Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs

Introduction

The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs is a policy Ministry within the machinery of government. We exist to promote the development of Pacific people in New Zealand by providing high quality policy and communications advice to government and other government agencies on key policies and issues that impact on Pacific people.

The New Zealand Disability Strategy (NZDS) gives the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs a leadership role in promoting the participation of disabled Pacific peoples through Action 12.5 under Objective 12. This role is manifested in our overarching role as a policy Ministry.

The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs is not a government agency that leads key social policy responsibilities that have a significant impact on the lives of disabled people. Our existence is more in terms of an advice role about programmes and policies that contribute to improving the quality of life of Pacific people and their families and communities. The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs Statement of Intent covering the 2006-2009 year reinforces this commitment to an advisory role focused on improving outcomes for Pacific people. Our SOI reflects the main government themes and it is in these areas where we can add value to public policy work to improve the outcomes for Pacific peoples in New Zealand. This specialist advice supports government agencies with key social responsibilities in areas that may have a significant impact on the quality of life of disabled people.   The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs continues to work closely with the Ministry of Health in an advisory and communication capacity in order to ensure that the objectives around the promotion of participation of disabled Pacific peoples is achieved in line with the key strategic social framework of the NZDS.

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	No	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)		Newsletter Radio prog Video/Dvd	DVD
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 OSH – DOL for disabled access and services but not by Barrier Free NZ
Agency’s buildings and sites accessible.
	Frontline staff receive training in disability responsiveness	No	Yes
	Reception areas accessible	Yes
	Counters lowered for wheelchair users	No	Yes
	Telephone staff familiar with using NZ Relay service1	No	Yes
	Other accommodations (please list) (eg signage, accessible lifts, hearing loops, etc)	Lifts Signage Showers Toilets Wheelchair Access – Doors and Hallways

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			N/A
Service staff receive disability responsiveness training	No	Yes
When contracting for new or up-graded IT applications and environments, contracts include a requirement to ensure accessibility by disabled users	No	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)		No	Yes
Disabled staff are supported
	Individual assessments of workplace accommodations or support are provided (eg work station assessments)	If requested
	Accommodations provided to disabled staff (eg work station adaptations, special equipment, New Zealand Sign Language interpreters, etc are provided)	If requested
	Disabled staff provided with opportunities for career advancement	If requested
	Agency supports a disabled staff network group			N/A
	Internal agency newsletters promote the positive presence of disabled staff people			N/A
	Other support provided to disabled staff (please list)	Equipment OSH Board – Disabilities Information included

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 and definition of disability.)	1 person
	Data on disability related accommodations, adaptive equipment, etc, provided by your agency	Nil
	Number of disabled people employed under the State Service Commission’s ‘Mainstream programme’3.	Nil
	Number of current employees previously employed under the ‘Mainstream Programme’.	Nil
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)	Nil
	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	Not all staff
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)	Yes
Other (please indicate)

Disability perspective included in ordinary work		Planned this year	N/A
Key documents to incorporate a disability perspective
	Cabinet papers (MPIA comments)	Yes
	Policy and procedure papers	Yes
	Strategic documents (eg Statement of Intent, Managing for Outcomes and key strategies)	Some strategies
	Legislation	No
	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)
Other (please indicate) – Nb: As a second opinion role agency we do provide advice and communication on the NZDS and implications for Pacific peoples health and disability issues and services.

Level 3 Activities: key Disability focused work your agency is leading

Please note: As mentioned in the introduction, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs does not lead work in this area but below is indicative of some of the policy and communication advice that we do deliver in the area of disability focused work.

1. Advice to the MOH commissioned evaluation by the Donald Beasley Institute

that carried out research around Intersectoral Disability Needs Assessment and Service Coordination that was reported back on in June 2006

Description

This involved active liaison, advice and communication by our National and Regional Offices in particular around identifying Pacific stakeholders and liaison with Trial managers, evaluators and Coordinators. At the introductory stage of a number of the trials, it was evident that a cultural component training session was required to build up foundational knowledge about specific Pacific peoples’ health and disability issues.

Desired Outcome

Address the knowledge gap and lack of awareness around Pacific health and disability issues and assist in establishing more formal linkages with Pacific providers and communities.

Outcome measures and timeframes

The Ministry will work closely with MOH in an advisory role to assist them in achieving the outcomes they implement for Pacific peoples and their needs in terms of coordination of services following the release of this report.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 12 of the NZDS

2. Pacific Health and Disability Action Plan Review - May 2006

Description

The Pacific Health Branch of MoH leads this review of the Pacific Health and Disability Action Plan (2002) which will involve the development of a policy paper to assess ongoing priority areas for Pacific disabilities using the latest evidence available. This review focuses on the priority area; “Participation of Pacific people with disabilities”.

Desired Outcome

To continue to provide effective policy advice and communication to the Pacific Health Branch as part of their external engagement process to ensure the desired outcome of a policy paper that assesses and informs the ongoing priority areas for Pacific disabilities.

Outcome measures and timeframes

The Ministry will continue to engage in external consultation when our input is requested so as to assist Pacific Health Branch to meet their identified outcomes and in particular the development of a policy paper to assess and inform the ongoing identified priority areas in the Pacific Health and Disability Action Plan (2002).

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 12 of the NZDS

3. Pacific Health and Disability Workforce Development Plan 2004

Description

This plan focuses specifically on the Pacific Health and disability workforce development as part of the government’s strategy to improve health outcomes for Pacific people.

This Plan progresses key priority areas on workforce development from the Pacific Health and Disability Action Plan 2002.

Desired Outcome

Working closely alongside the Pacific Health Branch of the MOH that has a key role in undertaking some activities in the plan and co-coordinating the monitoring of, and reporting on, other agencies’ and directorates’ progress towards meeting the goals.

The development of a Pacific workforce in this area by improving access will result in improved health outcomes.

Effective and specialist advice in respect to the four goals identified as contributing to a competent and qualified health and disability workforce that will meet Pacific peoples’ needs. These are in terms of capacity and capability, promotion of models of care and cultural competence and advancing of opportunities as well as improving information availability.

Outcome measures and timeframes

The Ministry will work closely with the Pacific Health Branch to help them meet their identified outcomes and to ensure that the implementation of this Plan meets the expectations and goals and priorities that this Plan specifically focuses on.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 12 of the NZDS

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1. For information on NZ Relay service
2. The Disability Perspective Tool Kit is available on the Office for Disability Issues’ website
3. Information on the State Service Commission’s Mainstream Programme
4. The Disability Perspective Tool Kit is available on the Office for Disability Issues’ website