Frequently asked questions
Disabled Persons Assembly NZ (DPA) is a not-for-profit pan-impairment Disabled People’s Organisation run by and for disabled people. We work on systemic change for the equity of disabled people.
We have been bringing disabled people together to shape our collective input into system-level changes through leadership, advice and advocacy for over 40 years.
All the work we do is based on the principles of disability rights, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and an Enabling Good Lives approach.
Currently, we are focusing on key areas that are priorities for our members, which include:
- income, including employment for disabled people and benefits
- equity of housing for disabled people
- emergency preparedness and response for disabled people.
Find examples of our work on the following DPA website pages:
- our advocacy work - DPA submissions
- our ongoing projects
- the latest news from DPA and the disability community.
You can also find out more about DPA's members.
The full details of becoming a DPA member can be found on our webpage: Become a member.
In summary, to become a member of DPA:
- choose your type of membership:
- individual
- family
- organisation.
- decide if you're a full member or an associate member
- a full member is a disabled person, a family with a disabled person, or a disabled persons organisation.
- associate members are friends or supporter of a disabled person or people, or an organisation that works with disabled people or delivers services for disabled people.
- complete the form online, or email us for the Word version.
What will happen next
- We will acknowledge your application when we receive it.
- Our governance team, the National Executive Committee, approve memberships every 3 months.
- If you are becoming an organisation member, you will hear from one of our membership team, who will meet with you to find out more about the work you do.
- We will let you know when you membership is approved.
Depending on your problem, we might be able to connect you with the right organisation to help you.
The details about how to get in touch with us are on our webpage: Contact us.
No, we cannot provide any legal advice or information here at DPA. We work on system-level policy changes, rather than individual advocacy.
We recommend getting in touch with Aotearoa Disability Law (formerly Auckland Disability Law), who provide free and accessible legal services to disabled people associated with their disability related legal issues.
Aotearoa Disability Law is the only specialist disability law community law centre in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Find out more at Aotearoa Disability Law.
DPA is a national pan-disability membership organisation with members all over New Zealand.
We hold regular online members meetings for our membership to connect on topics they're interested in.
There are also other disability events around the country, which you can find out about on our webpage: Events
You can also find out about events that being held by other disability organisations in our newsletter: Information Exchange.
If you are a member, you can join our membership and identify
You can also find out about what we're doing in our weekly newsletter: Information Exchange.
You can also follow us on social media:
- BlueSky
- Instagram.
No, we cannot help with individual employment problems, as we work on system-level policy changes, rather than individual advocacy.
However, we are genuinely interested in hearing about your experiences, as your experience can inform our advocacy efforts.
Additionally, we may be able to provide you with information that can help direct you to the appropriate organisations that specialise in employment-related issued for disabled people.
No, we cannot provide any housing advice or information here at DPA, as we don't provide individual advocacy services. Rather we work on system-level policy changes.
However, we are genuinely interested in hearing about your experiences, as these stories can greatly inform our advocacy efforts.
Additionally, we may be able to provide you with information that can help direct you to the appropriate organisations that specialise in housing-related issued for disabled people.
A good place to go is Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission. They offer a free and confidential dispute resolution service for complaints about unlawful discrimination and other prohibited behaviours under the Human Rights Act.
Find out more about the Human Rights Commission.
We are delighted to hear about your passion for disability rights!
We have a vacancies section of our website where we list any job openings – here at DPA and at other organisations.
These include paid and volunteer positions, including governance positions.
Find the latest jobs for the disability community.