The Labour-led government is committed to breaking away from the historical pattern of organising the lives of people with intellectual disabilities for them, says Associate Minister of Health Pete Hodgson.

Speaking at the two-day National Residential Intellectual Disability Providers Conference in Hamilton today, Mr Hodgson said it was important that people with disabilities were progressively more empowered to live their own lives.

"It may sound pretty simple, but for the first time a government has asked people with disabilities what they, as New Zealand citizens, want to achieve. It's about being valued as a person and having the necessary support services to live ordinary lives in the community."

Mr Hodgson said the New Zealand Disability Strategy reflected the government's commitment to people with disabilities.

"We are proud of the aspirations in the Strategy and each year we make steady progress towards their achievement."

Mr Hodgson said the winding down of Levin's Kimberley Centre, New Zealand's last intellectually disabled institution, was the most obvious example of the government's change in emphasis for people with disabilities.

"This is a large and complex deinstitutionalisation process. But it reflects our vision for the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in New Zealand society."

Mr Hodgson said funding was an integral part of the equation and the government was investigating any funding gap issues in the residential services sector.

The next step would be to address any funding shortfall but in the interim the government had given extra funding of $8.4 million in 2005/06 for the residential sector. This is addition to the "usual" Health Funding Package increase, which compensates for cost of living and demographic growth.

"Perhaps the most heartening change is the continuing shift in society's attitude towards those with intellectual disability. What this means is that, as the disability strategy is embedded, society is becoming more and more supportive of the changes it is delivering."

Contact:Pete Kerr, media assistant, 04 471 9918, 021 349 918
peter.kerr@parliament.govt.nz