The Disability Action Plan released May 2014

Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs), including DPA, worked alongside government to write the Disability Action Plan.  They will also help oversee it's implementation. This four-year cross government plan lists the priorities for New Zealand to advance implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Disability Convention). There is a priority for education in the plan under the Increase Employment and Economic Opportunities section. We will keep you updated on progress. The Disability Action Plan will be formally reviewed in the second half of 2015.

Go here to read more about the Disability Action Plan

Priorities from the Disability Action Plan

Increase the educational achievement of disabled children and adults

a) Build capability for inclusive education to improve delivery in the Disability Convention context.
Lead: Ministry of Education

Update June 2005

The Ministry of Education is looking at education for children and young people with disabilities and how it can be improved. This process is called the Special Education Update. As part of this process they have sought feedback from interested parties about finding ways to make educational progress and achievement easier for this group. They acknowledge there is more to be done to reduce fragmentation of services, simplify access to support and increase consistency of services across the country.

Our work to progress inclusive education

Education for All

DPA coordinates a group called Education for All.

Education for All is a collaboration of DPOs, family, inclusive education organisations, teachers, school principals, researchers and academics in inclusive education, and people from the employment and human rights sector. These people are all committed to ensuring all students with disabilities are well educated in an inclusive education system.

Education For All have put together a plan to advise and engage meaningfully with government and the education sector because the government has a responsibility to respond to the rights of people with disabilities.

This group was originally convened in 2010 in response to the Special Education 2000 review. 

Read the Education for All  plan.

 2015 news from the group

In March 2015 the group  did a joint submission to the United Nations Day of General Discussion on the right to education for persons with disabilities held in Geneva, 15 April.

The submission recommends that the United Nations Committee provide guidance on inclusive education and what this looks like in practice, including clarifying reasonable accommodation in education and requirements for an enforceable right to education.

Read the Education for All submission

In May the group feed their views into the Special Education Update process.

Definition of inclusive education

Inclusive education is a human right (United Nations General Assembly, 2007). Inclusive education means every person, social, and cultural group experience a quality, inclusive education and that all students experience lifelong benefits of participating, succeeding and achieving in an education system that actively values their identity. Article 24 of the Disability Convention establishes the right of disabled citizens to an inclusive education.

This group was originally convened in 2010 in response to the Special Education 2000 review. 

The DPA Agenda for Change