Acknowledgements

This report was developed by an intersectoral group lead by the Ministry of Health. The original group comprised Marianne Linton (Project Leader, Ministry of Health), Hilary Boyd (Royal NZ Foundation of the Blind), Anne Hawker (Accident Compensation Corporation), Robin Peace (Ministry of Social Development), Kate Lynch (Department of Labour), Louise Hoather (Housing NZ Corporation), Mary-Anne Stewart (Observer, Statistics New Zealand), Valerie Smith (Ministry of Health), Pamela Fletcher (Ministry of Health), Durga Rauniyar (Ministry of Health), Wendi Wicks (Disabled Persons Assembly), Joanna Curzon (Ministry of Education) and Helen Baxter (Accident Compensation Corporation). Additional members included Owen Hughes (Office for Disability Issues), Denise Brown (Statistics NZ), Juliet Elworthy (Ministry of Social Development) and Kylie Clode, Lester Mundell, Dr Martin Tobias, Dr Pat Tuohy, Rebecca Purcell-Hewitt, Dr Rod Watts and Sue Merrilees (Ministry of Health).

All chapters were written by Caroline Maskill and Dr Ian Hodges except for Chapter 8, Pamela Burns and Chapter 9, Christopher Carroll. Further processing of data, all data analysis and preparation of the report's Appendix Tables, which are located on the Ministry of Health website, was also carried out by Caroline Maskill and Dr Ian Hodges.

The complete report was externally peer reviewed by Dr Shanthi Ameratunga (University of Auckland), Dr Berni Kelly (Donald Beasley Institute) and Aron Spector (Social Development Canada). Acknowledgement is also made to the many other peer reviewers who commented on specific chapters. The external peer review process and publication of this report was co-ordinated by Marianne Linton and Kate Hirst (Ministry of Health).

Particular acknowledgement goes to the Office for Disability Issues and the Ministry of Social Development for their ongoing support, both financially and in the development of the report. Thanks also to the Royal NZ Foundation of the Blind and ACC for their financial contributions to this publication. Thanks to Andrew McLaren and Mary-Anne Stewart Statistics NZ for supplying data for the report.

Comments on this report should be sent to:

Disability Services Directorate

Ministry of Health

PO Box 5013

Wellington.