Our journey - an introduction

The New Zealand Disability Strategy - A map to guide our way

The way we look at disability in New Zealand has changed

There is still more work to be done

Written from the perspective of disabled people

The New Zealand Disability Strategy – A map to guide our way

The New Zealand Disability Strategy (the Strategy) will guide the work of government agencies on disability issues from 2016 to 2026.
It can also be used by any individual or organisation who wants to learn more about, and make the best decisions on, things that are important to disabled people.
The Strategy realises the rights of disabled people and supports implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the Convention) in New Zealand.

The way we look at disability in New Zealand has changed

Since the first New Zealand Disability Strategy was developed in 2001 there has been real progress in the lives of many disabled people and their families and whānau. A significant milestone was the development of the Convention, which New Zealand ratified in 2008.
Disabled children are growing up wanting the same things as non-disabled children and the expectations of disabled adults have changed and grown. There is also a growing recognition that disabled people are experts in their own lives, and ensuring their right to be involved in the decisions that impact on them will lead to better outcomes.

There is still more work to be done

Even though there has been progress since 2001, this revised Strategy is needed because disabled people remain worse off than non-disabled people across all social and economic outcomes (1).  This persistent gap has a flow-on effect. When disabled people are not able to participate in society, the entire country misses out on their contribution.

Written from the perspective of disabled people

The development of this Strategy was supported by the New Zealand Disability Strategy Revision Reference Group, of whom the majority of members identify as disabled people (2).  It is also based on what disabled people said was most important to them during public consultation in 2016.
In order to remain true to the vision and priorities of the people at the centre of this Strategy, the Who we are, Principles and Approaches and Outcomes sections have been written from the perspective of disabled people.
Some words and terms can be understood by different people in different ways. Wherever possible, an explanation of how a word or term has been used in this Strategy has been included. A Glossary is available on page 49.

Footnotes

(1) Statistics New Zealand (2014) Disability Survey: 2013
(2) The New Zealand Disability Strategy Revision Reference Group members are listed in Appendix 1

Read our vision - where to from here