New Zealand Disability Strategy
We seem to be awash with discussion papers on healthy matters but
certainly one of the most important has been the NZ Disability Strategy .
People experiencing disabilities aspire to a good life but they also face
huge barriers to achieving the life that so many of us take for granted..
These barriers relate to attitudes , education , employment , access to
services , socioeconomic status and other factors. People experiencing
disability are disadvantaged by social and environmental barriers such as
those mentioned above.. It should be remembered that the elderly suffer
many age related and other disabilities so that this strategy applies to the
elderly just as much as to the children and working aged disabled.
The vision of a non-disabling society is a fully inclusive society , where
the capacity to contribute and participate in every aspect of life is
continually being extended and enhanced.
The critical actions nominated in the strategy to advance New Zealand
towards a non-disabling society are
- Encourage and educate for a non-disabling society
- Ensure rights for people experiencing disability
- Provide the best education
- Provide opportunities for employment and economic development
- Foster leading voices by people experiencing disability
- Foster an aware and responsive public service
- Improve services to people experiencing disability
- Improve access to quality information
- Promote participation of Maori experiencing disability
- Promote participation of Pacific people experiencing disability
- Enable children and youth experiencing disability to lead full and active lives
- Improve quality of life for women experiencing disability
- Value families , whanau and carers.
The submissions on the discussion document closed at the end of October with
over 700 submissions and
a final strategy document will be issued early 2001 after it is approved by Cabinet