About disability

Disabled people are part of the vast and diverse human experience. Just as we accept and respect differences like gender, ethnicity, language or belief, the difference and diversity of disabled people need to be understood, acknowledged and celebrated. In this section you can hear the voices of disabled people and learn about disability in New Zealand.

In this section

Disability in New Zealand today

1.1 million New Zealanders have some kind of impairment - this is almost a quarter (24 percent) of New Zealand's population. In this section, you can learn about disabled New Zealanders from their perspective.

Key facts about disability in New Zealand

Did you know that 35% of disabled people are over 65 years old - that's 370,000 people. Find out more facts about disability in New Zealand.

Shifting beliefs about disability

Beliefs about disability have changed over time and now focus on a rights-based approach. In this section you can learn about old and new ways of thinking.

History of disability in New Zealand

For most of the 20th century disability was seen as a medical problem where something was 'wrong' with people. In this section you can read about the history of disability in New Zealand.

Disability etiquette

You don’t have to feel awkward when interacting with disabled people. You can find practical tips to follow on this page.