6. Laws and Policies: In 1854 Institutions were established for people who experienced mental illness. The Lunatics Ordinance in 1856 provided safety and custody of those who were considered dangerously insane, and the care of those who were of unsound mind (Office for Disability Issues, n.d.) The Eugenics movement began in the 19th century (also known as racial fitness) This was a weeding out process of those without good stock. Targeting those who were weak, ill, or unsound mind and placing them into institutions. Separation of men and women who fell into the above categories was also strictly enforced to prevent pregnancy and children that may carry on those traits. (Office for Disability Issues, n.d.)
Until 1916 New Zealand identified people through a census as deaf and dumb, blind, lunatics, idiots, epileptics, paralyzed, crippled and or deformed. The Mental Defectives Act of 1911 differentiated the mental illness classification from people of unsound mind, mentally in-firmed, idiots, imbeciles, the feeble minded, and epileptics. (Office for Disability Issues, n.d.)
In 1924 Legislation was passed allowing a pension for the blind. In 1929 Templeton Farm in Christchurch was opened for “high-grade imbeciles and low-grade feeble-minded cases that did not have any other medical conditions” (Office for Disability Issues, n.d.). This change in treatment was a result of the increased awareness of the soldiers that were returning home from World War I. The Disabled Servicemen’s League was established after World War II. These services were available to civilians approx. 1954. (Office for Disability Issues, n.d.)
1972 Royal Commission in Psychopaedic Hospitals, and the push to build smaller residential homes and buildings rather than institutions for those who were diagnosed with a mental illness that were appropriate. The Accident Compensation Act of 1972 provided services for those that were injured due to an accident. The Disabled Persons Community Act of 1975 gave disabled people who were not eligible for the ACA access to help in their community (Office for Disability Issues, n.d.)
In 2000-2001 New Zealand developed the New Zealand Disability Strategy. This strategy is based on the social model of disability, which distinguishes the disability that people have and the access to participate in society. In 2002 the Office for Disability Issues was set up to focus on disability across the government and implement and monitory the New Zealand Strategy (Office for Disability Issues, n.d.). In 2016 there was a revision to the New Zealand Disability Strategy to better support the disabled New Zealanders and their families.
7. UNCRP– (United Nations Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities). New Zealand did participate and is involved. New Zealand contributed to the convention with its Disability Strategy as mentioned above. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted by the General Assembly on December 2006. New Zealand ratified the CRPD on September 8, 2008 (New Zealand Ministry of Justice,” n.d.). New Zealand added the Optional Protocol on October 5, 2016. The Optional Protocol states that if a person with a disability feels that they have had their rights breached under the Convention, they have the right to make a complaint to the United Nations on the Rights of the Persons with Disability (New Zealand Ministry of Justice,” n.d.).
8.Education: In March of 2006 There was approximately 73% of an estimated 10,900 disable children ages 5 and younger were enrolled in educational services. 99% of 74,000 disabled children ages 5-14 were enrolled in educational services. 18% of 13,600 were in secondary schools (archive/stats.nz, 2006). I was unable to locate specific stats of graduation for students with disability from high school and or college.
The types of services that are available in the New Zealand educational system include IEP-Individual Educational Plans, individual Programs, teacher’s aides, specialist teachers, therapists, counselors, advisors, psychologists and education support staff (archive/stats.nz, 2006).
- Employment: Approximately 22.4% of disabled individuals compared to 69.3% non-disabled were employed. An estimated of 11.4% of disabled compared to 4.2% of non-disabled persons were unemployed as of June 2017 (archive stats.gov). Those individuals that are 65+ years tend not to be included in the statistics for employment due to retirement. The disability of 65+ rises from 25.2% to 45.2% The disability gap for individuals with a disability for ages 15-64 years of age is 38% (archive stats.gov). Disabled persons are not only less likely to work but will have reduced work hours (30 hours or less a week). In 2013 30% of the disabled worked part time, compared to 22% of non-disabled persons. The percentage of part time workers that are disabled women are higher with a 42% this is compared to 19% of disabled men (archive stats.gov).
References:
living with Disability in New Zealand-Ministry of Health NZ. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.health.govt.nz/livingwithdisability.pdf
New Zealand Ministry of Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/constitutional-issues-and-human-rights/bill-of-rights-complian
Office for Disability Issues. (n.d.). History of disability in New Zealand. Retrieved from http://www.odi.govt.nz/home/about-disability/history-of-disability-in-new-zealand
Retrieved from http://archive.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/income-and-work/employment_and_unemployment/Labour
Retrieved from http://archive.stats.govt.nz/~/media/Statistics/browse-categories/health/disabilities/disability-education-n
November 2, 2018 at 7:26 pm
It’s interesting you were able to find so much information on the history of disability in New Zealand! I am not surprised to find out that historically, their models for disability rights is similar to those in other settler-colonial states (America, UK, Australia, etc.). They seemed to want to eliminate or quarantine people with disabilities so that they would not have to be seen by “regular” members of society and tried to mask it under “helping” people with disabilities. Seeing how much the moral model of disability has impacted New Zealanders historically is disappointing but not surprising.
The encouraging statistic is how many school-aged children with disabilities are enrolled in school. It would be interesting to see how that differs by race, class, gender, etc., especially since the gender gap for working part time is so high.
Cool analysis! I would be careful to stick with person-first language next time (:!!