New Zealand Disability Strategy
The Ministry of Education is one of several government departments leading the implementation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy. Human Resources is responsible for leading the implementation and monitoring of the Strategy within the Ministry.
In April 2001, the former Prime Minister, Rt. Hon Helen Clark, launched the New Zealand Disability Strategy, Making a World of Difference - Whakanui Oranga. The aim of the strategy is to remove the barriers which prevent disabled people from participating fully in society.
The former Prime Minister said, "Our society is built in ways which assume we can all move quickly from one side of the road to the other, that we can all see signs, read directions, hear announcements, reach buttons, climb stairs, open heavy doors, interpret complex information and that we all have stable moods and perceptions. For one in five New Zealanders with a long-term disability, that is not necessarily the case. Many can't reach their potential, or participate fully in our communities because of the barriers they face doing everyday things."
Each government department is required to develop an annual Disability Strategy implementation work plan with goals and actions.
The ministry's implementation work plans can be found at the bottom of this page.
At the end of each year covered by the work plans, departments are required to prepare a progress report. From 2007-2008, the work plans below include a progress report for the previous year. Earlier progress reports can be read on the Office for Disability Issues website.
The Minister for Disability Issues is required to report annually to Parliament on progress in implementing the NZ Disability Strategy.