Report 1: January to June 2020

To monitor the 2019-2023 Disability Action Plan's (DAP) progress, the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) has historically managed six-monthly reporting. This is the first progress report to be produced.

On 1 August 2023 the Office for Disability Issues was integrated into Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People as the Partnerships and Stewardship team.

Full report

Alternate formats of the summary

Summary

The Disability Action Plan 2019–2023 (the DAP), launched in November 2019, aims to improve the wellbeing of disabled people through progress on the eight interconnected outcomes in the New Zealand Disability Strategy: education, employment and economic security, health and wellbeing, rights protection and justice, accessibility, attitudes, choice and control, and leadership.

Government agencies have work programmes, agreed as part of the DAP, and that contribute to realisation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

This is the first six-monthly report on progress against the Disability Action Plan 2019–2023 (the DAP or the Plan). Submission of six-monthly status reports to the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) is a key monitoring mechanism of the DAP.

In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic put significant pressure on essential services and government agencies. Delivery of some work programmes were impacted with work being reprioritised and/or delayed. However, progress in the first six months can still be seen.

Notable achievements and progress included:

Accessibility Charter (Ministry of Social Development): All government agencies have now signed up to the Accessibility Charter, demonstrating their commitment to ensuring that all information intended for the public is accessible to everyone, and that everyone can interact with government services in a way that meets their individual needs.
Improving outcomes for disabled learners in tertiary education (Tertiary Education Commission): Tertiary Education Organisations started developing Disability Action Plans and improved their disability data collection.
Lead Toolkit (Ministry of Social Development): The Lead toolkit resource was updated to include all sectors and employers. The toolkit helps agencies and businesses to employ disabled people. A new “Retaining Existing Employees” resource to help agencies and businesses retain disabled employees was also launched in 2020.
Reducing segregation and restraint (Department of Corrections: Ara Poutama Aotearoa): Tie-down beds in prisons were removed as part of the programme to reduce forms of segregation and restraint.
Repeal of Part 4A (Ministry of Health): The repeal of Part 4A came in September 2020. This changed the Ministry of Health and DHB paid family care policies. The changes included increased pay rates for family/whānau carers, choice on employment arrangements, lowering the minimum age of carers from 18 to 16 years old, and enabling eligible partners and spouses to be paid in their carer role.

Overall status of DAP work programmes

Agencies provided reports across 29 work programmes. Twenty (68%) of work programmes were reported as being on track or ahead, and nine (32%) reported being off track but with low risks or issues to delivery.

No work programmes were reported to be off-track with significant risks or issues. The DPO Coalition did not agree with the self-assessment of “off track-but low risk” for two agency reports, noting that both work programmes had issues for delivery. This has been noted in the report.