Part One: Office for Disability Issues and government news.

01: Message from Hon Tariana Turia, Minister for Disability Issues

This year is shaping up as an action-filled year for the disability issues portfolio. Many different initiatives are starting up, underway, or due to be implemented.

It's great to see these changes happening after a long time of review and consideration.

Our challenge is to make sure all this action has coherence and is consistent with the New Zealand Disability Strategy and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues is providing this leadership and co-ordination across government. The new Chief Executives' Group on Disability Issues will drive the development of better integration of action on disability issues at an agency level.  So far under the direction of the Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues, government agencies are focusing on more immediate, practical actions in their New Zealand Disability Strategy implementation.

We are also reviewing the work on the recommendations from the Government Response to the Social Services Select Committee's Inquiry into the Provision of Services and Quality of Care for Persons with Disabilities.

Some key actions happening across government include the Review of Special Education, developing more flexible and individually responsive disability supports, the video relay service trial; and ensuring support is available for disabled people who want to work. The review of the New Zealand Sign Language Act will happen later this year.

I am also considering how New Zealand can best support implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Currently we are developing our first report on implementation to the UN. The report is being led by the Office for Disability Issues. There will be public engagement on the report, due to happen around June-July 2010. More information will be available closer to the time.

The contribution of disabled people's organisations is necessary to ensure all this work has real meaning.  Ultimately, the true value will be measured by disabled persons themselves - letting us know whether the work being undertaken is making a difference to their capacity to enjoy a good, ordinary life on an equal basis with others.

Mauriora!

Na

Tariana

02: How to help donors claim their tax credit

Inland Revenue has instructions on what is needed on a receipt to make it valid so people can receive tax credits from their donations. Anyone who makes a donation of $5 or more to an approved "donee" organisation can claim a tax credit.

An organisation can help their donors by ensuring they are issuing valid receipts.

03: Payroll Giving information series

The Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector and Inland Revenue will be participating in the Charities Commissions regional forums to provide information and to answer questions organisations have about payroll giving. The regional forums take place from April through to July 2010.

Payroll Giving is one way an organisation can receive regular donations. It has benefits for the organisation and the giver, who receive a third back as a tax credit in their pay.

For further information:

Email:         info@charities.govt.nz

04: Local Area Coordination

The Ministry of Health has recently released the report on The Review of Local Area Coordination-type Processes, which was provided previously to the Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues.

05: Equipment and Modification Services (EMS)

The Government has recently allocated an extra $7m this year and $20m over the next two years for EMS to address the growing costs and waiting times for these services. There have also been some changes to eligibility criteria for some services and changes to funding limits.

06: Individualised Funding (IF)

Individualised funding is a way of paying for disability support services.  It is currently only available for Home and Community Support Services.  Ministry of Health are expanding the number of providers that can offer IF and should have these providers in place by May 2010. 

07: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The Ministry of Health has a programme of work implementing a number of recommendations from the NZ ASD Guideline. 

They have called for expressions of interest from District Health Boards for the creation of coordination services across the country. This service is to be focused on the referral and assessment processes for children and young people with behaviour difficulties that may be due to ASD. Application forms and a draft service specification are available.

08: The National Screening Unit (NSU)

The National Screening Unit is responsible for antenatal and newborn screening. The Ministry of Health is encouraging women to access primary maternity care early in their pregnancy.

Newborn Hearing Screening is offered to all families with babies born in New Zealand.  Identifying hearing loss early means that language, learning and social development are not delayed.

Newborn Metabolic Screening (heel-prick test) is available free to all eligible babies born in New Zealand and is done 48 hours after birth.  The baby's blood is tested for rare life-threatening metabolic disorders.  Early treatment of these disorders can prevent potentially serious complications, which can cause permanent damage to the baby or even death.

Antenatal screening is offered to women ideally at the time of the first antenatal blood test.  Recently quality improvements have been introduced to antenatal screening.  Women can now access screening in either the first or second trimester of pregnancy. It is each woman's personal choice to participate in screening or not.

09: Arts for All: Opening doors for disabled people

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage through its funding of Creative New Zealand has supported the publication by Arts Access Aotearoa - "Arts for All: Opening doors for disabled people.

It is a practical guide aimed at providing practical ways to increase access to the arts, market events to the disabled community and build audiences.

For further information:

Contact: Laura Armstrong, Community Development Manager, Arts Access Aotearoa, Whakahauhau Katoa O Hanga

Phone: 04 802 4349

Fax: 04 802 4357

Email: community@artsaccess.org.nz