Major Issues Related To Disability In New Zealand

Equity in Service Provision

Question:

Discuss about the disability issues in New Zealand.
 

The issue related to the disability is very prominent in New Zealand for the past few decades. The person with the disable features tends to be treated on the individual level and the appropriate cure is required to be taken simultaneously. The government also tries to support the disable people and provide varied types of assistance to them, so that they can survive easily. In fact, the government also defines the suitable plans to solve the appropriate issues. The issues like equity in service provision, caregiver issues, international policy related and employment issues are planned by the government of New Zealand in an appropriate manner.

The main purpose of the essay is to identify the major issues related to the disability in the New Zealand. As the issues related to the disability are considered as the long lasting issues and it’s not only affecting the social aspects, but affecting the economic aspects as well, so it becomes essential to find out the appropriate solution for this. Other than this, to clarify the topic more  in detail, the state, voluntary, market identification, significant changes and reforms are also being defined thoroughly. (Office of Disability issues, 2014) 

For most of the 20^th century, the person with single disability and multiple disabilities are considered as the inherent problem of an individual. There are various evidences and some of the examples are also being defined for the issue of the disability. In various academic literature and the research papers, the examples are also defined which is helpful in solving the suitable issues. There are two models also defining for the issues. In the previous times, the Medical Model is defined according to which the disability issues are curable. But to overcome this, the social model was introduced which implies the aspects in the social context and institutional practices. (tatou, 2014). This model would be helpful in improving the major aspects related to the disability issues.

There are various major issues which are defined on the disability. Firstly, the social model believes in the process of capacity building, the issues is that the government needs to be prepared themselves for more ideas with the agenda to solve the issues related to the capacity building. Secondly, the issues are generated when the same employment opportunities are being provided to the disable people and the non –disable or normal people depend on their deservance. Similarly, the third issue is related to the providing the personal assistance to the disable people and their families rather than the normal people. All these individual issues are related to the disability issues, which are being observed in the New Zealand. To solve these aspects, there are various methods and the plans which are introduced and helpful in making the process easier. 

State, Voluntary and market identification: The state of disability issue in the initial days were very miserable. The ministry of the social policy in the New Zealand proclaims that approximately 11% of the people show their dependency on the wider level. With the changing society trend, the state of the disability aspect  requires to get changed under various reforms and the changes which is under developmental aspects can be improved on the wider level (United Nation Human Rights, 2014). The ministry of social development is still focusing on the major aspects related to the process and trying to avoid the negative situations as soon as possible.

Caregiver Issues

The Voluntary sector is the aspect in which the suitable policies and the solutions are being provided by the different sectors, which are offering the suitable solutions to the disability issues. The revenue department of the New Zealand Voluntarily comes forward for the moral initiative to promote this. Through that regime, they provide the exemption from the tax to the disable people. By this, the employment aspects are getting stronger and appropriate. Similarly, the social development department provides the disability allowances and the financial assistance to the people who are facing the issues relate to the disability. This is considered under the category of the voluntary activities and by this, the suitable assistance is also being provided to the disable people. The department of the Labor situated in the New Zealand also propounded its voluntary activities by providing the appropriate assistance in the policies and the rules related to the services. In contrast to the disability issues, the market identification is also considered as important, because the appropriate market will be helpful to provide the suitable assistance and support for the disable people (American Psychological association). All the important markets, which are helpful in promoting the aspects related to the disability issues can be considered on the wider level. By selecting all these aspects as per the requirement, the disability issues can be solved to the larger extend. 

As it is defined in the paragraphs above that there are various disability issues introduced in the New Zealand. To avoid the changes, there are various policies, committees and the process are defined on the wide level. These policies are helpful in bringing the significant changes and the reforms in the process of the disability. The major reforms and the changes through policies are defined below with their well defined objectives.

The introduction of the social model is considered as the most important change which is identified in the disability issues. The social model possesses two basic approaches which are related to the right based approach and the community based approach. Both of these approaches are helpful in solving the issues  related to the disability in the New Zealand. The right based approach mainly believes in the process of the capacity building, in which the policy planning, evaluation and the research aspects are considered as important. While in contrast to the community based approach, the “Society and its appropriate values are helpful in enhancing the suitable qualities”. In  fact, there are various aspects related to the capacity building which are helpful in enhancing the skills related to the disability issues. Some of the common skills are providing the best education facility for the disabled people, employment opportunity provided to the people, providing the foster leadership to the disable people and many other different types of facilities (Stace, 2015). The social model is considered as the key model which is helpful in bringing the major changes in the life of the disable people.

Other than this, there is another policy introduced which relates to the Disability Support Advisory Committee (DSAC). This particular committee also helps in introducing the suitable changes in the society and the life of the common people. The major objectives related to the DSAC are the attitudinal changes which provide the social assistance to the people, appropriate policy and the planning which are helpful in changing the aspects related to the policy development, strong and effective communication which assists in coordinating with the people easily and working on the inter sectoral basis, so that the barriers related to the participation of he disable people can be removed easily.

The other significant change or reform related to the disability issue in New Zealand, is aimed to sort out by propagating the suitable model known as the New Model for he DSS, which was introduced in May 2010. This new model would be helpful in identifying the current challenges and also targeted to remove in  a well defined manner. The cross government issues, the issues related to the disabled people, chronic diseases and many other aspects can only be solved by implementing the appropriate solution in the positive direction. The changes or reforms which can be introduced to make the changes are providing early intervention and the rehabilitation, enabling the mobility and access community around, improvement in the supports to make live possible and many other aspects are helpful in improving the standard of living of the disable people.

There are various other factors which are helpful in improving the process. To change the aspect of the disability, the appropriate steps should also be taken.  

Conclusion:

By assuming the various aspects and the observations above, it is quite clear that the disability issues is the considered as the most prominent area to be focused. The factors and the causes which are responsible or the disability issues should find out about the rapid level and should be tried to remove as soon as possible. The government of the New Zealand is continuously looking forward for the new plans and opportunity to the disable people. But, as the area of disability is considered as the most miserable area, so more improved plans should be prepared to solve the issues in an easy way. It is recommended that the identification of the suitable policies should be done on an appropriate level. The human rights commission of the New Zealand is also trying hard to achieve the appropriate targets. These targets are mainly working in favor of the disable people. Also, the role of the government bodies is also considered on the very wide level. Without the government help, the future aspects relate to the disability issues cannot be fulfilled.  

References

American Psychological association. (n.d.). Disability Issues Office. 

Office of Disability issues. (2014, May). Disability in New Zealand: A changing perspective. 

Stace, H. (2015, February 15). Disability Policy in New Zealand. 

tatou, K. (2014). Information and Guide for Implementation of the New Zealand. 

United Nation Human Rights. (2014). Issues related to disability policy.