Feedback sought on Disability Action Plan

Disability Issues Minister Nicky Wagner says the first annual update of the Disability Action Plan 2014-2018 will help government agencies work together on actions that are important to disabled people.

“The Disability Action Plan sets out four priority areas for disabled people; increase employment and economic opportunities, ensure personal safety, transform the disability support system, and promote access in the community,” Ms Wagner says.

“These priorities are deliberately ambitious but they are worth striving for, and the Government has a number of initiatives underway to achieve them.

“I am particularly pleased that ‘Project 300’ – a plan to get an extra 300 disabled people in the Christchurch region into employment – is up and running. Project 300 is one of several projects to help get more disabled people into work.

“We are also trialling a new approach to disability supports called ‘Enabling Good Lives’, in Christchurch and Waikato. This new approach provides participants with personal budgets which they can use to directly purchase disability support.

“But we are always looking to do more and we want to know what matters most to disabled New Zealanders. Now is the time for the wider public and disability community to have their say on how the Disability Action Plan can remain relevant to them.

“The Disability Action Plan was co-designed by Disabled People’s Organisations working together with government agencies, and we want to continue this co-design approach as we update the Disability Action Plan,” Ms Wagner says.

More information

The Office for Disability Issues will seek public feedback on the current Disability Action Plan’s priorities and actions. A revised Disability Action Plan will then be available for further feedback before the final update is released later this year.

More information on the Disability Action Plan update process can be found at: www.odi.govt.nz/disability-action-plan