DPO Coalition

MDANZ is a recognised Disabled Person’s Organisation (DPO) in Aotearoa New Zealand. This is a significant achievement for our association and means we can now represent the views of our members at the highest levels of government.

Other DPOs currently recognised as part of the Coalition are the Disabled Persons Assembly NZ (DPA), Blind Citizens NZ, People First NZ, Deaf Aotearoa, Kāpō Māori Aotearoa, and Balance Aotearoa. We have joined these groups as the 7th member of the DPO Coalition.

Disabled People’s Organisations Coalition | Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People

The UN CRPD

DPOs have a mandated role to work with government to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in New Zealand. The CRPD is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations, established to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. As former Green MP Mojo Mathers said when she spoke at our 2016 AGM, “The CRPD is important to everyone. When everyone participates, everyone benefits.” It is our time to speak up, get involved, and make a positive difference in this space.

Disability Action Plan

The Disability Action Plan presents priority work programmes and actions developed through a co-design process by government agencies, disabled people and their representative organisations. The Office for Disability Issues says the work programmes and actions will advance implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the New Zealand Disability Strategy 2016-2026.
The Disability Action Plan 2019-2023: Putting the New Zealand Strategy into action was launched on 14 November 2019 by the Minister for Disability Issues.
The Action Plan aims to deliver the eight outcomes in the New Zealand Disability Strategy 2016–2026 (Disability Strategy).
It is not a conventional Action Plan in that it does not consist of a series of work areas followed by lists of actions. Instead, it is a package of 25 cross-government work programmes that are underway or are being planned that have an explicit disability perspective.

Have your say!

These are the current surveys and public consultation processes underway: