Access is accepted as a human right and there is a commitment to a landscape where disabled people experience equal access, inclusion and participation.
From the DPA Agenda for Change.
Access includes access to: buildings, information, communication, transport, communities, etc. You will find more information about access to services in the Support Services section.
This four-year cross government plan for New Zealand to advance implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was released in May 2014. Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs), including DPA, worked alongside government to write the plan and will
help oversee it's implementation. You can read the Access section of the plan below. We will keep you informed as work progresses. The Disability Action Plan will be formally reviewed in the second half of 2015.
Go here to read more about the Disability Action Plan
a) Increase accessibility of information across government agencies.
Lead Office for Disability Issues and DPOs
b) Understand the journey through the justice sector for disabled adults, disabled children and their families through the development of a National Data Standard for Disability.
Lead: Ministry of Justice
c) Increase access to health services and improve health outcomes for disabled people with a specific focus on people with learning/intellectual disabilities.
Lead: Ministry of Health
a) Understand the issues with accessibility for disabled people of transport services, by completing a stocktake using the Human Rights Commission’s Accessible Journey report recommendations as a framework, and then in 2015/2016 determine options to improve the accessibility of transport services.
Lead: Ministry of Transport, New Zealand Transport Agency
b) Review of the building accessibility regulatory system.
Lead: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Office for Disability Issues
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Office for Disability Issues jointly conducted a review into access to buildings for disabled people in 2014.
This report will inform the development of a long-term plan looking at improvements to building access for disabled people due to be presented to Ministers this year .
You can read more about work being done around the built environment,including links to legislation, the review report and links to other organisations working in this area, on the Office for Disability Issues website
a) DPOs to complete a stocktake of what are the areas needing the most attention and which will make the biggest difference to promote disabled people participating in political and civic processes. ODI will convene a discussion with DPOs and relevant government agencies to discuss priorities from the DPOs stocktake and identify possible actions. Lead DPO's.
Members of Christchurch DPA are active in the Christchurch access leadership group. This group focuses on ensuring accessibility is the ‘norm’ in the new Christchurch.
In 2005 the Human Rights Commission held an inquiry into accessible
public land transport. This decision was prompted by the experiences of
disabled people who came to the Commission seeking enforcement of their
right not to be discriminated against in the provision of public
transport.
This has been picked up by the Disability Action Plan with the following action point.
a) Understand the issues with accessibility for disabled people of
transport services, by completing a stocktake using the Human Rights
Commission’s Accessible Journey report recommendations as a framework,
and then in 2015/2016 determine options to improve the accessibility of
transport services.
Lead: Ministry of Transport, New Zealand Transport Agency.
The cross-government Disability Action Plan has the following action point:
a) Increase accessibility of information across government agencies.
Lead: Office for Disability Issues and DPOs
It’s important that disabled people have access to the information they need to actively participate in life. Different disability groups have different needs but it is important to try and cater for everyone. Different disabled person’s organisations are actively working on this issue with their members. DPA tries to model good practice across all disability groups, for example, this is an accessible website.
The DPA Agenda for Change
