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Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People View our
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Opportunities from other organisations

We may list opportunities and events for disabled people and whānau on this page that are from other organisations.

Whaikaha is not involved with, or responsible for any of the events listed on this page. It is best to contact the organisers directly, including if you have any questions about the accessibility of these opportunities.

Hate crime law in Aotearoa New Zealand

Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission external URL has published a Consultation Paper and is seeking public submissions on hate crime law in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Under the current law, an offender’s hate motivation is taken into account when they are sentenced. The Consultation Paper seeks feedback on whether there are problems with the current law and, if so, how they should be addressed.

A summary of the Issues Paper is also available, including in a range of accessible formats and languages. They have made provisions for submissions to be done via online form, email or using the NZ Relay Service. 

Make a submission to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned is currently seeking public submissions on the following aspects of the COVID-19 response: 

  • Vaccines, including mandates, safety, and approvals
  • Lockdowns, especially the lockdowns of late 2021 and 2022
  • Testing, tracing, and public health materials – like Phase Two

The public can make submissions by visiting www.covid19inquiry.nz external URL or by calling 0800 500 306.

Information is currently available in English, and will be available soon in te reo Maori, New Zealand Sign Language, Samoan, Tongan, Hindi, Simplified Chinese, Easy Read, Braille, Audio, and Large Print.  

Media Reform Proposal

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage external URL is currently seeking feedback on its public consultation document entitled ‘Media Reform,’ containing five proposals to modernise the media and content production sector for New Zealand audiences.

One of the proposals that is of most interest to the disability community is about placing legislative obligations on TV broadcasters and streaming platforms in New Zealand to provide Captioning and Audio Description (CAD) on media that is broadcast or streamed in New Zealand, to ensure access to media for disabled New Zealanders.

The five draft proposals are:

  • Ensuring accessibility of local media platforms
  • Increasing investment into and discoverability of local content
  • Increasing captioning and audio description
  • Modernising professional media regulation
  • Streamlining Crown content funders

You do not need to submit on all the proposals, in the survey you will be asked to choose which proposals you would like to answer questions about.

Alternate formats are available on their website.  external URL

An online workshop to discuss increasing captioning and audio description is being held on Thursday, 6 March, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM. There will be NZSL interpreters. Register here. external URL

Passenger Safety Briefings

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is seeking feedback on their Advisory Circular (AC) AC91-25, Passenger Safety Briefings.

This Draft Advisory Circular provides guidance on operators' obligations to provide appropriate safety information and includes advice about special categories of passengers and preparing for passengers' communication needs, which could impact Deaf and disabled people.

  • The public can share their feedback via the AC91-25 feedback form external URL or provide feedback in NZSL.
  • Alternate formats are available in NZSL, Braille, Audio and Large Print (Easy Read is coming soon)
  • Top tip: If you only want to give feedback on special categories of passengers and their communication needs (including Deaf and disabled) you will find information about this on pages 13-15 of the Draft Advisory Circular external URL
  • Feedback closes on Monday 7 April 2025