Accessible Family and Sexual Violence Services for Disabled People Fund (the Accessibility Fund)

About the Accessibility Fund

Disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori experience higher rates of violence than non-disabled people. However, evidence shows family and sexual violence (FVSV) services are often inaccessible and do not meet disabled people’s needs. This means they have more difficulty accessing essential support in times of critical need. 

In 2023, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) received $3.419 million to start improving the accessibility of FVSV services for disabled people. The funding was part of the wider government strategy Te Aorerekura National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence (Te Aorerekura). 

MSD established the FVSV Accessibility Fund, a three-year work programme to support FVSV providers to increase their service accessibility. In response to feedback from the disability community and FVSV providers, MSD undertook four initiatives focusing on safe house accessibility; improving access to mainstream FVSV services; increasing workforce capability; and building an evidence base to better understand service gaps.

Outcomes from the Accessibility Fund

This work programme has led to tangible enhancements, supporting disabled people’s and tāngata whaikaha Māori access to FVSV services. Key outcomes include: 

• Improving the physical, digital, and information-based accessibility of 44 FVSV providers’ services 
• Modifying three safe houses in Auckland, Palmerston North, and Nelson to make them physically accessible 
• Uplifting the workforce capability of 143 FVSV sector employees through disability awareness and response training 
• Gathering data to develop insights into the current state of FVSV service accessibility for disabled people. 

The Accessibility Fund Report

We have used data collected across the programme’s initiatives to produce a report – ‘Improving access to family and sexual violence services’. The report presents key evidence on the current state of FVSV services, the effectiveness of investing in service accessibility, and the opportunities to embed accessibility long-term. 

Some of the key findings informed by FVSV providers’ feedback indicated that: 

• removing physical, digital, information, and communication barriers has created more accessible and inclusive services. 
• disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori have more independence, autonomy, and can access services on an equal basis with others.   
• improving the sensory environment reduces client anxiety, increases engagement, and has enabled staff to build rapport and trust. 
• having accessible websites with clear, inclusive information about FVSV services and accessibility options has led to a reported increase in self-referrals. 
• the accessibility enhancements have helped staff increase productivity and efficiency. 
• completing disability training has helped staff to increase their understanding of how violence impacts disabled people, build awareness of accessibility barriers, and boost confidence to support disabled clients. 

You can access the full report here: 

Summaries

You can access alternate formats here:

Improving Access to Family and Sexual Violence Services Report Summary – Audio

Improving Access to Family and Sexual Violence Services Report Summary – New Zealand Sign Language

MSD’s disability-led training for leaders

In 2026, MSD commenced the Accessibility Fund’s final initiative, focused on equipping FVSV leaders with the knowledge and skills to confidently understand and respond to disability. 

The initiative involves a free online training programme developed and facilitated by disabled and disability experts from the Donald Beasley Institute (DBI). The programme is led and delivered by disabled people and is grounded in robust research and the lived experiences of disabled people. 

The focus throughout is practical. Across 10 self-paced online modules, participants will gain ready-to-use skills to close service gaps, reduce barriers, and embed accessibility into every part of their organisation, from operating rules and processes through to physical environments and culture. Participants will also have the opportunity to connect with disabled and disability experts in weekly live Zoom hui, where they can ask questions and discuss the learnings further.  

MSD-funded providers will also be able to access one-on-one advisory support directly from the DBI once they have completed the online modules. 

The training programme was launched on 17 August 2026.

Use MSD’s Accessibility Self-Assessment to help identify your accessibility gaps and needs

As part of the Accessibility Fund work programme, MSD designed an accessibility self-assessment tool in collaboration with accessibility experts with lived experience. The tool is designed for social service providers to assess their level of accessibility and identify changes required to make services more accessible. 

We encourage people to complete the self-assessment online via the link:

We recommend downloading and reading the following documents before completing the online self-assessment:

If you have any questions, please contact us at accessibilityfund@msd.govt.nz.