Disabled communities are under attack, time to push back

Over the past few months disabled people and whānau hauā across Aotearoa have been under increasing stress. While those in power have been trying to ‘reduce costs’ or ‘stabilise the system’, we have been feeling the impact of the decisions made regarding our communities – and it’s taking a toll.

The Government has created uncertainty around our funding, our young learners’ education, our access to housing, and those who care for us, just to name a few. We have received a lot of bad news lately.

The Department of Internal Affairs has decided to disestablish the Lottery Individuals with Disabilities Committee. So many people rely on that fund to cover the costs of vehicles, equipment and assistance dogs, to support us accessing community and give us the freedom to live the lives we choose. There’s a risk that, without an expert committee, access to funding will be more difficult.

The Ministry of Transport has made cuts to the Total Mobility Scheme by reducing the subsidy from 75% to 65%. Our ability to get to work, school and generally participate in society will now be more expensive and challenging.

Kāinga Ora has scrapped its target to ensure 15% of the housing they build is accessible. The agency also plans to increase rent for people living in social housing, which includes 27,000 disabled people across Aotearoa. Our housing options are already so limited, this will make more disabled people face homelessness, or being forced to live in inadequate and unsafe houses.

The Disability Minister’s proposal to ‘clarify’ the purpose of Disability Support Services will put more pressure onto whānau carers. Disabled people deserve dignity in the care they receive, whether we have family members providing that care or not, and no matter how much money we earn.

The Ministry of Education’s new school qualification will harm disabled learners, in an education system that already is not designed to meet disabled students’ needs.

All these decisions are making our lives smaller and more restricted.

We’ve had enough. We demand more. We deserve clear information - no more confusing announcements about policies and services that are meant to help us. We deserve to have our voices heard, to be considered as full human beings deserving of support and care. We deserve more options.

As disabled people, we are the experts in our own experience.

As a bare minimum, the Government should:

• Come up with alternative options to fund mobility vans, assistance dogs and other accessibility tools so we don’t rely on gambling money.

• Not just offer us a Total Mobility subsidy, make public transport free for disabled people (like it is in London)

• Make all public housing accessible and affordable, and ensure it meets Universal Design Standards

• Ensure all whānau and carers have the resources and support they need to support disabled people, without putting their own wellbeing at risk

• Create pathways for disabled learners to reach their potential in the education system.

We deserve leaders who listen to us and actively design systems in equal partnership with us.

If you want to push back and mobilise for change, come along to The D*List’s letter writing sessions this week.