Hon Ruth Dyson
Minister for Disability Issues
28 June 2007

Speech to CCS breakfast celebrating UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Banquet Hall, Parliament

Rau rangatira maa,
tenei te mihi ki a koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te ra.
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

[Distinguished guests, greetings to you gathered here for this purpose today. Greetings once, twice, three times to you all.]

I want to congratulate CCS for its ongoing work to raise awareness of disability issues and change the public's attitudes and I'd particularly like to acknowledge Viv Maidaborn for her staunch advocacy and the CCS team across the country.

As we've just seen, earlier this year I joined with 80 other States in making a global commitment to improve the life experiences of disabled people. I was proud and honoured to sign New Zealand up to the new Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

This was the culmination of four years of efforts by Nations, and was a momentous day for New Zealand, which has taken a high profile leadership role in negotiations. We have used our experience with the New Zealand Disability Strategy as the basis of our advocacy.

We also tried to model the inclusion and participation of disabled people in the negotiation process.

Disabled people were part of all New Zealand official delegation to the United Nations in New York.

Officials also consulted with disability sector organisations throughout the negotiation process, which informed the positions taken by the New Zealand delegation.

I recognise the valuable contribution of CCS throughout this process, particularly in the areas of rights for children and education. Our advocacy was made the stronger for it and for the contribution of others.

This Convention, which will become legally binding on those Nations that ratify it, establishes a shift in thinking on how governments should treat disabled people.

It states that disabled people should have opportunities, choices and rights on the same basis as non-disabled people.

The Convention spans a wide range of real-life issues in considerable detail, including accessibility, personal mobility, health, education, employment, rehabilitation, participation in political life, equality and non-discrimination.

While the United Nations has had a strong commitment to human rights since its inception, these rights have not been universally enjoyed by all people.

This is why conventions that are specific to population groups have been advanced in recent years. Two examples are Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and Convention on the Rights of Children.

These conventions do not create new rights, but instead make explicit that States have obligations to ensure all of their citizens can enjoy the full range of human rights.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities follows this model.

The next step for New Zealand is to ratify the Convention.

This involves government officials reviewing New Zealand legislation and policy to ensure there are no significant inconsistencies with the Convention. This review process is happening during 2007. If there are inconsistencies, then steps will need to be taken to resolve the difference.

CCS Awareness Week is a key vehicle to focus attention and efforts, and contribute to transforming New Zealand from a disabling to an enabling society.

The theme for this year's Awareness Week is "A Home of Your Choice". This is based on article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and objective 8 of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

The New Zealand Housing Strategy also refers to the need for the use of universal design principles in state and private housing, so that housing is built from the start with flexibility of use in mind.

These frameworks call for disabled people to be able to live in their community, in a place that they choose to call home, and be supported to lead independent, quality lives from wherever they live.

Traditionally, if you required support you had to live where this was provided - such as in an institution, or staffed home. But we are now moving towards support wherever you choose to live and our Labour-led government continues to invest in this approach.

It is timely that research has recently been completed into the housing needs of disabled people, and in particular people with mobility impairment. This was a joint-funded project between the Office for Disability Issues and the Centre for Housing Research New Zealand.

The research, released in May, states that disabled people's housing needs are not being met by the current housing stock.

This research further indicates that New Zealand is not well placed to meet an increased demand for accessible housing. The housing market and the public do not fully appreciate the market opportunities for accessible housing or the advantages of universal design.

The priorities for New Zealand should be in 'future-proofing' its mainstream housing with universal and accessible design, improving policy and funding for home modifications customised for individual needs, building capacity in the housing and disability sectors to optimise accessibility, and finally, making more efficient use of housing stock that has already been modified.

Overseas, successful housing programmes for people with impaired mobility have systematically combined regulatory, incentive and capacity building strategies. Regulation on its own does not work.

This research is valuable evidence and provides an insight to the challenges people with disabilities continue to face.

I look forward to working with my colleagues and on taking action to progress a response to the report's recommendations.

Just as the Convention is the product of a remarkable partnership between governments and civil society, CCS has played a partnership role with government over many years in its role as an advocate for and supporter of disabled New Zealanders.

The partnership role you have played in the past has contributed to the building of a more inclusive New Zealand and I look forward to working with you in the future towards the same goal under your new branding and identity.

Thank you and enjoy the day.

ENDS

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