for sustainable improvements in the lives of disabled people, and enables greater opportunities for disabled people’s participation within society e.g. the repeal of the Disabled Persons Employment Promotion Act (1960), and the New Zealand Sign Language Act (2006).

Recommendation 8: That the Office for Disability Issues continues to support and aid appropriate changes within the regulatory environment which will enhance the life outcomes of disabled people.

Refining annual reporting

The monitoring and reporting role of the Office for Disability Issues is essential in determining progress towards the Disability Strategy’s vision.  Currently, a focus of criticism by central government agencies is that reporting requirements for the Disability Strategy are not aligned with their other annual planning cycles and, therefore, place a significant additional burden on the agencies.

The reporting timeframe for work plans of the Office for Disability Issues requires alignment with central government agencies’ annual planning in order for consideration of disability issues to be embedded in agencies’ usual planning processes.

Recommendation 9: That the Office for Disability Issues changes the timing for Disability Strategy implementation plans and reports from central government agencies to align with their annual work programme and Budget planning cycles.

Consideration also needs to be given to streamlining the collection of information. This needs to reflect the prioritised outcomes focus and a greater multi-agency approach, as well as the data and information requirements of the 10-year review. The Office for Disability Issues needs to review its work plan template to consistently capture existing standardised data to monitor, across time, changes in key life areas for disabled people. It needs to particularly focus on agencies, both within central government and wider, that collect data on key priority outcome areas for disabled people. Consequently, consultation needs to be conducted with central government agencies and wider agencies whose activities and business focus will have greatest effect on agreed priority life outcomes for disabled people.

Recommendation 10:  That the Office for Disability Issues reviews its work plan template to consistently capture existing standardised data to monitor, across time, changes in key life areas for disabled people.

Due to staff turnover within central government agencies work plan reporting is best supported through briefing and training seminars, as well as by show casing preferred reporting content and style.

Resourcing implications

Disabled people, disabled persons’ membership organisations and others participating in the review perceive that the Office for Disability Issues requires further resourcing to effectively support the implementation of the Disability Strategy going forward. This review indicates the need for the Office for Disability Issues to enhance its activities with, and to expand activities outside of, central government agencies.

Requesting a Commission

Many disabled people and disabled persons’ organisations requested the establishment of an independent Commission to provide leadership and accountability to the disability sector in the ongoing implementation of the Disability Strategy. There is insufficient evidence within the scope of this review to make this recommendation.

Central government agencies

Work undertaken by central government agencies over the last six years has laid the foundations for the ongoing implementation of the Disability Strategy on which further gains can be made. The following recommendations focus on ensuring progress towards full inclusivity through ongoing commitment from central government agencies.

Targeting of activities within priority outcomes

Central government agencies have focused on building universal responsiveness to disability issues - by gaining greater understanding of disability issues and involving disabled people - and commencing activities to reduce barriers. Ultimately, these have the potential to significantly improve lives. While building a universal responsiveness to disability issues is important for all agencies, for those with responsibilities in priority areas, greater targeting of activities is required for progress to be made towards a fully inclusive society. This targeting needs to happen in consultation with the Office for Disability Issues, disabled people and disabled persons’ membership organisations.

Recommendation 11: That agencies responsible for priority areas relating to health and wellbeing, disability support, employment and income, education, transport, building and housing, and for population groups that may be multiply disadvantaged, prioritise their implementation activities, in consultation with the Office for Disability Issues, other agencies, disabled people, and disabled persons’ membership organisations, to improve the life outcomes of disabled people.

Embedding a disability perspective across agencies

For all central government agencies, having organisational wide disability responsiveness is essential. Where this knowledge sits with only a few key people, or responsibility sits within one functional area of the organisation, this can be difficult. For example, in many agencies, the responsibility for implementing the Disability Strategy falls to their human resources function, and where this occurs broadening the focus of implementation activities beyond this area can prove to be difficult.

Recommendation 12: That central government agencies place responsibility for implementing the Disability Strategy within areas of their organisations where greater agency wide responsiveness may occur (e.g. corporate services). Ideally, this placement is supported by a disability reference group.

Recommendation 13: That central government agencies put in place procedures to ensure that staff turnover, and particularly the loss of key people with training and experience in disability issues, does not result in the loss of organisational disability responsiveness.

Enhancing partnership with disabled people

Central government agencies need to reflect on their current engagement with disabled people, and consider how they can develop stronger partnerships with disabled people. Central government agencies need to contribute in any process undertaken by the Office for Disability Issues to understand and move towards a mutually beneficial partnership with disabled people.

Recommendation 14: That central government agencies participate in training facilitated by the Office for Disability Issues to develop a common understanding of what is meant by partnership in decision-making (see also recommendation 5).

Developing capacity within the disability sector

In seeking meaningful partnership, central government agencies need to assist in the development of capacity within the disability sector. Central government agencies working in priority areas need to ensure that disabled people are supported and trained to contribute their knowledge and experience.

Further, central government agencies need to continue to identify and remove the barriers that are preventing career progression for disabled employees within the public sector.

Recommendation 15: That central government agencies responsible for priority areas build the capacity of disabled peoples, for example through funding and training, to ensure meaningful contribution as employees and as external experts on disability issues.

Changing societal attitudes

Across society, disabled people continue to perceive discrimination and a lack of understanding about disability issues. Disabled people are calling for a social marketing programme, similar to the Like Minds Like MIne campaign around mental illness, to change society’s attitudes and behaviours to other disabled people. Clear and specific objectives are required for such programmes to be effective and, therefore, it is important that scoping is undertaken, in partnership with disabled people, to define the purpose, objectives, cost and benefits of such a programme.

Expanding implementation of the Disability Strategy

The implementation of the Disability Strategy should be systematically expanded beyond central government. There is evidence from this review to indicate that some implementation activity is already happening, but it is not being centrally reported. The following recommendations are made to advance this expansion, facilitated by the Office for Disability Issues.

Targeted expansion within priority areas

For health, District Health Boards are key partners in implementing the Disability Strategy. The Ministry of Health is adapting accountability documents to encourage District Health Boards to indicate how they are implementing the Disability Strategy. This information along with discussions with disability advisory groups in District Health Boards will offer insights into the extent and diversity to which the Disability Strategy is being implemented. It will also identify the core areas for which activities need to be targeted going forward.

For building, housing and transport initiatives, the actions of local government, along with private providers, such as transport operators and private landlords have significant impact on outcomes for disabled people. For local government, the process for developing the Long-Term Council Community Plan presents an opportunity to ensure the inclusion of disabled people in determining the kinds of communities in which they wish to live. Other local government activities that provide levers through which to embed responsiveness to disabled people include the enforcement of accessibility requirements contained in the Building Act 2004, and through the National Accessibility Standards being developed for public transportation.

Within tertiary education, many institutions are currently providing high level supports to assist disabled students in participating in their courses. The consistency with which these support services are offered throughout the sector needs to be clarified. Identifying current levels of support will assist in targeting within this priority area.

For employment, more private sector businesses are employing disabled people in meaningful work. This partly reflects a tight labour market, in which unemployment is low and a skill shortage of workers exists. Implementation activities need to focus on cementing these positive gains.

Recommendation 16: That implementation of the Disability Strategy is expanded to agencies outside central government that can significantly contribute to outcomes relating to priority areas (e.g. health and wellbeing, disability support, employment and income, education, transport, building and housing, and diversity of needs).

Disabled persons’ membership organisations need to continue to support disabled people, advocate for change toward a fully inclusive society and work to uphold the rights of disabled people. In particular, they need to focus on supporting and advocating for change across agreed priority areas and on agencies identified as critical to the change process.

Recommendation 17: That disabled persons’ organisations participate in discussions with the Office for Disability Issues and central government agencies to define partnership processes for meaningful engagement with disabled people, initiating and participating in capacity building, and scoping the need for a social marketing campaign.

Within their contractual obligations to central government agencies, providers have responsibilities to offer high quality support services to disabled people. Providers offering disability support services are, therefore, important partners in seeking to achieve long-term outcomes within priority areas.

Recommendation 18: That disability service providers be informed and encouraged to assist in achieving targeted outcomes within the priority areas.