What's Happening
Read the latest news from the Office for Disability Issues and related disability matters.
Email update news
Read our regular email update with messages from the Ministers for Disability Issues, information on disability issues in government, news from the disability sector, current consultations, and upcoming events and conferences.
Budget 2010 - disability issues initiatives
Budget 2010 contains three specific funding initiatives from the disability issues portfolio. These are:
- promoting Lifetime design
- improving attitudes to disabled people
- independent monitoring of disabled people's rights.
An increase in funding has also be provided for Health-funded disability supports.
Review of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006
The New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 requires that a review of its implementation must be done three years after the Act came into force. This recognises that the Act's existence alone will not fulfil its purpose of promoting and maintaining NZSL. The Office for Disability Issues is now undertaking this review.
Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues
The Government has established a Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues to provide greater leadership and accountability for implementing the New Zealand Disability Strategy across government agencies. It is chaired by the Minister for Disability Issues, and has senior ministers as members.
Disability Survey 2006 - Release of detailed information
Statistics New Zealand and the Office for Disability Issues have produced detailed information from the 2006 post Census Disability Survey in the areas of education, labour market, informal care, transport, and Māori. The Disability Survey is the best source of information on disabled New Zealanders.