The Short Story

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Until around 1900 people with disability were usually cared for by their families. Many people were disabled by accidents or injuries, in occupations such as in mining or forestry.

Early organisations

Two early organisations for disabled people were:

• the Sumner Deaf and Dumb Institution in Christchurch (now the Van Asch Deaf Education Centre), founded in 1880
• the Jubilee Institute for the Blind (now the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind), which opened in Auckland in 1890.

War

Many soldiers were disabled in wars, particularly the First World War. Institutions were set up to care for them.

Changing attitudes

Over time, attitudes to disabled people and how to help them have changed. Disabled people used to be seen as needing charity, and were often put into institutions. In the 20th century disability became seen as a medical problem to be cured, if possible. From the 1970s it was argued that people had impairments rather than disabilities, and that it was other people’s attitudes that stopped those with impairments from fully participating in society. Many large institutions that cared for disabled people closed, and community care became favoured.

Organisations for disabled people

Most organisations for disabled people are run by non-disabled people, although this has been changing. Some of the most important organisations are:

• Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
• National Foundation for the Deaf
• CCS Disability Action, which focuses on physically disabled people
• IHC New Zealand, for intellectually disabled people.

Organisations of disabled people

Some organisations are run by disabled people themselves. They include:

• Disabled Persons Assembly
• Ngāti Kāpo o Aotearoa, an organisation for Māori with disabilities
• the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand
• Aotearoa Network of Psychiatric Survivors
• Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand.

Sports organisations

Organisations for disabled people who are involved in sports include:

• Paralympics New Zealand, for physically disabled sportspeople
• Special Olympics New Zealand, for athletes with intellectual disabilities
• Deaf Sport Federation of New Zealand.

Disability rates

Around 20% of New Zealanders have some kind of disability. However, only 12% of those have a severe disability.

As people age, they are more likely to have a disability. Men are slightly more likely to have a disability than women.

Common disabilities

The most common disabilities in adults affect

• mobility – having difficulty walking short distances
• agility – not being able to bend
• hearing.

The most common in children are learning difficulties and serious health problems.