Research about disabled people in New Zealand

Post Census Disability Surveys

The best source of data about disabled people in New Zealand is from the Disability Surveys conducted by Statistics New Zealand. Statistics are available from the 1996, 2001 and 2006 Disability Surveys. These surveys collected statistics on the prevalence, nature, duration and cause of disability.

Statistics were collected for children (0 to 14 years) and adults living in households, and for adults living in residential facilities. For disabled people living in households, further information was collected on services and assistance received or needed, special equipment used or needed, and barriers encountered in everyday life in the areas of employment (for adults 15 years and over), education, transport and accommodation. For disabled people living in residential facilities, information was collected on assistance received and use of equipment.

Disability stocktake

Published in February 2007, the Disability Stocktake arose out of a need to gain a better understanding of administrative data on disability. This stocktake will help to identify gaps in available data. It will also assist the Office for Disability Issues to monitor the implementation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy, and is consistent with objective 10 of the Disability Strategy, which is to “collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues”.

In addition, the Disability Stocktake is an initial step towards investigating the potential statistical uses of administrative data on disability and will also assist the redevelopment of the 2011 Disability Survey.

Accessibility of government websites

The Office for Disability Issues has commissioned two research projects measuring the accessibility by disabled people to government websites. This research was conducted in 2005 and repeated in 2006.

Housing

In May 2007, "Housing and Disability: Future Proofing New Zealand's Housing Stock for an Inclusive Society" was published. This is a joint project commissioned by the Centre for Housing Research Aotearoa New Zealand and the Office for Disability Issues.

This research aims to assist the housing and disability sectors to effectively optimise housing access for the growing numbers of people who will be managing severe or moderate disability over the next twenty-five years. It was conducted by Kay Saville-Smith and Ruth Fraser - Centre for Research Evaluation and Social Assessment (CRESA), Dr Bev James - Public Policy & Research, Bernadette Ryan and Sarah Travaglia - Auckland Disability Resource Centre.

Search other research by CHRANZ

Experience of mental illness

Occasional paper number 5: Physical Health of Service Users...Who Cares? (Mental Health Commission, April 2004)

International research suggests service users die at 2.5 to 4.3 times the rate of the general population, even when suicide has been factored out. This paper examines selected literature and attempts to answer the following questions: In what areas do service users have worse mortality (death) and morbidity (disease) rates than the general population? Why are service users more physically unwell and dying younger than the general population? What are possible solutions to these problems?

Fighting Shadows: Self-stigma and Mental Illness, Whawhai Atu te Whakama- Hihira (Mental Health Foundation, 2008)

This study explored the issue of self-stigma (often called internalised stigma) from the perspective of people with experience of mental illness. It investigated the causes and effects of self-stigma and discussed means of combating it amongst people with experience of mental illness.

I Haven't Told Them, They Haven't Asked: The Employment Experiences of People with Experience of Mental Illness (Mental Health Foundation, 2007)

This report presents the findings of research undertaken with 22 people with experience of mental illness, and asked them about their employment experiences. The report has been supported by a review of literature published separately, focusing on the issues regarding employment, mental illness and stigma and discrimination.

Health

Some health-related research on disabled New Zealanders can be accessed on the the Ministry of Health's website.

Disabled people's experience of disability

In 2005, the Office for Disability Issues commissioned Zeta Resources Ltd to interview 25 disabled people and their families to talk about experiences of disability. These interviews were published as a book call "Life is for Living 2005: 25 New Zealanders living with disability tell their stories".