Chapter 1: Portfolio of Minister for Disability Issues

This chapter outlines the brief history of the portfolio of Minister for Disabilities, and sets out the portfolio’s roles and responsibilities. It identifies the major achievements of the portfolio up until and including the release of the NZ Disability Strategy in April 2001, and the development of sound relationships between the Minister and the disability sector.

The Office for Disability Issues was established on 1 July 2002 to provide policy advice to the Minister for Disability Issues. The chapter outlines the office’s key functions and discusses its relationship with the disability sector.

Chapter 2: A profile of disability in New Zealand

While there are information gaps on disability in New Zealand, the Statistics New Zealand Disability Surveys of 1996/97 and 2001 are contributing to narrowing these gaps. The functional concept of disability used by the surveys, and based on the World Health Organisation definition of disability, is “any restriction or lack (resulting from impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being”.

The chapter provides an overview of demographic information about people with disabilities within New Zealand, based on the Disability Surveys, and concludes with a summary of trends in the take-up of income-tested benefits and other income assistance designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities.

Chapter 3: The NZ Disability Strategy

This chapter reports that the NZ Disability Strategy, released in April 2001 by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Disability Issues, was developed following wide consultation with the disability sector. The overall goal of the NZ Disability Strategy is to make New Zealand a society that is fully inclusive of people with disabilities, by the removal of barriers to their participation.

The development of a ministerial strategy was required by the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000. The Act also requires the Minister for Disability Issues to report annually on progress in implementing the NZ Disability Strategy, with full reviews of progress to be conducted after five and 10 years. The chapter discusses the development of the NZ Disability Strategy and the responsibilities of the Office as lead agency for its implementation.

Chapter 4: Key issues and responses to them

This chapter notes that the changes over time in provision for people with disabilities reflect changing philosophies of disability. The philosophy that currently prevails, the social model of disability, is characterised by a rights-based approach and an orientation to community-based provision. The rights-based approach includes the concept of capacity-building, recognising that people with disabilities are contributors to society as well as users of services, and have rights to develop and use skills to make an optimum contribution.

The chapter also identifies issues that we consider are likely to shape future work programmes: increasing rates of disability, the continued endorsement of the human rights-based approach to provision for people with disabilities, and increasing recognition of the diversity of needs of people with disabilities.

Chapter 5: The disability sector

This chapter notes that the disability sector comprises a diverse range of people and organisations, including people who identify as having a disability, families/whānau of people with disabilities, and support organisations, service agencies and provider groups, advocates and specialists. It describes key areas of difference between the various stakeholders in the sector but concludes that they do agree with and support the social model of disability.

Appendices

Appendix 1 outlines key deliverables for the Office for Disability Issues.

Appendix 2 provides brief descriptions of key national disability organisations.

Appendix 3 provides information on government agencies which have specific roles with regard to disability policy and services.

Appendix 4 is a summary of the history of policies and services in New Zealand for people with disabilities since the early nineteenth century.