Part One: Office for Disability Issues and government news.
This is the Office's email update of 25 November 2009.
01: Message from Hon Tariana Turia, Minister for Disability Issues
My personal connection with disability has been through my brother who was tetraplegic. I remember the experiences so vividly and wished that he could enjoy the pleasures of life, to be able to participate in the way he determined, and to feel that nothing was beyond him.
I was pleased to be asked to be the Minister for Disability Issues in June 2009 and it is great to have the support of Pansy Wong as the Associate Minister for Disability Issues.
A call from the disability sector has been for high level leadership across Government to ensure a coordinated and collective approach. I chair the Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues which I am charging with the responsibility of implementing the United Nations Convention; the Disability Strategy and the recommendations of the select committee inquiry on the quality of care and service provision for people with disabilities.
When we refer to leadership, it is just as essential that we look to disabled persons and their families for their advice as to the proper priorities for action. I have been meeting with a range of groups, families and individuals to understand the opportunities and challenges that are present.
The most important thing is that people with disabilities talk for themselves.
Working together; placing value on relationships and adopting a focus on sustainable, positive outcomes is the only way to go and it is about looking and seeing the possibilities that are already there for a society which values all people, and which encourages and enhances full participation in the richness of life.
I am passionate about the right of families to care for family members in their own homes, with flexible support that allow them to have greater choice and control of their lives. This is an area that I will be focussing on.
Mauriora!
Na Tariana Turia.
02: Hon Pansy Wong, Associate Minister for Disability Issues
You can view the message from Minister Wong in a video clip (with New Zealand Sign Language) below, or by going to YouTube. You can also read a transcript of the video clip below.
This is a transcript from Minister Wong's video clip.
Hello, my name is Pansy Wong. I am the Associate Minister for Disability Issues.
I am grateful to have Sara as my New Zealand Sign Language interpreter.
Like the Minister for Disability Issues, Hon Turia, I am passionate about making progress to better the lives of disabled people.
Since taking up the role, I am impressed by the many people that I’ve met who have shown determination, skill and a sense of humour.
I agree with your motto `nothing about us without us’.
The aim of the Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues is to ensure better co-ordination, leadership and responsiveness to the issues facing disable people. We want to make progress, in terms of development, in the following three themes:
- modern disability support – meaning flexibility and responsiveness to individual needs
- accessible New Zealand cities, towns and government services
- contributing citizens – ensuring that disabled people, throughout their lives, are contributing.
I am looking forward to engaging with all of you to make progress along those lines. Thank you.
03: Minister Turia on leave
Minister Turia, the Minister for Disability Issues, is on leave from 23 November 2009 until 5 January 2010. Hon Pansy Wong, the Associate Minister for Disability Issues, is the acting Minister.
04: Disability and Travel and Transport in New Zealand research
A report on Disability and travel and transport in New Zealand, based on data from the 2006 disability survey, was released on 27 October 2009. The report was commissioned by the Office for Disability Issues. It is now on Statistics New Zealand's website.
This report examines the travel patterns and transport needs of disabled people living in New Zealand households. It describes the types of public and private transport used for long and short-distance travel. It also describes the types of improvements to private cars and public transport services needed to make travelling easier.
This report presents results from the 2006 New Zealand Household Disability Survey, the most recent national survey of disabled children and adults. It is one of six reports, designed to make the results form the Survey more accessible.
05: Disability and Informal Care research
The Office for Disability Issues also commissioned a piece of research about disability and informal care, which is now on Statistics New Zealand's website.
The report identifies the kinds of people most likely to provide informal care to disabled people living in households, the types of help and support they provide, and how often they provide it.
It also profiles the everyday household living situations of disabled people, showing for example how many are living by themselves and how many are living in one or two-parent families.
Informal care is help or support provided by a family member, friend, or neighbour to a disabled, sick, or frail person. Informal carers are typically unpaid, although in some cases may be paid.
This report presents results from the 2006 New Zealand Household Disability Survey, the most recent national survey of disabled children and adults. It is one of six reports, designed to make the results form the Survey more accessible.
06: Disability Survey is planned for 2011
In 2008 Statistics New Zealand consulted with key stakeholders to determine what statistical information should be collected regarding disabled people. The Office for Disability Issues contributes on an ongoing basis in order to get information on key indicators of progress for the New Zealand Disability Strategy.
A post-census survey on disability is considered to be the best option for meeting priority information needs of disabled people.
It is proposed that the post-censal 2011 Disability Survey be designed to address the following research questions:
1. What is the prevalence of disability in New Zealand, and how does it vary across key sub-groups in the population, defined on the basis of age-group, sex, ethnic group?
2. To what extent do the social and economic outcomes of disabled people differ from those of non-disabled people? How do outcomes vary between different groups within the disabled population?
3. To what extent are the needs of disabled people currently met? What level and type of support do they need to perform daily activities?
4. What factors facilitate or hinder the participation of disabled people in important life areas (learning opportunities, paid work, civic society)?
5. Who are the main carers of disabled people and what types of support do they provide?
As the survey topic specifications and questions are developed over the next year, it is intended that key stakeholders will be further consulted. The Statistics New Zealand web-site will be used to update progress.
Any queries about the 2011 Disability Survey can be emailed to:
disability@stats.govt.nz.
07: Minister announces improved facilities for blind students
Associate Minister of Education, Heather Roy, announced in September 2009 that the Government has approved $14.9 million to rebuild the Blind and Low Vision Education Network New Zealand (BLENNZ) Homai Campus in Auckland.
08: Children's spectacle subsidy brochure in NZSL
The Health and Disability National Services Directorate, within the Ministry for Health, has recently produced a brochure on Children's Spectacle Subsidy in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). This brochure was developed for the Ministry by Janet Digby as part of a See Here project (within the JR Mackenzie Trust). The Ministry is hoping to produce further material in NZSL.
09: First meeting of Pacific disability ministers
The first ever meeting of Ministers responsible for disability issues from Pacific Island countries met from 21 to 23 October 2009, in Rarotonga.
New Zealand was represented by Hon Tariana Turia, Jan Scown (Director, Office for Disability Issues), and Pati Umaga (Chair, Wellington Pasefika Disability Network).
The meeting focused on a Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability, which is intended to guide action by countries to improve the lives of disabled people in the Pacific. It follows the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which some Pacific countries have ratified.
There was a strong emphasis of partnerships between disabled people's organisations and governments throughout the meeting.
New Zealand's development assistance recognises this approach. The Government is committed to regional efforts that partner with disabled persons organisations and include disabled people in decisions that affect them.
New Zealand works closely with Australia and the Pacific Disability Forum (a disabled people's organisation) to strengthen the capacity of disabled people's organisations across the Pacific. Since 2007, $1.2 million has been committed so far to support the Pacific Disability Forum.
Also, New Zealand's Aid and Development Agency, NZAID, is supporting the Pacific Disabled Persons Organisation Fund which provides grants to disabled persons organisations to help with support and training. Minister Turia announced that the first round of the Fund will be in November 2009, and will be managed by the Pacific Disability Forum.