Disability in New Zealand

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New Zealand disability statistics

For statistics about New Zealanders with disabilities view the 2006 Disability Survey on the Statistics New Zealand website (www.stats.govt.nz) about people with psychiatric or psychological, intellectual, physical or sensory disabilities. Details include their age, sex, and ethnicity, use of and unmet need for services and support.

View the 2006 Disability Survey on the Statistics New Zealand website (www.stats.govt.nz).

For data on New Zealanders with disabilities use Statistics New Zealand's Table Builder tool (www.stats.govt.nz)

Key documents

Roles and Responsibilities for Supporting Disabled Children and Young People under the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989
This guideline supports the principles outlined in the memorandem of understanding (MoU) between Child, Youth and Family and the Health and Disability National Services Directorate at the Ministry of Health. It provides professionals working within Child, Youth and Family, the Ministry of Health and needs assessment and service co-ordination (NASC) organisations with guidance on how to apply the MoU.

The Social Services Select Committee Inquiry into the Quality of Care and Service Provision for People with Disabilites (www.parliament.nz)
This report looks at the quality of care and service provision for disabled people and makes some key recommendations for government.

A Guide to the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003
These guidelines introduce key aspects of the application and operation of the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003 ('the IDCCR Act'). They are intended for a wide audience including compulsory care co-ordinators, compulsory care managers, specialist assessors, disability service providers, caregivers, family and district inspectors.

Ageing New Zealand and Health and Disability Services 2001–2021
All countries will be faced with an increasing, and proportionately older, population with different health and disability issues over the next 10 to 20 years. Many Western countries have recognised that the post World War II baby boomers will retire from work during this period and that this could have a significant impact on the delivery of health and disability services.

Clinical Assessment and Management of Children, Young People and Adults with Down Syndrome Recommended Clinical Practice
This document aims to ensure that the health, developmental, educational and psychosocial needs of individuals with Down syndrome and their families are identified and addressed, and that individuals with Down syndrome receive care that is appropriate, timely and well co-ordinated between primary and secondary care.

Disability Services Draft Strategic Plan For July 2008 to June 2010
The Ministry of Health's Disability Services (DS) has developed a draft two-year Strategic Plan for the period July 2008 to June 2010. This plan sets out the priorities in strategic direction for the Directorate and a framework for establishing annual plans.

Included in the Strategic Plan is DS's vision of disability support services that help ensure disabled people can live in their own home and participate in their community as other New Zealanders do. This vision evolved from the New Zealand Disability Strategy, which aims for a fully inclusive society, plus conversations with disabled people, their whanau and carers across New Zealand.

Disability in New Zealand: Overview of the 1996/97 Surveys
The Disability Surveys carried out by Statistics New Zealand in 2001 provided the second national, population-based data collected on disability in this country. The first of these surveys were conducted in 1996/97. The report from the 2001 surveys is being prepared and is due for publication in November this year. In the meantime you can access the snapshot reports prepared by Statistics NZ .

Disability Support Services in New Zealand: Service Provider, Workforce and Service User Surveys
A series of four surveys from service provider (parts 1 and 2), worker and service user perspectives were undertaken by Auckland University, on behalf of the Ministry of Health and ACC, in 2003-2004. The findings of these surveys informed the recommendations of the ‘Quality and Safety Project’. This project, completed in December 2004, was undertaken by the Disability Services Directorate to identify quality and safety issues in the provision of disability support services with a view to making recommendations to Government on a policy and purchasing framework for these services.

Donald Beasley Institute Research on Deinstitutionalisation
The Donald Beasley Institute undertook research to look at the outcomes of the resettlement of residents of the Kimberley Centre, a large institution for people with an intellectual disability, near Levin in the North Island of New Zealand. Four reports on this research are now available and can be found online at on the Donald Beasley Institute website:

Environmental Support Services Review Report
This report summarises the findings from the Review of Environmental Support Services funded by the Ministry of Health. It provides a summary of how the review was carried out, and lists key findings and recommendations for the future provision of environmental support services.

Evaluation of the Home Based Support Service (HBSS) Training Initiative (Jan 08)
An independent evaluation of the Home Based Support Services Training Initiative identified value for support workers, employers, and the sector in general. Refinements were recommended that would further strengthen infrastructure to make training more sustainable.

Health and Independence Report 2004
This report builds on previous reports, taking a closer look at the outcomes the health and disability support system is aiming to achieve. It draws together the guiding strategies, the funding, workforce and information infrastructure, and the different activities across the system to provide a detailed picture of how the system works to achieve better outcomes.

Individualised funding - Guidance and Good Practice
Individualised funding (IF) is an administrative arrangement for some disabled people that enables them to hold, manage or govern their own needs-assessed budgets. IF provides the opportunity for some disabled people to manage the personal support services they require in the way they believe meets their needs best. It is an opportunity that, up to now, most disabled people assessed as needing support services in New Zealand have not been offered.

Living with Disability in New Zealand
Living with Disability in New Zealand is the most comprehensive report ever produced on the status of people with disability in New Zealand. It builds on the post-census disability surveys undertaken in 1996, providing extensive descriptive analysis from the 2001 post-census surveys.

Living with Disability in New Zealand: Summary. This summary report is a shortened and simplified version of Living with Disability in New Zealand. It presents a selection of key survey results and is intended for a wide audience.

Living with Intellectual Disability in New Zealand
This is a summary of the information gathered from surveys about adults and children with intellectual disability.

Pathways to Inclusion
Released by the Office for Disability Issues in 2001, this publication is the Government's strategy for vocational services accessed by disabled people. Contact Department of Labour or Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) for more information.

Preferred Future Service Provision for the Residents of Kimberley Centre
This report addresses the redevelopment of services provided to 379 people with an intellectual disability at the Kimberley Centre in Levin. Kimberley Centre was the last major institutional centre of its kind in New Zealand.

Preferred Future Services Plan for Clients at Braemar Hospital, Nelson
This report addresses the redevelopment of services currently provided to 80 people. This total of 80 people includes people moving outside the Nelson region, and is based on client numbers as of November 2000 with an intellectual disability at Braemar Hospital in Nelson.

To Have an Ordinary Life: Kia Whai Oranga 'Noa'
A National Health Committee publication that considers the rights of adults with an intellectual disability and whether this group can access the same rights and responsibilities as other New Zealanders.

Statement of Intent 2006-2009
The Ministry’s Statement of Intent 2006/2009 sets out the priorities agreed with the Minister of Health.

Māori disability publications

Guidelines for Cultural Assessment
These guidelines provide tikanga-based assessment for Māori with an intellectual disability under the Intellectual Disability Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation Act 2003.

He Korowai Oranga: Māori Health Strategy
This document sets the direction for Māori health development in the health and disability sector for the next five to 10 years. Accompanying the strategy is:

Whakatātaka: Māori Health Action Plan 2002-2005
This document outlines what the Government will do to implement the strategy. Specific actions to address the participation of Māori with disabilities in te oa Māori and wider New Zealand society are outlined in the Māori Disability Action Plan [link to plan].

Disabled Māori and disability support options, Māori & Psychology Research Unit, Waikato University, 2004 (PDF, 1 MB)
Report commissioned for the Ministry of Health describing service options and issues for delivering services to Māori who have a disability.

Page updated: 28 September 2009