Alliance Party August 5, 2005

People With Disabilities Deserve Better

People with disabilities in New Zealand deserve better, according to Chris Ford, the Alliance Party's Disabilities Spokesperson who today unveiled the party's disabilities policy.

The policy has a number of key points which include:

A pledge to retain The New Zealand Disability Strategy developed in 2001 when the Alliance was in coalition government Full support for mainstream supported employment for people with disabilities including a pledge to support full wages and conditions for sheltered workshop workers Ending the disparity between Ministry of Health and ACC funded disability support entitlements Adequate funding for mainstream education for children with disabilities within either inclusive settings or special education units within ordinary schools.

"These policies will reinforce the ideal that all people with disabilities should be supported to live within their communities," said Mr Ford.

In saying this, he challenged Labour which has been cutting disability support funding for a number of years in real terms to restore full funding in this area. He also challenged the National Party to state what it would do with The New Zealand Disability Strategy given their attacks on other minority groups such as Maori.

"Labour is the party of indifference when it comes to disability support funding. National is the party of indifference when it comes to promoting disability inclusion and human rights," he added.

However, Mr Ford is hopeful that people with disabilities and their families/whanau will cast their party vote for positive, progressive policies on September 17.

ENDS

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