The New Zealand Disability Strategy

Government's objectives

Fifteen Objectives have been developed for the NZ Disability Strategy.

Objective 1: Encourage and educate for a non-disabling society

  • Encourage the emergence of a non-disabling society that respects and highly values the lives of disabled people and supports inclusive communities.

Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people

  • Uphold and promote the rights of disabled people.

Objective 3: Provide the best education for disabled people

  • Improve education so that all children, youth and adult learners will have equal opportunities to learn and develop in their local, regular educational centres.

Objective 4: Provide opportunities in employment and economic development for disabled people

  • Enable disabled people to work in the open labour market (in accordance with human rights principles) and maintain an adequate income.

Objective 5: Foster leadership by disabled people

  • Acknowledge the experience of disability as a form of specialised knowledge and strengthen the leadership of disabled people.

Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service

  • Ensure that government agencies, publicly funded services and publicly accountable bodies (such as territorial authorities) are aware of and responsive to disabled people.

Objective 7: Create long-term support systems centred on the individual

  • Create a quality assessment and service delivery system that is centred on disabled people, ensures their participation in assessment and service delivery, has invisible borders and is easy to access.

Objective 8: Support quality living in the community for disabled people

  • Provide opportunities for disabled people to have their own homes and lives in the community.

Objective 9: Support lifestyle choices, recreation and culture for disabled people

  • Create and support lifestyle choices for disabled people within the community and promote access to recreation and cultural opportunities.

Objective 10: Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues

  • Improve the quality of relevant disability information collected, analysed and used, including regular national surveys of activity limitation.

Objective 11: Promote participation of disabled Māori

  • Promote opportunities for disabled Māori to participate in their communities and access disability services. Disabled Māori should receive an equitable level of resource that is delivered in a culturally appropriate way.

Objective 12: Promote participation of disabled Pacific peoples

  • Promote opportunities for disabled Pacific peoples to participate in their communities and access disability services. Disabled Pacific peoples should receive an equitable level of resource that is delivered in a culturally appropriate way.

Objective 13: Enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives

  • Disabled children and youth should enjoy full and active lives, in conditions that prepare them for adulthood and which:
    • ensure their dignity
    • affirm their right to a good future and to participate in education, relationships, leisure, work and political processes
    • recognise their emerging identities as individuals and reinforce their sense of self
    • promote self-reliance
    • recognise their important links with family, friends and school
    • facilitate their active participation in the community.

Objective 14: Promote participation of disabled women in order to improve their quality of life

  • Improve opportunities for disabled women to participate in their communities, access appropriate disability services, and improve their quality of life.

Objective 15: Value families, whānau and people providing ongoing support

  • Acknowledge and support the roles, responsibilities and issues facing family, whānau and those who support disabled people.

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