The development of the NZ Disability Strategy has involved valued input from a wide range of individuals, groups and organisations. The advice and assistance from the following contributors is particularly acknowledged:

• NZ Disability Strategy sector reference group,
• Disabled Persons Assembly (New Zealand) Inc, especially those local representatives who hosted consultation meetings,
• workshop, hui, fono and focus group participants and everyone who made a submission on the NZ Disability Strategy discussion document.
• the Auckland Disability Providers Network,
• organisations that helped with accessible versions of the NZ Disability Strategy discussion document, especially the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind and IHC,
• New Zealand Sign Language interpreters who provided their services at consultation meetings.

Acknowledging the special relationship between Māori and the Crown under the Treaty of Waitangi

The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand's founding document and the Government is committed to fulfilling its obligations as a Treaty partner. This special relationship is ongoing and is based on the underlying premise that Māori should continue to live in Aotearoa as Māori.

Central to the Treaty relationship and implementation of Treaty principles is a common understanding that Māori will have an important role in developing and implementing disability strategies for Māori and that the Crown and Māori will relate to each other in good faith with mutual respect, co-operation and trust.

Māori should be able to define and provide for their own priorities for participation and be encouraged to develop the capacity for delivery of services to their communities. This needs to be balanced by the Crown's duty to govern on behalf of the total population.

To date, the relationship between Māori and the Crown in the disability sector has been based on three key principles:

• participation at all levels,
• partnership in service delivery,
• protection and improvement of Māori wellbeing.