Taking action to support disabled people and their carers
Disability Action Plan
Through the Office for Disability Issues (ODI), we worked with disabled people to renew the latest Disability Action Plan [24] to cover the years 2019 to 2023. The Plan is a commitment by government agencies to provide regular reporting on programmes of work and actions that are progressing the New Zealand Disability Strategy 2016-2026 (NZDS) [25], and will make a positive difference to the lives of disabled people. The eight outcomes that disabled people are wanting progress on are education, employment and economic security, health and wellbeing, rights, protection and justice, accessibility, attitudes, choice and control, and leadership.
ODI also led the Government’s reporting to the United Nations on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Our Policy group has developed programmes of work on employment of disabled people, accessibility, and supported decision-making for inclusion in the new Plan. Our Service Delivery group leads the accessible public information programme of work in the Plan.
Carers’ Strategy
In October 2018 we engaged with carers on a new Carers’ Strategy [26] Action Plan for 2019–2023 through workshops and an online survey. Carer feedback, as well as research and advice from people and organisations who work with carers, informed what the new Action Plan should look like [27].
The new plan aims to better support the wellbeing of carers, and to ensure that they are supported in their role. These goals align with Te Pae Tawhiti and the three key shifts: mana manaaki – valuing and caring for the carers; kotahitanga – working across government and communities to make sure carers have the support they need; and kia takatū tātou – recognising the value of caring in society and making sure it is sustainable for families.
Footnotes
[24] Action Plans are adopted at regular intervals and these set out what government agencies and their non-government partners will carry out over a future period to achieve this vision. The 2019-2023 Action Plan is the fourth such plan since the first NZDS was released in 2001.
[25] The NZDS is the Government’s commitment to progressing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to promoting the rights and opportunities of disabled people to participate, belong, achieve and contribute alongside all other New Zealanders. The programmes of work for inclusion in the Action Plan have been agreed between government agencies and disabled people.
[26] The Carers’ Strategy was launched in 2008 to better support family carers, that is people who are caring for friends, family, whānau and aiga with a disability, health condition, illness or injury who need help with day-to-day living. Action Plans are adopted at regular intervals and set out what government agencies and their non-government partners will carry out over the period of the Plan to achieve this vision. The 2019-2023 Action Plan is the third such plan for the Carers’ Strategy
[27] The Minister for Disability Issues will present the final Action Plan to Cabinet in November 2019.
