Gary Williams,
DPA chief executive officer

Prime Minister, Minister Dalziel, other distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen and all those people in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch and Dunedin:
I feel privileged to be here to respond to the Government's launch of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

This is an historical occasion for New Zealand and the New Zealand Government.

We now have a disability strategy and it is a very positive step forward. We, disabled people, applaud the commitment and vision of all those responsible for making it happen.

I also congratulate the Government for officially recognising that it is society that disables people and that there is a difference between "disability" and "impairment".

With the understanding that disability is just an artificial, man-made construct, so we can begin to understand that humankind has the ability to eliminate it.

Impairments are a natural part of humanity that cannot and should not be eliminated. Diversity must be celebrated.

The vision of the strategy is a "fully inclusive society". I, as a disabled person, believe that this is the Government's commitment to me and to all disabled people. We applaud this visionary basis for all Government policies, processes and practices.

But such a vision can only be realised if actions speak louder than words.

As with any political document, the actions in the strategy are a compromise between what's really required and what society believes it can do.

This strategy points to attitude as the biggest barrier facing disabled people. Our society is all the poorer for its attitude. For example:

• Some people think it's okay to lock disabled people away because they might be dangerous.
• Disabled people are captives in an environment because an industry needs people to be dependent.
• Ordinariness doesn't include disabled people.
• Ignorance still feeds the "not in my back yard" syndrome.
• Deaf people still can't phone anyone in New Zealand even though their counterparts in Australia or the US can.