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Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People View our
NZSL name

Office for Disability Issues

The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) is a strategic and whole-of-government focused team. Find out about their role in our new ministry.

Established in 2002, ODI was originally a small team administered by the Ministry of Social Development, created to support implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the New Zealand Disability Strategy external URL . Over time, they have grown from a small team of six to over 15 staff, including the NZSL Board office external URL .

Since ODI was created, they've played a critical role in:

  • providing advice on disability issues to government agencies
  • supporting the Minister for Disability Issues
  • supporting the New Zealand Sign Language Board and administering the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006
  • growing relationships between the disability sector and government agencies
  • reporting Aotearoa’s progress in implementing the UNCRPD and the Disability Action Plan 2019-2023 external URL
  • supporting the Disabled People's Organisations Coalition.

Welcoming ODI into the new Ministry

Integrating the Office for Disability Issues into the new Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People supports the new Ministry’s cross-government leadership role. It ensures that there is a single point in government for advising on cross-government disability strategy.

Being in the new Ministry brings a greater profile and resourcing for ODI’s functions and ensures the new Ministry starts out with dedicated and experienced staff who work from a disability rights-based perspective within government with strong relationships with the disability community.

For more information about ODI and their role: