DPO Coalition key messages for May 2025

The DPO Coalition meets with a wide range of agencies. The objective of our meetings with officials is always to get improved outcomes for disabled people. We regularly discuss the need to ensure accessibility and to uphold the rights of disabled people under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“the Disability Convention”).

This set of Key Messages covers our DPO Coalition meeting in May 2025. Our apologies for the lateness these reach everyone.

The DPO Coalition meets with a wide range of agencies. The objective of our meetings with officials is always to get improved outcomes for disabled people. We regularly discuss the need to ensure accessibility and to uphold the rights of disabled people under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“the Disability Convention”).

This set of Key Messages covers our DPO Coalition meeting in May 2025. Our apologies for the lateness these reach everyone.

Whaikaha | Ministry of Disabled People

Workshop on draft Vision, Principles and Approach of the new Disability Strategy
The DPO Coalition was involved in a workshop with Whaikaha and Te Amokura to provide input to the draft Vision, Principles and Approach of the new Disability Strategy. Whaikaha will collate the themes into a draft Vision and Principles report for the DPO Coalition to provide feedback on in June.

The DPO Coalition supporting having photos taken during the workshop with Whaikaha. DPOs have shared these on their respective social media platforms.

Regular meeting
We met with Whaikaha’s Chief Executive Paula Tesoriero, the Deputy Chief Executive Policy and Insights Ben O’Meara, and the Deputy Chief Executive Outreach and Innovation Rebecca Elvy.

The DPO Coalition talked with Whaikaha about its work programme, refreshing the New Zealand Disability Strategy and its structure.

We also talked about many other topics include the many challenges disabled people are experiencing such as cost of disability and standard of living, and accessibility in the broadest terms to housing, education, transport, and mental health services. Identification requirements and inconsistencies by banks and retailers and their lack of knowledge around the Kiwi Access Card as a form of ID, were also raised.

There was also an opportunity to discuss the Chief Executive’s upcoming trip to the Conference of States Parties in New York early in June.

Refresh of the Lead Toolkit

The DPO Coalition met with the Programme Lead, Employment Pathways Lilian Singson and Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive Loren Savage to discuss work happening with refreshing the Lead Toolkit. This is a valuable resource for employers, leaders, managers and human resource professionals to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for disabled people.

Developed by the Ministry of Social Development in 2016, the Lead Toolkit has been transferred to Whaikaha where one of its 2025 strategic priorities is employment of disabled people in the public service.

The refreshed Lead Toolkit will be combined with the Inclusive Recruitment Guidance recently drafted by Whaikaha. Both sets of guidance form a suite of accessible employment guidelines which will be made available online with printable versions of the e-booklet.

The DPO Coalition welcomed the opportunity to provide input into this work.

Health Quality and Safety Commission

The DPO Coalition met with the Health Quality and Safety Commission’s Senior Manager, System Safety Strategy. We provided input in response to five core questions to assist with the development of a national system safety strategy for the health and disability system in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Health Quality and Safety Commission’s development of this strategy is at the request of the Minister of Health as defined in the Government Policy Statement (GPS) supporting Aotearoa New Zealand’s commitment to minimising harm and improving health care.

Department of Internal Affairs

The DPO Coalition met with the Senior Advisor of the Department of Internal Affairs to discuss the updates to the Te Puna Tahua Lottery Grants Board’s draft outcomes framework. The DPO Coalition also received an update on the new data dashboard reporting which will support the Lottery Grants Board decision-making and identify where the Lottery Grant funding is most needed in the community.

The DPO Coalition met with the Principal Disability Advisor and the Disability team from the Ministry of Social Development to discuss the current issues relating to benefit changes and sanctions. The DPO Coalition received an update on system changes, long-term sustainability of disability benefits and sought clarification on the use of artificial intelligence.

Voice of disabled people

The DPO Coalition is the first place that the Government goes to when wanting to engage with the voice of disabled people. We are continually looking for new member organisations to join the DPO Coalition to increase our coverage across the disability community. New members must represent disabled people who are not already represented by an existing member. If you would like to apply, please email the Secretariat at: us-dpo@groups.io.