Skip to main Skip to search
Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People View our
NZSL name

Programmes, strategies and studies

Whaikaha inherited several strategies and action plans that transferred with the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) and Ministry of Health Disability Directorate. As we evolve, we also have projects, policies and guidelines which are informing the work that we do. Find out about them all here.

Office for Disability Issues strategies and plans

The following strategies and plans came to Whaikaha with the ODI team:

New Zealand Disability Strategy (2016-2026)

The Strategy represents New Zealand’s approach for the progressive realisation of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) in New Zealand.

Its vision is that New Zealand is a non-disabling society – a place where disabled people have an equal opportunity to achieve their goals and aspirations, and all New Zealanders work together to make this happen.

The Strategy has eight overarching outcome areas that will contribute to achieving the vision.

The eight overarching outcome areas are:

  1. Education
  2. Employment and economic security
  3. Health and wellbeing
  4. Rights protection and justice
  5. Accessibility
  6. Attitudes
  7. Choice and control
  8. Leadership

The Strategy has three key principles and two approaches that are intended to underpin how the Government progresses the outcomes.

The three principles underpinning the Strategy are:

  1. Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  2. the UNCRPD, and
  3. ensuring disabled people are involved in decision-making that impacts on them.

The two approaches to implementing the Strategy are:

  1. investing in disabled people’s whole lives (a long-term approach)
  2. investing in specific and mainstream services (a twin-track approach).

Read the full New Zealand Disability Strategy external URL on the ODI website
(alternate formats available)

Disability Action Plan (2019-2023)

This Action Plan aims to deliver the eight outcomes in the Disability Strategy (provided in the previous section).

The Plan is a package of 25 cross-government work programmes that are underway or are being planned that have an explicit disability perspective. These work programmes are grouped under the 8 outcome areas of the disability strategy.

The Plan includes two cross-cutting issues that are relevant to all outcomes and work programmes.

These are:

  1. disability data (and the need to improve it)
  2. disabled people’s involvement in decision-making.

The Plan outlines a range of accountability mechanisms used to ensure it is being implemented. These mechanisms include, for example, six-monthly status reports on progress and monitoring that is undertaken by the Independent Monitoring Mechanism.

Disability Action Plan A3 print-friendly format (PDF 54KB)

New Zealand Sign Language Strategy (2018-2023)

The NZSL Strategy sets out the work required of the NZSL Board and government agencies to maintain and promote NZSL as an official language.

The Strategy is based on five evidence-based language planning principles.

These are:

  1. The learning of NZSL
  2. How the language can be used in society
  3. People’s beliefs and opinions about the language
  4. The recording of the language for research and use
  5. How people value the language.

The Strategy was developed by the NZSL Board. The Board allocates funding to community grants and projects that are aligned to the key outcomes in the NZSL Strategy.

Find the full NZSL Strategy 2018-2023 external URL  on the NZSL Board section of the ODI website. (NZSL translations available)

Ministry of Health Disability Directorate strategies and plans 

The following strategies and plans came to Whaikaha from MoH Disability Directorate:

Whāia Te Ao Mārama 2018 to 2022: The Māori Disability Action Plan

Whāia Te Ao Mārama is a culturally anchored approach to supporting Māori with disabilities (tāngata whaikaha) and their whānau.

The vision of Whāia Te Ao Mārama is: tāngata whaikaha pursue a good life with support.

The action plan outlines six goals.

These goals are that by 2022 tāngata whaikaha will:

  1. participate in the development of health and disability services
  2. have control over their disability support
  3. participate in Te Ao Māori
  4. participate in their community
  5. receive disability support services that are responsive to Te Ao Māori
  6. have informed and responsive communities.

The plan describes what the Ministry of Health is committing to do to achieve the goals, and provides examples of actions that disability providers, other organisations, whānau and tāngata whaikaha can take too.

Find the full Māori Disability Action Plan external URL on the Ministry of Health website
(Te Reo Māori translation and Easy Read format available)

Faiva Ora 2016-2021 National Pasifika Disability Plan

Faiva Ora sets out outcomes and actions to support and improve the lives of Pacific disabled people of all ages and their families.

The vision of the plan is: Pasifika disabled people and their families are supported to live the lives they choose.

The Plan’s actions fall under four priority outcome areas.

These areas are:

  1. improved outcomes for Pasifika disabled children, youth and their families
  2. Pasifika communities are able to better engage with and support individuals with disabilities and their families to participate in their communities
  3. disability services and supports meet the needs of Pasifika disabled people and their families
  4. stakeholders working in partnership to address challenges experienced by Pasifika disabled people and their families.

Find the full National Pasifika Disability Plan external URL on the Ministry of Health website

Disability Workforce Strategy

A new comprehensive Disability Workforce Strategy and implementation plan is being developed to support a transformed disability support system and support the ongoing development of the disability workforce.

The strategy will provide a framework under which various initiatives and actions can be planned and implemented.

The strategy will focus on:

  • critical shifts in workforce required to support ways of working consistent with the principles of Enabling Good Lives
  • and/or experience and career pathways relevant to support the disability workforce as the system moves to increased personal control by disabled people
  • the particular clinical and specialist disability workforce requirements which are issues in the current environment and will remain key components in the future particularly for those under the High and Complex Framework and people with dual disability
  • capability and capacity for disabled people and whānau to lead and be part of the future disability workforce.

Broader government strategies and plans

There are various cross-government strategies, plans, charters, and initiatives that include a disability focus. Our new Ministry will be expected to lean into, influence, be involved in and report against this wide ranging mahi, as appropriate, to exercise its stewardship role.

For information on what these are please email: contact@whaikaha.govt.nz