Open letter: Enable disabled people, family and whānau to thrive
Open letter: Enable disabled people, family and whānau to thrive to Minister Upston and Minister Willis.
Disability funding changes
On 18 March 2024, Whaikaha announced changes to the Purchasing Rules and Equipment Modification Service (EMS). These changes came into place immediately, restricting the use of funding in a way that impacts on disabled people, their family, whānau, supporters and carers. DPA is working with other organisations, calling for the reverse of these changes. Here, we document the work we are doing.
DPA Media Release: 52 organisations back call for ministers to reverse disability funding cuts
Disabled Persons Assembly NZ (DPA) has released an open letter that calls on ministers Upston and Willis to fully reverse the 18 March disability support restrictions and ensure disabled people have the resources and the flexibility needed to thrive.
Speech at public meeting about funding cuts, Porirua, 28 April 2024
DPA's President Joanne Dacombe joined disability advocates and the community at a public meeting in Wellington organised by Labour MP for Mana, Barbara Edmonds, to discuss the recent changes to disability support funding announced and implemented on 18 March. Joanne delivered the following speech.
Disability funding changes – how are you? A DPA survey
We want to check in with you and see how you're doing. There's a lot going on with last Wednesday's announcement that Hon. Louise Upston was replacing Hon. Penny Simmonds as the Minister for Disability Issues – bringing disability into Cabinet once more.
DPA media release: Shuffling the chairs on the Titanic won’t resolve underfunding of disability support - 24 April 2024
Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA) welcomes the move to place the new disability Minister position inside Cabinet but is concerned that on its own the move will not resolve the underlying issue of chronic underfunding of disability support.