NZ wins Roosevelt International Disability Award

Disability Issues Minister Ruth Dyson today announced that New Zealand has won the prestigious Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award for 2007.

“This Award recognises the work done by the Labour-led government and the disability sector in developing and implementing the New Zealand Disability Strategy. We are one of the very few countries in the world to have a national strategy with disabled people as its focus," said Ruth Dyson.

"The Strategy encourages and educates the community to understand, respect and support disabled New Zealanders. It recognises that society creates barriers that prevent people with impairments from working, taking part in their communities, and from enjoying the ordinary life that the non-disabled take for granted.

"New Zealand also won this award for its achievements in shaping and negotiating the intent of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities over a number of years."

The Roosevelt Award recognises countries that look at improving the lives of disabled people through economic, humanitarian and social efforts.

The award will be accepted by the Governor General in a ceremony to be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York next year.

It comes with a cash prize of US$50,000 for a New Zealand non-government disability organisation that has supported disabled people into leadership roles; or promoted and advocated for the rights of disabled people; or worked to make society more responsive to their needs.

The government is inviting applications from outstanding non-government organisations, to be receiveby 15 February 2008. Applications are available from the Office for Disability Issues, www.odi.govt.nz or the Ministry of Social Development at www.msd.govt.nz

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award is sponsored by the World Committee on Disability and the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. It is presented annually to a nation that makes noteworthy national progress toward the goal of the United Nations World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons: the full and equal participation of the world's 600 million people with disabilities in the life of their societies.

The Award consists of a bust of President Roosevelt and a $50,000 cash prize for a non-governmental disability organisation in the honoured nation.

Previous winners of the Award are Thailand, Hungary, Ireland, Canada, and South Korea.