A Pacific disability civic organisation is advocating for the New Zealand government to include a Ministry for Disabled Peoples.
Photo: Supplied / Tōfa Mamao
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Tōfa Mamao Collective is an independent grassroots community group championing the voices of Pacific disabled people, their families and carers.
The Health and Disability System Review report, released this year, recommended the future of disability support services come under the district health boards.
That included funding for disability services, which currently sits with the Ministry of Health, be devolved to DHBs.
However the national executive officer, Tunumafono Fa'amoetauloa Avaula Fa'amoe, said that recommendation was counter-productive and would undo a lot of advocacy work done by the disability community to get them recognised under the social model.
"A long time ago disability was viewed through religious and superstitious eyes, which impacted negatively on disabled people and their families and that evolved into a medical model.
"Disabled people were defined by their disability, rather than as citizens that have aspirations and dreams like everybody else, so following from that in the 1990s, thanks to sustained advocacy of many family members and disabled people themselves, the social model was in place and that really answered the aspirations of a lot of disabled people in terms of being recognised as an equal citizen people and require support just like anybody else."
Tunumafono wrote a submission letter to Chris Hipkins in July, followed by an online petition asking for the creation of a Ministry for Disabled Peoples following the Health and Disability System Review report.
"Having our own ministry is not a new idea.
"Tōfa Mamao has volunteered to take some leadership in spearheading this idea that will be catering to all disability communities in New Zealand. We have population-based ministries such as Ministry for Women and Ministry for Pacific Peoples and all of those ministries employ people from those communities with insight and lived experiences that helps design national policies and services to cater to those populations."
Tunumafono explained that the DHBs had a lot of responsibilities, which meant a lot of pressures.
"We have seen those pressures come to fruition under Covid-19, so if we have disability services under DHBs, we become low priority when the pressures are on and you've got competing interests within a huge organisation."
The submission letter cc'd Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, as well as Carmel Sepuloni, Aupito William Sio and Jenny Salesa.
He said the submission received an automated response from the MPs at the time, and they still have not heard back from anyone.
"We are also mindful that it was during the election campaign, so we had little expectations to be approached by the MPs, but now that the government has formed, we do expect to have some discussions in one form or another regarding the letter.
"We are hoping to strike 5000 and more signatures to our petition before we physically act on handing it over," Tunumafono said.