The new Ministry for Disabled People will give a much needed voice at the highest level, a new disability rights advocate says.
One in four New Zealanders are limited by a physical, sensory, learning, mental health or other impairment, the government says, and 65 percent of people with disabilities are under under 65 years old. Photo: 123RF
The new ministry, called Whaikaha, was officially launched on 1 July, alongside two new bodies that oversee healthcare in New Zealand.
Existing provisions for people with disabilities in New Zealand have been widely criticised. Many were inappropriately and detrimentally grouped within the health system, despite many with disabilities not being unwell.
The Ministry for Social Development, in addressing the need for the new ministry said: "The previous cross-government disability system presents barriers for many disabled people and whānau in achieving ordinary life outcomes. Supports can be fragmented and difficult to navigate, and multiple eligibility criteria for different services makes it difficult for disabled people to know what support services they are entitled to."
Whaikaha, the new Ministry, will offer a single government point of contact for people with a disability, and can assess and recommend policy.
While changes would not happen immediately, disability advocate Dr Huhana Hickey said the move was positive, and sent a strong signal that the government was open to more changes to help make things better for disabled people.
She said housing and accessibility law should be top priorities for the new ministry.
Dr Huhana Hickey says the establishment of a new ministry for disabled people could lead to much needed changes. Photo: Supplied
She understood the ministry was being set up with an emphasis on being inclusive, with measures such as staff who can use sign language, and said it was an opportunity to also provide information in formats accessible to people with learning disabilities or who are blind.
It was vital that Whaikaha could provide people living with disabilities a much needed voice, Dr Hickey said.
"This could open the door to more disabled leading government departments, to more disabled getting promotions, to have more getting to sit on crown boards, and now we've got an opportunity to really grow that diversity and show the world that disabled have skills too."
To begin with, Whaikaha would be led by interim chief executive Geraldine Woods, who is not disabled. But a chief executive who does have a disability was expected to take the helm, with the recruitment process underway.
