Understanding the New Zealand Disability Strategy
This section provides a context for thinking about disability and outlines the principles and vision of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.
Intentions and vision
The New Zealand Disability Strategy sets out the Government’s direction for policy and services relating to disabled people.
It provides a tool to guide government departments and agencies in considering disabled people before making decisions. This tool can be used to inform and evaluate decisions that government agencies make and the work they do - directly or indirectly - for disabled people.
The New Zealand Disability Strategy’s vision embraces a ‘fully inclusive society, where New Zealand is a nation that highly values the lives of disabled people and continually enhances their participation’.
It covers the range of barriers experienced by disabled people - public attitudes, human rights, employment and educational opportunities - and support services.
The Strategy also emphasises
- disability is not something individuals have
- disability relates to the interaction between the person with the impairment and their environment. It has a lot to do with discrimination, and with other attitudes and behaviours such as racism and sexism, that are not acceptable in our society
- people and groups of people should not be judged by one particular aspect of their lives - race, gender, age or impairment. Individual beliefs and assumptions, and institutional practice, mean that many disabled people cannot access things many non-disabled people take for granted.
Government departments plan and report annually on their implementation of the Strategy. This is co-ordinated by the Office for Disability Issues. The work plans are published online.
Each year, the Minister for Disability Issues presents to the House of Representatives a progress report on implementing the Strategy.
More information
Principles
Consider the following principles from the New Zealand Disability Strategy. They will help you apply a disability perspective in your policy or service area.
Meaningful partnership - the New Zealand Disability Strategy promotes the development of strong relationships between the disability community and government. Maintaining these partnerships is central to all policies and services for disabled people.
Self determination - disabled people are the leading voice on issues related to the experience of disability. This will ensure disabled people are integrated into community life on their own terms, by ensuring the priorities, goals and aspirations of disabled people are reflected in policies and services for disabled people.
Socially inclusive society - our communities move from a place of exclusion, mere tolerance or accommodation of disabled people to a place that is fully inclusive and in which members are mutually supportive.
Respecting and valuing the dignity of disabled people - the diverse abilities of disabled people are valued, not questioned.
Interdependence is recognised and valued - the important relationships between disabled people and their families, friends and other people who provide support are understood and considered.
Equity for, and diversity of, disabled people is recognised - Public Service systems have flexibility to support different aspirations and needs. They ensure equity of access to support services regardless of gender, age, cultural background, type of impairment and how the impairment was acquired.
Honouring government obligations - government agencies have a responsibility to ensure their policies are effective for disabled people. This means considering all policy developments from the point of view of:
- maximising opportunities for disabled people
- assessing and removing barriers to participation and independence for disabled people
- ensuring interagency co-ordination and collaboration
- ensuring human rights are protected.