DPA's Information Exchange - 13 February 2021
In this week's Info Exchange:
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DPO Coalition News
A brief overview of the DPO Coalition's activities over the last few months:
Education – The DPO Coalition had a useful workshop with the Ministry of Education on how to incorporate disability into all education policy and services. We reinforced the need for a truly inclusive education system that delivers education for all students (recognising the needs of Deaf students for a ‘twin track’ that delivers the same outcomes). There was specific discussion about how to improve reasonable accommodations and support, including the need to move on from the ‘stop-gap’ teacher aide system.
System Transformation – A lot of good progress has been made to deliver on the Enabling Good Lives principles and make choice and control a core part of service design. The DPO Coalition has previously raised concerns that this good progress must not be derailed by the recommendations of the Health and Disability System Review. We have raised our concerns with our Minister and also written to the Prime Minister. There are strong signals that our views are supported and we await decisions in on this significant issue.
Covid-19 Videos – Important videos have been released on the experiences of disabled people during the Covid-19 pandemic. You can watch the first of these on DPA's Facebook page: Disabled People's Experiences of Covid-19 | Ep.1 Food & Shopping.
Parliamentary Services and Office of the Clerk sign the Accessibility Charter – Access to Parliament is important for all of us and disabled people should be able to access Parliament on an equal basis with others. On 3 December, the International Day of People with Disabilities, Hon Trevor Mallard Speaker of the House, Hon David Wilson Clerk of the House, and Rafael Gonzalez-Montero Chief Executive, affirmed their respective commitments to the Accessibility Charter. The DPO Coalition highlights the significance of Parliament’s two administrative agencies signing the Charter on 3 December 2020: Parliamentary Services and the Office of the Clerk. This is a significant step in Parliament’s journey to become fully accessible.
Disability leadership development – We are working to increase the number of disabled people in leadership roles. This includes community roles, governance board roles, Government working groups and others. The Disability Action Plan includes a priority for development of disabled leaders and we are working with the Office for Disability Issues on what needs to be done. If you have views or want to be involved, please contact us info@dpa.org.nz.
Accessibility Legislation – The new Government has renewed its commitment to accessibility legislation. In December, the DPO Coalition met with the Ministry of Social Development team leading this work in partnership with the Access Alliance, and in working with the DPO Coalition with respect to the Disability Action Plan objectives. Ultimately outcomes will contribute to new legislation referred to as the “Accessibility for New Zealanders Act”. The DPO Coalition wants to ensure that disabled people’s views are gathered effectively and reflected in advice on options that goes to the Minister for Disability Issues and her colleagues. The engagement process will get under way in the new year and there will be opportunities for discussion and input through each of the DPOs.
Disability Action Plan Progress Report – The first progress report on the Disability Action Plan will be out early in the new year. The report will show how each of the 29 actions is progressing. The DPO Coalition works in partnership with the Ministerial Leadership Group on Disability to monitor the Disability Action Plan.
Monitoring progress on implementing the UN Convention – The Chair of the Independent Monitoring Mechanism is rotated across the three members (Human Rights Commission, Office of the Ombudsman and DPO Coalition), approximately every six months. The DPO Coalition will take its turn as Chair of the Independent Monitoring Mechanism in February. The DPO Coalition supports the idea that it would be very positive for New Zealand to complete its own examination against the UN Convention in 2021.
General election – DPOs have received a lot of feedback from you on the general election. In the new year, we will meet with the Electoral Commission to debrief on the election and agree on early engagement to prepare for 2023.
Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission – The Commission is engaging well with the DPO Coalition and acknowledges our concerns that He Ara Oranga did not engage well. Their focus is on wellbeing overall (so that mental health is not considered in isolation) and development of an outcomes framework for wellbeing in New Zealand. The Commission’s second report raises issues from the community and the need for a plan to implement all of He Ara Oranga. The new Commission will be up and running this month as a Te Tiriti genuine partner. The DPO Coalition is providing input on the report and on development of indicators and measures for the outcomes framework.
Digital Council – We met with the Digital Council which advises Government on maximizing societal benefits from digital technologies (examples include: music streaming, medical diagnoses, and entitlements to Government services). The first report will address whether the technologies are trustworthy and if they are, do we actually trust them. The DPO Coalition suggested that to be trusted, a technology needed to understand each person’s specific situation / context and its decisions needed perform well against the UN Convention and human rights obligations. If the technology cannot meet these requirements, then it should not be used. “If my life is going to be affected by the decisions of a computer programme, then someone like me should be involved in development of that computer programme.” After trust, the next issue for 2021 is digital inclusion.
Welfare reform – There is a large programme of Welfare reform work. We met with the Income Support team to discuss Disability Allowance, medical certificates and Supported Living Payment. The DPO Coalition view was that all disabled people should be eligible regardless of ‘other’ circumstances unless these can be shown to comply with human rights or the UN Convention. Criteria driven by relationship status are particularly inequitable. A person’s situation and needs change and often the allowance system is too rigid or bureaucratic to accommodate this. Dedicated workshops are being arranged to continue this discussion. We will also engage with other Welfare Reform workstreams.
Attitudes and social change – The Disability Rights Commissioner has started important work on a campaign to improve attitudes toward disabled people and to emphasise social inclusion. Prudence Walker, Chief Executive, DPA is our representative on this work.
How Government engages with disabled people – We are working with the Office for Disability Issues to update their guidelines to Government agencies on how to engage with disabled people. The focus is to ensure that Government engages early, gets good advice, and delivers results that are consistent with the UN Convention and human rights. If you want to be involved, please contact one of the seven DPOs.
Voice of disabled people – The DPO Coalition is the go-to for Government when it needs to engage with the voice of disabled people. We are continually looking for new member organisations to join the DPO Coalition to increase our coverage across the disability community. New member organisations must represent disabled people who are not already represented by an existing member.
The DPO Coalition is: DPA, Blind Citizens NZ, People First NZ, Deaf Aotearoa, Kāpo Māori O Aotearoa, Balance Aotearoa and the Muscular Dystrophy Association of New Zealand.
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Census feedback sessions
The Census engagement team is running a series of sessions around the country in February and March focused on:
- gathering feedback around the 2018 Census tools
- understanding the impacts of 2018 Census delays and data quality
- talking about intentions for census products in 2023.
If you would like to take part, sign up to register your attendance using this registration form.
Sessions
Auckland, Wednesday 24 February 10:00am
Wellington, Monday 1 March 10:00am
Wellington, Tuesday 2 March 2:00pm
Palmerston North, Thursday 4 March 10:00am
Christchurch, Tuesday 16 March 10:00am
Dunedin, Thursday 18 March 10:00am
The Census engagement team also be publishing an online survey in early March to collect this information - we will let you know when the survey is available.
If you have any questions or would like to arrange a virtual meeting to discuss feedback, email censusrequests@stats.govt.nz.
- At the end of last year DPA made a submission on the 2023 Census recommending the inclusion of additional question/s in the Census to enable people with impairments or long-term conditions that are not captured well by the Washington Short Set to be identified in the Census and ensure that the pool of participants for the Disability Survey includes these people. Read DPA's Submission on the 2023 Census.
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Human Rights Commission Senior Communications and Media Advisor vacancy
The Human Rights Commission are seeking an experienced communications professional to join the Commission on a 11-month fixed-term basis.
The role involves developing and implementing creative and influential communications strategies and tactics, managing media inquiries, and supporting the Disability Rights Commissioner, other Commissioners, and the Commission’s senior leadership and staff to help influence positive changes to human rights outcomes in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Applications close 23 February 2021.
For more information and to apply see the Human Rights Commission job ad.
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