The New Zealand Disability Strategy 2026-2030

sAFEGUARDING FOUNDATIONS

When first developed in 2016, the New Zealand Disability Strategy explained that:

“Disability is something that happens
when people with impairments face barriers in society;
it is society that disables us, not our impairments,
this is the thing all disabled people have in common.

“It is something that happens when the world we live in
has been designed by people who assume that everyone is the same.”

— Office for Disability Issues, 2016

The New Zealand Disability Strategy 2026-2030 gives direction to government agencies on issues that disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori and whānau say are important. 

The Strategy includes:

A vision and principles to set the direction for the strategy, and guide work across government for disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori.
Five priority outcome areas of education, employment, health, housing and justice. Each has a goal and a set of actions to support the goal.
A monitoring approach to measure the government’s progress towards delivering the strategy.

It’s based on three foundations that are important for disabled people:

the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and human rights
and the Treaty of Waitangi (te Tiriti o Waitangi).

Find out about the Strategy’s vision and principles, and how you can apply them at your place below.

Vision for the NZ Disability Strategy

The vision of the NZ Disability Strategy:

New Zealand is an equitable and accessible place

for all disabled people and their whānau

– where disabled people

thrive, contribute, and choose

the lives they want to lead.

Principles of the NZ Disability Strategy

The Strategy’s principles are key values that make sure the Strategy reflects the things that are important to disabled people. VisAble has provided practical guidance on how you can give effect to the principles.

For your action:

Safeguarding providers / professionals and health practitioners are encouraged to become familiar with the principles in the Disability Strategy 2026-2030 and decide how you can apply and honour them at your place.

VisAble has provided practical guidance for you on each of the principles.

The principles are:

This principle recognises that accessibility is fundamental to participation and inclusion. When environments and services are designed from the beginning with accessibility in mind, they benefit everyone, not just disabled people.
How VisAble can help?
You can access VisAble’s guidance on accessibility, for safeguarding providers, and for professionals and practitioners – and for anyone interested in enabling accessibility at their place.
This principle recognises that disabled people have the same rights as other people to make decisions about their own lives, including using supported decision-making. It asserts the value ‘nothing about us without us’, and that disabled individuals are the experts in their own lives.
How VisAble can help?
You can access VisAble’sguidance on supported decision-making, designed for tāngata whaikaha Māori, disabled people, and their families, whānau and caregivers; as well as for safeguarding providers, and professionals and practitioners.
This principle brings together concepts of equity, non-discrimination and inclusion. It acknowledges that disabled individuals belong to diverse whānau, communities and cultures, each with their own unique identities, values and practices. It recognises people should not face barriers because of the different parts of their identities.
How VisAble can help?
You can access VisAble’s guidance on inclusiveness, designed for safeguarding providers, and for professionals and practitioners – as well as for the New Zealand public.
This principle recognises that disabled people have the right to be active members of their communities and cultures, participating in all aspects of life. It is wider society’s role to help ensure participation and inclusion of disabled people.
How VisAble can help?
You can access VisAble’s guidance on inclusiveness, designed for safeguarding providers, and for professionals and practitioners – and well as for the New Zealand public.
This principle recognises that disabled people thrive when barriers are broken down, society holds positive attitudes about disability, and disabled people are valued members of society.

How VisAble can help?
VisAble works directly with disabled people and with those with lived experience of family violence and sexual violence, to understand barriers and concerns about accessing support and services, from their perspectives - and to share those insights with government agencies and safeguarding organisations, as well as with other service providers, so that those barriers and concerns can be heard and addressed.