People with disabilities have access to specialist services to support them to live in their homes and participate in their communities. Like all health consumers and providers, you also have rights under the Health and Disability Code of Rights.
In New Zealand, we have an aim, set by the Ministry of Health, that people with disabilities are able to live in their homes and participate in their communities as other New Zealanders do.
We also have a Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights that outlines the rights and duties of both consumers and health providers to ensure everyone is treated with respect, dignity, to be fully informed and much more. Read more about the Code of Rights. If your rights have been breached, you can make a complaint. Read more about making a complaint.
Disability support services
Disability Support Services plans and funds disability support services and administers the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003.
To contact Disability Support Services, call free on 0800 DSD MOH (0800 373 664) or email disability@moh.govt.nz.
To learn more about the following areas, visit the Ministry of Health website:
Each region has a number of Māori provider organisations offering services for Māori that can provide services specifically for Māori who have a disability.
There are Pasifika provider organisations offering services for Pasifika who have a disability and have services specifically for Pasifika throughout New Zealand. Contact your local medical clinic to find out what services are near you.
The Total Mobility scheme is a discount transport service provided for people who are unable to use public transport easily or who have mobility impairments. The Total Mobility scheme is funded by local and central government and is provided in the form of subsidised door to door transport services. Read more about the Total Mobility scheme, including what services are available in your region.
Learn more
Whāia te ao mārama – the Māori disability action plan Ministry of Health, NZ Office for Disability Issues The Office for Disability Issues is the focal point in government on disability issues. Web accessibility initiative This website provides strategies, guidelines and resources to make the internet accessible to people with disabilities. It hosts the Web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and a range of accessibility-related working groups.
The NZ Disability Strategy was developed to guide the work of government agencies on disability issues from 2016 to 2026. It is the government’s vehicle for meeting Aotearoa New Zealand's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCPRD).
Click here to read or download the NZ Disability Strategy in a range of accessible formats, or find a link in the Learn More section below. .
What is the vision of the NZ Disability Strategy?
The vision is that New Zealand is a non-disabling society – a place where disabled people have an equal opportunity to achieve their goals and aspirations, and all of New Zealand works together to make this happen.
The strategy has three sets of principles and two approaches to help implement it.
Principles and approaches of the NZ Disability Strategy
The principles and approaches help make sure the disabled community is visible, acknowledged and respected on an equal basis with others, and that disabled people can live a life with dignity and feel valued.
The three principles are:
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
ensuring disabled people are involved in decision-making that impacts them.
The two approaches are:
investing in our whole lives – a long-term approach
specific and mainstream services – a twin-track approach.
Outcomes of the NZ Disability Strategy
The strategy identifies 8 outcome areas that will contribute to achieving the vision, as follows:
Outcome 1 – education
We get an excellent education and achieve our potential throughout our lives.
Outcome 2 – employment and economic security
We have security in our economic situation and can achieve our full potential.
Outcome 3 – health and wellbeing
We have the highest attainable standards of health and wellbeing.
Outcome 4 – rights protection and justice
Our rights are protected, we feel safe, understood and are treated fairly and equitably by the justice system.
Outcome 5 – accessibility
We access all places, services and information with ease and dignity.
Outcome 6 – attitudes
We are treated with dignity and respect.
Outcome 7 – choice and control
We have choice and control over our lives.
Outcome 8 – leadership
We have great opportunities to demonstrate our leadership.
Figure 1 below outlines the Strategy’s framework.
Disability Action Plan 2019–2023
Four-yearly disability action plans are developed as the government’s vehicle for implementing the Strategy. The current Disability Action Plan 2019–2023 is not a conventional action plan, in that it does not consist of a series of work areas followed by lists of actions. Instead, it is a package of 25 cross-government work programmes that are underway or are being planned that have an explicit disability perspective.
The Action Plan has been designed this way to bring together important programmes of work that agencies have committed to that relate to the outcomes in the Disability Strategy. It responds to the main issues identified by disabled people, the Disabled People’s Organisation Coalition and government agencies working together.
Outcomes and work programmes
The work programmes are listed under the relevant outcome in the Disability Strategy.
Education
Ministry of Education’s Education Work Programme includes but is not limited to:
Early Learning Strategic Plan
Tomorrow’s Schools Review
NCEA Review
Review of Vocational Education
Curriculum, Progress and Achievement
Learning Support Action Plan.
Tertiary Education Commission:
Improve outcomes for disabled learners.
Employment and economic security
Ministry of Social Development:
Disability Employment Action Plan
Employment of disabled people in the public sector
National Information Hub and Regional Networks.
Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment:
Replacement of Minimum Wage Exemption.
Health and wellbeing
Ministry of Health:
Repeal and replace the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 with legislation aligned to the UNCRPD
Improve access to quality healthcare and health outcomes for disabled people
Explore the framework that protects the bodily integrity of disabled children and disabled adults against non-therapeutic medical procedures
Funded Family Care policy change.
Ministry of Health and the Department of Corrections:
Reduce the use of seclusion and constraint.
Sport New Zealand:
Play, Active Recreation and Sport Action Plan for Disability.
The Office for Seniors:
Better Later Life – He Oranga Kaumātua 2019–2034.
Accessibility
Ministry of Social Development:
Accelerate Accessibility (including the role of accessibility legislation)
Accessibility of Public Information.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Housing New Zealand:
Improve accessibility across the New Zealand housing system.
New Zealand Transport Agency:
NZTA Action Plan.
Ministry of Transport:
Ministry of Transport Action Plan.
Office for Seniors:
Age-friendly Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Leadership
Office for Disability Issues:
Nominations Database.
New Zealand Transport Agency:
Improve understanding and decision-making with the disabled community.
Other work programmes will also impact on the leadership outcome.
Choice and control
Ministry of Health:
System Transformation.
Ministry of Social Development:
Develop guidance on the effective use of Supported Decision-making.
Rights protection and justice
Ministry of Justice with other justice sector agencies:
Improve justice services so that they are accessible and able to be understood by disabled people.
Attitudes
New Zealand Transport Authority:
Disability awareness education for bus drivers.
Other work programmes will also impact on the attitude outcome.
To find a disability service within your area, use the location filter under the map (mobile view) or at the bottom of the search results (computer view).
Source: HealthPoint services directory used with permission.
Intro, diagnosis, needs assessment, and service coordination services (NASC)
(Disability Connect, NZ, 2016) This video is also available in Korean and Chinese.
Child development team and early intervention, support team, Ministry for Vulnerable Children
(Disability Connect, NZ, 2016) This video is also available in Korean andChinese.
Introduction, supports by Ministry of Education
(Disability Connect, NZ, 2016) This video is also available in KoreanandChinese.
Moving from early childhood to school, inclusion, choosing a school
(Disability Connect, NZ, 2016) This video is also available in KoreanandChinese.
People and team involved, Special Education Needs Coordinator
(Disability Connect, NZ, 2016) This video is also available in Korean and Chinese.
Tertiary education transition service and vocational programmes
(Disability Connect, NZ, 2016) This video is also available Korean and Chinese.
Leaving home, four living options & summary
(Disability Connect, NZ, 2016) This video is also available in Korean and Chinese.
