Consultation open on NZ Disability Strategy

Mon 18 Apr 2016

The Office for Disability Issues is leading a process to revise the New Zealand Disability Strategy for 2016-2026. The government is inviting ...

The Office for Disability Issues is leading a process to revise the New Zealand Disability Strategy for 2016-2026. The government is inviting individuals and organisations to have their say about the new strategy. There are a number of ways to give feedback: holding a workshop, sharing a video, filling out a survey, participating in social media and attending events organised throughout the country. Consultation is open until 22 May 2016.

The first disability strategy was developed in 2001. Disability Issues Minister Nicky Wagner said "In recent years, there have been fundamental shifts in the way the world looks at disabilities. In New Zealand and internationally, there have been significant advances in thinking and practice." Ms Wagner also said, "There is a need for a new strategy that reflects the modern approach to disability issues and the current aspirations of the disability community."

Find more information about the process for revising the Strategy from the Office for Disability Issues. The Disability Action Plan 2014-2018 will come under the revised strategy - see where the Strategy fits with other strategic documents and frameworks on disability issues. It is expected the strategy will be launched in November or December 2016.

Information on abuse of people with disabilities

In 2014, Tairawhiti Community Voice published The Hidden Abuse of Disabled People Residing in the Community: An Exploratory Study and organised a conference.

A Special Issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence was published in November 2014 focused on violence against people with disability.

An Australian report on Inclusive domestic violence standards: strategies to improve interventions for women with disabilities was published in February 2013.

See the Clearinghouse library for additional research and resources about people with disabilities and family violence.

Background

For more information the Disability Action Plan, see previous NZFVC stories:

New tool on serving survivors with disabilities; NZ Disability Action Plan and Strategy updates

Disability Action Plan 2014-2018 includes actions on violence, abuse and neglect

Further consultation open on Disability Action Plan

Media

Building a new disability strategy for New Zealand, Press Release: New Zealand Government, 13.04.2016