Budget 2010 - improving attitudes to disabled people

The Government is investing $3 million over the next three years to improve the lives of disabled people by changing the attitudes and behaviours that limit their opportunities. 

The Minstry of Social Development (and Office for Disability Issues) will work in partnership with employers, educational and health services, community organisations and the media to develop a programme of activities that raise public awareness of the issues facing disabled people in New Zealand.

Consultation with disabled people undertaken for the development of the New Zealand Disability Strategy identified negative attitudes, at all levels of daily life, as the major barrier to their inclusion and participation in society. Changing negative attitudes will help reduce discriminatory behaviour and ensure that disabled people can live "ordinary" lives on an equal basis with others.

Disabled people are among the people doing most poorly on just about every social indicator we have.  Negative attitudes towards disabled people have been consistently identified as the biggest barrier to disabled people getting on and being able to access the same opportunities as most other New Zealanders.

To turn this around New Zealand must change the attitudes and resultant behaviour of key groups, in particular employers, businesses, education and health professionals, community organisations, families and disabled people themselves.  A multifaceted campaign will be developed aimed at achieving a major shift over time in how disabled people are viewed.