Human Rights Commission

Introduction

The Human Rights Commission champions fundamental human rights as a framework for a fair and just society for all the people of New Zealand. The Human Rights Act sets out the Commission's functions:

• advocate and promote respect for, and an understanding and appreciation of, human rights in New Zealand society;

• encourage the maintenance and development of harmonious relationships between individuals and among the diverse groups in New Zealand society.

The Commission can also resolve disputes relating to unlawful discrimination.

Theme 2 of the Commission’s 2006 Statement of Intent, entitled “Getting It Right For Disabled People” includes

• action 2.1 “Advocate implementation of the recommendations of the Commission’s Inquiry into the accessibility of public land transport”
• action 2.2 “Contribute to the Development of a United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People”
• action 2.3 “Foster leadership and self-advocacy by disabled people, by delivering education programmes with disabled people
• action 2.4 “Counter unlawful discrimination against those who experience mental illness”.

These actions are linked to the following objectives of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

• action 2.1 is linked to Objective 8 of the New Zealand Disability Strategy, “Support quality living in the community for disabled people”
• action 2.2 to Objective 2, “Ensure rights for disabled people”
• action 2.3 to Objective 5, “Foster leadership by disabled people”
• action 2.4 to Objective 1 “Encourage and educate for a non-disabling society” and to Objective 2 “Ensure rights for disabled people”

Level 1 Activities: Universal responsiveness to disability issues

 

Accessible government information		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Agency’s websites
	Meet e-government Web-Guidelines 2.1	Yes
	Tested for accessibility for disabled people	Yes
	Adapted to increase accessibility to disabled people	Yes
	Downloadable files available in HTML, not only PDF	Yes
Other publications and public information available in alternative formats. (eg key information available in easy-to-read English, Braille, NZSL video clips, captions on TV adverts, etc) (In your end of year report you will be asked to list the formats you have available)		Yes
Agency makes available alternative forms of contact (ie phone and fax numbers, email addresses, etc)		Yes

Accessible government buildings and sites		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
All agency’s buildings and sites meet statutory and regulatory access requirements (eg NZS 4121)		Yes
Agency’s buildings and sites have Building Code compliance certification		Yes
Agency’s buildings and sites audited for accessibility by Barrier Free NZ Trust				Yes
Agency’s buildings and sites accessible.
	Frontline staff receive training in disability responsiveness	Yes
	Reception areas accessible	Yes
	Counters lowered for wheelchair users	Yes
	Telephone staff familiar with using NZ Relay service1	Yes
	Other accommodations (please list) (eg signage, accessible lifts, hearing loops, etc)
	Accessible Lifts

Accessible government services	Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Service policies and procedures include reference to disability issues (eg policies on the use of New Zealand Sign Language Interpreters)	Yes
Information / data on services provided to disabled people is recorded	Yes
Service staff receive disability responsiveness training			Yes
When contracting for new or up-graded IT applications and environments, contracts include a requirement to ensure accessibility by disabled users	Yes

Responsive government employment practices		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Human Resource policies and procedures include EEO issues for disabled people			Yes
Recruitment and selection of vacancies responsive to disabled people (eg vacancies advertised to the widest possible audience, vacancies list alternative forms of contact – phone, fax, email, etc)		Yes
Human Resource staff familiar with EEO issues for disabled people (eg staff receive disability responsiveness training, staff familiar with the Disability Perspective Tool Kit2, etc)			Yes
Disabled staff are supported
	Individual assessments of workplace accommodations or support are provided (eg work station assessments)	Yes
	Accommodations provided to disabled staff (eg work station adaptations, special equipment, New Zealand Sign Language interpreters, etc are provided)	Yes
	Disabled staff provided with opportunities for career advancement	Yes
	Agency supports a disabled staff network group			Yes
	Internal agency newsletters promote the positive presence of disabled staff people	Yes
	Other support provided to disabled staff (please list) Working from home (available to all staff meeting criteria) Provision of technology	Yes

Information and data on disabled people is collected		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Information on agency’s responsiveness to disabled staff people
	Number of disabled people employed (we recommend you use the State Service Commission’s EEO disability information)	Yes
	Data on disability related accommodations, adaptive equipment, etc, provided by your agency	Yes
	Number of disabled people employed under the State Service Commission’s ‘Mainstream programme’3.			Yes
Information on agency’s responsiveness to the disabled public
	Information and data on agency’s contact with the disabled public is recorded (eg consultation with disabled groups)	Yes
	Information / data on agency’s disabled client group recorded	Yes

Level 2 Activities: Disability perspective included in ordinay work

 

Disability responsiveness training and resources	Planned this year	N/A
Disability responsiveness training offered to all staff (Where training is provided your end of year report should indicate who gave the training, when it was given, and how many staff and what kind of staff attended)
Promotion of the Disability Perspective Tool Kit4 within your agency (eg this website resource distributed to policy and strategic personnel, receiving training or advice on the use of this resource, etc) (Where known, your end of year report should indicate any training or advice received on the use of this resource, who gave the training and who attended)		Yes
Other (please indicate)

Disability perspective included in ordinary work		Planned this year	N/A
Key documents to incorporate a disability perspective (In your end of year report you will be asked to indicate key papers or examples of where a disability perspective was included in your agency’s ordinary work)
	Cabinet papers		Yes
	Policy and procedure papers	Yes
	Strategic documents (eg Statement of Intent, Managing for Outcomes and key strategies)	Yes
	Legislation		Yes
	Consultation with disabled people/groups	Yes
	Other (please indicate)

Implementing the NZ Disability Strategy beyond your agency	Planned this year	N/A
Agencies, Crown Entities, boards, reference groups, etc, that your agency is responsible for are encouraged to consider disabled people and disability issues (eg staff / membership supports the inclusion of disabled people, compliance with level 1 activities is encouraged, your agency’s purchase agreements require compliance with the Disability Strategy, and where appropriate requires the provision of any data/information on disability issues/disabled clients)		Yes
Other (please indicate) Human Rights Commission Transport Inquiry recommendations are being assessed by Ministry of Transport
Human Rights Action Plan priorities have implications for Crown agencies
EEO Commissioner functions have implications for Crown agencies