Actions for implementation

The Disability Action Plan: 2015 update contains the following actions for implementation. This section provides more detail on the actions and progress with implementation.

 

Shared result: Increase employment and economic opportunities 

1. Priority: Increase the number of disabled people who transition from school and from tertiary education into employment 

1 A: Improve transitions.

2. Priority: Increase the number of disabled people, including long-term unemployed disabled people, in paid employment and self-employment on an equal basis with others  

2 A: Implement a long term work programme to improve employment outcomes for disabled people including the development of guidelines on reasonable accommodation. 

2 B: Building on work in action 2(a), identify better alternatives so that the minimum wage exemption process can be removed. 

3. Priority: Increase the number of employers who are confident in employing disabled people, with the public sector taking a lead  

3 A: Government to take a lead in employing disabled people and providing paid internships. 

3 B: Work with private sector partners to progress employment of disabled people in the private sector. 

Shared result: Transform the disability support system

4. Priority: Promote disabled people having choice and control over their supports/services, and make more efficient use of disability support funding  

4 A: DPOs advise and work with government agencies and the National Enabling Good Lives Leadership Group to support changes to the disability support system, including learning from the Enabling Good Lives approach (particularly its demonstrations) and other initiatives. Key principles of this work are being culturally responsive, strengths based, holistic, involve whānau (whānau ora principles), and an integrated approach. 

4 B: A good start in life: Develop policy options to improve government supports for parents, family and whānau of disabled children aged 0-6 years. 

5. Priority: Promote the involvement of Disabled People’s Organisations in the design and monitoring of the disability support system transformation  

5 A: DPOs and government working together - joint work programme on involving DPOs in decisions that affect disabled people agreed by the Chief Executives’ Group on Disability Issues and Independent Monitors on 21 August 2013. 

5 B: Improve DPO capability (individually and collectively) to engage with government agencies and their wider community, and consider representation of different population groups in DPOs. 

6. Priority: Increase the capability of disability support service providers to be of service to disabled people 

6 A: Develop and implement effective ways for disabled people and DPOs to provide feedback (both qualitative and quantitative) safely about the quality of services and support and to monitor, evaluate, and scrutinise and make providers accountable to funders for achieving outcomes. 

6 B: Ensure providers are responsive to disabled people and provide choice and tailoring of services. Explore how provider performance should be assessed, including through accreditation, provider performance measurement, and contract monitoring systems.
 

Shared result: Ensure personal safety

7. Priority: Reduce barriers to disabled people making decisions to determine their own lives  

7 A: Ensure disabled people can exercise their legal capacity, including through recognition of supported decision making. 

7 B: Explore the framework that protects the bodily integrity of disabled children and disabled adults against non-therapeutic medical procedures, including the issue of consent. This action will focus initially on options to protect against non-therapeutic sterilisation without the fully informed consent of the individual.

Read more on action 7 B  

8. Priority: Reduce the number of disabled children and adults who are victims of violence, abuse or neglect  

8 A: Review the current care and support processes for disabled children who are (or are likely to be) subject to care under the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989 to establish whether they are being treated equitably and fairly, and in their best interests and, if not, to provide advice on changes needed to legislation, operational policy, operational delivery and/or monitoring and enforcement. 

8 B: Explore options to reduce violence, abuse (all types, including bullying) and neglect of disabled people and understand the impact of different cultural contexts. This work will include:

  • building on previous work to educate disabled people about their rights

  • ensuring the needs of disabled people are built into the Family Violence work programme

  • scoping a new work programme for abuse by non-family members. 

Shared result: Promote access in the community  

9. Priority: Increase government services’ responsiveness to disabled people 

9 A: Increase accessibility of information across government agencies.

9 B: Understand the journey through the justice sector for disabled adults, disabled children and their families. 

9 C: Increase access to health services and improve health outcomes for disabled people with a specific focus on people with learning/intellectual disabilities. 

9 D: Explore how the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 relates to the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and the CRPD. 

9 E: Implement the work programme of the Disability Data and Evidence Working Group, including a focus on Māori and Pasifika. 

9 F: Undertake a stocktake to identify any legislation that is not consistent with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and explore options to improve consistency. 

9 G: Investigate opportunities for technology to increase disabled people’s participation in work, community and political life, including through both assistive and access to mainstream technology. 

9 H: Develop a framework for understanding the costs of disability and mechanisms for meeting these. 

9 I: Investigate how Government can utilise a whānau ora approach for disabled persons who prefer a whānau and community inclusive approach to government services. 

10. Priority: Increase the accessibility for disabled people of the built environment and transport services

10 A: Implement the recommendations agreed by the Chief Executives’ Group on Disability Issues, which were identified through the stocktake on the accessibility of public transport. 

10 B: Implement the Accessibility Plan: Public Buildings. 

10 C: Understand the impact of disability on housing needs and influence the social housing reform programme to meet the needs of disabled people. 

11. Priority: Promote disabled people participating in political and civic processes

11 A: DPOs to complete a stocktake of what are the areas needing the most attention and which will make the biggest difference to promote disabled people participating in political and civic processes. ODI will convene a discussion with DPOs and relevant government agencies to discuss priorities from the DPOs stocktake and identify possible actions. 

12. Priority: Promote opportunities for disabled people to participate in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport  

12 A: Investigate the feasibility of introducing a companion card programme in New Zealand to reduce the cost barrier for disabled people who require a companion to attend paid-entry activities.

 

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