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Invest in Communities – Findings from DPOC Monitoring of Disability Rights

Muscular Dystrophy Association of NZ, along with six other disabled people’s organisations, is a member of the Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO) Coalition.

The Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO) Coalition has released Report 2 – Consultation and Engagement of the Disabled Person-Led Monitoring research project. This project monitors how well the New Zealand Government is implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in Aotearoa New Zealand. The findings are based on interviews with disability sector leaders, disabled people, family, whānau, aiga and close supporters. It highlights their feelings and perspectives about the Government’s engagement and consultation with the disability community about Whaikaha l Ministry of Disabled People, and the March 2024 changes to disability funding criteria. The findings also articulate participants’ hopes and dreams for the Government’s consultation and engagement processes with the disability community in the future.

My hope is that [Whaikaha l Ministry of Disabled People] get to a place where they realise the most impactful thing they can do is invest in communities to have conversations for themselves. (Disability Sector Leader 09-01)

Key findings include:

Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People: Disability Sector Leaders highlighted the importance of the ‘Tripartite Partnership’ between disabled people, tākata whaikaha Māori and the Crown. They recognised that this partnership started strong, but had since been reduced in function and influence. They also shared that system transformation should be designed and led by disabled people, rather than just consulting with disabled people about it. When consultation processes did take place, many disabled participants and their whānau and families felt that most decisions had already been made.

Changes to Purchasing Rules and Equipment and Modification Service: Participants highlighted a lack of consultation regarding the 18 March 2024 changes to Purchasing Rules and Equipment and Modification Services (EMS), which negatively impacted many in the disability community. Participants also felt the changes did not consider the needs of people with intersectional identities such as Māori and Pasefika disabled people.

Hopes and Recommendations

Participants made recommendations for effective engagement and consultation with the disability community, including:

  • Building the capacity of tākata whaikaha, whānau hauā, turi Māori, and disabled people so they can participate in engagement and consultation fully and effectively.
  • Early and regular engagement and consultation.
  • Ensuring engagement and consultation is genuine and not tokenistic.
  • Consulting and engaging with a wide and diverse range of disabled people and disability organisations.
  • Providing government officials with disabled person-led training and education on their obligations under the UNCRPD, including how to effectively engage and consult with the disability community.

The report is available in official languages and accessible formats (Te Reo Māori, NZSL, Easy Read, Braille, Large Print, and audio) from the Donald Beasley Institute’s website: https://www.donaldbeasley.org.nz/projects/disabled-person-led-monitoring-of-the-uncrpd/ (and https://tinyurl.com/22vw7zco).

 

Contacts:

Alexia Black (Chair Balance | DPO Coalition Member): 022 395 9761 (us-dpo@groups.io)

Umi Asaka (Researcher, Donald Beasley Institute): uasaka@donaldbeasley.org.nz

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