Promoting the Rights and Voice of Disabled People

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Promoting the Rights and the Voice of Disabled
People
Jan Scown Director, Office for Disability Issues
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Rights - everyone has them

• All people have rights.
• International Covenant on Civil and Political
  Rights is a binding legal instrument.

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International Covenant

• Article 1 all peoples have the right of
  self-determination.
• Article 2 each state party ensures all
  individuals have the rights in this covenant
  without distinction of any kind.
• Article 12 everyone has the right to liberty of
  movement and freedom to choose their residence.

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What is the situation in NZ?

• One in five New Zealanders has a disability.
• Disability increases with age.
• The majority of disabled people have more than
  one disability.

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Employment of disabled people

• 58 in some kind of employment compared with 77
  of non-disabled people.
• 29 in full-time employment compared with 65 of
  non-disabled people.
• 30 received a benefit compared with 11 of
  non-disabled people.

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Income of disabled people

• Almost half of disabled adults aged 15 - 64 have
  incomes of less than 15,000.
• Disabled adults were less likely than adults
  without a disability to own or partly own their
  home.

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Education of disabled adults

• 39 reported having no educational
  qualifications, compared with 24 of non-disabled
  adults.
• 34 had their highest qualification as from
  school, compared with 42 of non-disabled adults.
• 27 had a post-school qualification, compared
  with 34 of non-disabled adults.

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New Zealand Disability Strategy

• Consultation in 2000
• Partnership between government and disabled
  people
• Rights based approach
• Departments required to report on implementation

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Key themes in feedback

• The most significant barrier was societys
  attitudes and behaviour.
• Other barriers accessing services, physical
  access to the built environment, and access to
  education.
• Disabled people were saying loudly, they want to
  work.

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Office for Disability Issues

• Three roles
• to lead, monitor and promote implementation of
  the New Zealand Disability Strategy
• provide policy advice on disability issues, and
  lead strategic and cross-sectoral disability
  policy across government and
• support the Minister for Disability Issues.

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Government Initiatives

• Like Minds Like Mine
• Human Rights Action Plan
• New service supporting people with ill health or
  a disability into employment

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Promoting Leadership

• Reference groups of disabled people
• Responding to Ordinary Lives report
• Recognising New Zealand Sign Language

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Office for Disability Issues

• Website www.odi.govt.nz
• Email odi_at_msd.govt.nz
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]