As I've travelled around the country in the last two months, I've been amazed at the number of people quoting from the New Zealand Disability Strategy and using it in their everyday work. The strategy was always intended to be a 'living' document, and it is heartening to see that people are finding it practical, useful and relevant.

It's great to be back in my role as Minister for Disability Issues, and to be overseeing the implementation of the strategy. Last month, Cabinet approved the action plans of 11 key government agencies, which set out the concrete actions they will take to remove the barriers faced by people with disabilities in the coming year. These plans are the first step in raising agencies' awareness of disability issues and ensuring that we make steady and measurable progress towards a fully inclusive society.

I hope you will read the plans (copies are available on the New Zealand Disability Strategy website: www.nzds.govt.nz or from the Ministry of Health), and use them as a tool for change in the same way as you are using the strategy.

Participate outlines the tasks and timeframe for a new dementia care working party, being set up in response to public concerns. Older people in dementia units are very vulnerable, and it is essential they receive the best possible care and support. We need better staff levels and training, stronger standards and a robust complaints procedure. When things go wrong, families do not always know how to complain, and they are often scared of the possible impact on their relative if they do complain. The working party will look at these and other issues, and report back by the end of the year.

This issue also covers the government's decision to separate disability support services funding into two streams, and lots of news from around the sector.

Happy reading!

Hon Ruth Dyson

Key agencies draw up disability action plans

Eleven key government agencies have drawn up action plans for 2001/2002 to implement the New Zealand Disability Strategy. The plans, which were approved by Cabinet in July, include:

• infrastructural projects such as agencies' physical access, staff training, communications and consultation;
• policy and service projects in areas like special education, disability support services and vocational services;
• projects of common interest across the public sector such as compliance with human rights legislation, equal employment opportunities and the development of a disability issues policy framework.

The 11 government agencies are the Department of Labour, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Department of Work and Income, Ministry of Social Policy, Ministry of Justice, State Services Commission, Te Puni Kökiri, Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Ministry of Women's Affairs and Ministry of Transport.

From next year, every government department will be required to produce an action plan, promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in all areas of their work.

Where agencies identify the need for more resources to implement the strategy, they will incorporate requests into their annual budget bids. This will ensure that disability issues do not become an add-on, but part of agencies' general work plans and budget considerations.

Monitoring
The government is still considering long-term arrangements for monitoring the implementation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

However, the following decisions have been made:

• The Minister for Disability Issues will report annually on progress. These reports will be publicly available and will be tabled in Parliament. The first report is due in December 2001.
• The government will conduct full reviews of overall progress towards implementing the disability strategy after five and ten years.
• People with disabilities will be involved in the monitoring process.

Copies of the government agency implementation plans are available on the website: http://www.nzds.govt.nz, or from the Ministry of Health, PO Box 5013, Wellington, phone (04) 496 2482, fax (04) 496 2010.

Accessible formats
The New Zealand Disability Strategy is now available in two new formats - a pictorial and an easy-to-read version. These publications have been developed in association with IHC, and will assist many other people to access the strategy.

The strategy is also available in large font, Braille and audiotape. For copies, please contact the Ministry of Health at the above address.

DSS funding split recognises age-related needs

The government has decided to separate disability support services funding into two streams - one for people aged 65 and over, and one for those aged under 65. The decision acknowledges the different needs of each age group, and arose out of the findings of the disability and positive ageing strategies.

The decision acknowledges that:

• The complex and serious health and disability needs of older people are not the same as the more stable needs of most younger people with disabilities. The funding split will enable the government to focus better on each group.
• Younger people's support needs typically relate to wider sectors than health, such as housing, income, education and employment. The split will encourage a broader focus on disability issues for younger people, as emphasised in the New Zealand Disability Strategy.
• It is inappropriate to have demand-driven funding for older people within the capped DSS budget of around $1.2 billion a year. Increased demand for residential care for older people has increased pressure on the provision of general disability support services and essential equipment, such as wheelchairs and hearing aids for younger people.
• The government is committed to an integrated approach to planning, funding and provision of health and support services for older people. This will be spelt out further in the draft Health of Older People Strategy, due to be released shortly.

Funding for older people will be devolved to District Health Boards if they can demonstrate their ability to provide an integrated continuum of care model. The Ministry of Health is working closely with the Canterbury and Northland DHBs to develop such a model.

Dementia care under spotlight

The Ministry of Health is setting up a dementia care working group to look at the quality of services delivered in residential care. The group, which will include provider and consumer representatives, will have its first meeting in September.

The group will consider issues such as family participation in the provision of care, staff training, complaints procedures and medical protocols. It will be asked to identify examples of best practice and to comment on critical success factors.

Working group members will be consulting widely with their own organisations and the aged care sector, including consumer representatives. A draft report, with recommendations for improving residential care services for people with dementia, will be ready by the end of the year.

For more information, contact Hazel Lewis, c/o Disability Issues Directorate, Ministry of Health, PO Box 5013, Wellington, phone 025 602 5063,
e-mail: hazel.lewis@paradise.net.nz

Online

Keep an eye out on the government's website http://www.executive.govt.nz for:

• the release of the Vocational Services Review report, Pathways to Inclusion;
• the release of the draft Health of Older People Strategy;
• a decision on the future of Kimberley;
• public meetings with providers regarding contracting and funding of aged residential care services.

Bouquets

The Auckland City Council has formed a partnership with people with disabilities in the region, called the Disability Relationship Project. The project's three priorities are:

• direct input of people with disabilities into policy and service planning;
• disability awareness training for council staff;
• communication and advocacy.

In July, the council and its Disability Advisory Group organised a workshop with city planners, businesses and decision makers, called Building an Inclusive Auckland, to develop practical solutions and improvements. A presentation of "a day in the life of Aucklanders with disabilities" by Philip Patston, Vivian Naylor and Chris Moore was particularly effective in raising awareness about the physical barriers in Auckland.

Speaking at the workshop, Ruth Dyson said the Disability Relationship Project was a great example of the New Zealand Disability Strategy in action. She said: "Your focus on the quality of the relationship - spelt out in the name of the project - is the best guarantee of your success. It is no coincidence that the first step outlined in the strategy's vision of creating a fully inclusive society is that 'people with disabilities have a meaningful relationship with government, communities and support agencies, based on respect and equality'."

Christchurch Public Hospital, in a joint initiative with the Canterbury Branch of the Association of Blind Citizens, has installed tactile number plates to indicate floor levels beside all hospital lifts.

Association vice-president Vaughan Dodd said: "All involved have shown what can be achieved when blind people and a major service provider work collaboratively. Furthermore, this is a practical demonstration by Christchurch Hospital of its commitment to the New Zealand Disability Strategy."

Local govt and DHB elections

Local Government Minister Sandra Lee is encouraging people with disabilities to stand in the local government and DHB elections in October.

At the launch of the 0800 PARTICIPATE campaign to encourage local democracy, Ms Lee said: "So much of what local government does impacts directly on the lives of people with disabilities." She added that that it was not only important that local government represented and advocated for people with disabilities, but that they had representation "on the inside - speaking out".

Nominations for candidates close on 24 August, and voting closes at noon on 13 October. For more information, visit the website: http://www.moh.govt.nz/electionsdhb or phone 0800 Participate (0800 727 842).

People can also enrol and update their enrolment details online at the elections website www.elections.org.nz. This new service is considered to be a world first, and will be particularly useful for people with disabilities.

In brief

Best practice guidelines for vocational and support services are the subject of a new publication by the Federation of Vocational and Support Service (VASS). Two sets of guidelines define best practice from users' and providers' point of view. Headings are user-focused and include "looking for your service", "my rights and responsibilities", "personal growth and development", "where is the power?", "my culture is valued", "money matters", "safety" and "how I get out". Contact VASS, PO Box 12 540, Thorndon, Wellington, phone (04) 471 1971; or (07) 871 6410; or (03) 215 6166.

The Computers Against Isolation Trust aims to obtain donated computers, preferably with e-mail and Internet access, for people with disabilities. CAI received the NZ Netguide magazine annual award in 2001 to build a website which will initially include a message board for people with disabilities in New Zealand, and later link to rehabilitation services, professional organisations and products, and café, restaurant and travel guides. Contact Wolfgang Haufe, e-mail: bbw@clear.net.nz

The National Health Committee has begun a study of services for adults with intellectual disability. The project, which is expected to take about a year, is looking at the quality and mix of government-funded services, how they impact on people's lives, and relevant literature and research. Four reference groups have been formed: adults with intellectual disability, family/whänau, service providers, and other stakeholders. Contact Stephnie Roberts, senior advisor disability in the NHC secretariat, phone (04) 495 4358, e-mail: stephnie_roberts@moh.govt.nz

A postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Autism) is being offered by the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work at Massey University. The two-year, four-paper extramural diploma is for people who have completed a pre-entry health and/or disability professional qualification. Students will need to have frequent contact with people with autism, their families or support services, and the support of employers for release time. Contact programme coordinator Maureen Arathoon, School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, Massey University, PO Box 11 222, Palmerston North, phone (06) 350 5799, fax (06) 350 5681, e-mail: M.R.Arathoon@massey.ac.nz

Ucan Tours aims to ensure easy and accessible New Zealand holidays for travellers with restricted mobility, their families and friends. Travellers can choose from four tour packages, and individual itineraries are available on request. Director Chris Wornall is a New Zealand Paralympian, event planner and manager. "I have travelled the world in my wheelchair and I know what a hassle it can be," Chris says. "Now I am offering an accessible New Zealand to the world." Contact Ucan Tours, phone/fax (03) 326 7881, e-mail: ucantours@xtra.co.nz

'The Disability Revolution in New Zealand: a Social Map' (2nd ed, 2001) gives an overview of disability in the social context. This 500-page book explains how different sectors cause disability and condition the experience of being disabled, and traces the emergence in the last 25 years of a disability social movement. Author Peter Beatson is a researcher, writer and university tutor, who has been partially sighted since birth and blind for nearly 30 years. Copies are available from Heather Hodgetts, Publications Secretary, Sociology Programme, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North, phone (06) 356 5799 extn 7877, fax (06) 350 5627. Cost incl GST and p&p: $39.95 (make cheques out to Massey University).

The Disability Issues Directorate has vacancies for two analysts/senior analysts (full-time or part-time) in Wellington. DID provides advice to government on issues specific to people with disabilities, funding and provision of disability support services, and implementation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy. Candidates should have a relevant degree, experience in policy development, and understanding of the disability sector.

For a job description and application form, contact Carole Michie, Human Resources, Ministry of Health, PO Box 5013, Wellington.