Promote opportunities for Māori experiencing disability to participate in their communities and access disability services.

Key step:

• Build the capacity of Māori experiencing disability through the equitable allocation of resources within the context of Māori development frameworks such as the Whare Tapa Wha model and He Anga Whakamana.

"After several years of heart problems, Dad was becoming really forgetful. He started to disappear off for walks without telling anyone, and he couldn’t find his way back home again. We were really worried about him getting hurt.

Everyone in the whānau was either going to school or work so there was no one who could keep an eye on him. The doctor told us that Dad was going to get worse and that maybe we should put him into a rest home. We went to see some but when we got there Dad became upset. The people there were nice but it was nothing like home - it didn’t have the same feel. There also didn’t seem to be any other Māori living or working there.

My husband and I agreed that I should give up work. It’s hard to make ends meet but we just couldn’t do without him. He has given so much to this whānau."

Keri

A widely accepted way of thinking about wellbeing is the Whare Tapa Wha. This concept is based on the four walls of a house, where each wall is necessary for strength and balance, and they are all necessary for wellbeing.

• taha wairua - the spiritual side
• taha hinengaro - thoughts and feelings
• taha tinana - the physical side
• taha whānau - the family.

Questions

21. What prevents Māori experiencing disability from participating in their communities and accessing disability services?

22. How can the Government help remove these barriers?