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Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People View our
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Improving employment outcomes

This page outlines how Whaikaha works to improve employment outcomes for disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori.

We work across government, with disabled people and with employers. Our aim is to help disabled people find good jobs, stay in work, and build their careers.

Why employment matters

Having a job helps people to earn an income, feel confident, and be part of the community.

Employment is a priority in the New Zealand Disability Strategy 2026-2030. The goal is for disabled people to:

  • have meaningful career opportunities, equal to non-disabled people
  • be valued the same as non-disabled people
  • be recognised for their talents and expertise
  • be welcomed by disability-confident employers, who provide accessible and inclusive workplaces.

Disabled people face many challenges when looking for work. Data shows disabled people are:

  • less likely to have jobs
  • more likely to have part-time or short-term work
  • often earning less than non-disabled people.

Many disabled people want to work, and say they need flexible work, supportive employers, and training to help them succeed.

Helping more disabled people get good jobs is an important part of creating a fairer society.

What we do

We work with the public service, employers, and disabled peoples’ organisations to:

  • create job opportunities for disabled people
  • share practical ways to support disabled people at work
  • help employers feel confident in hiring and supporting disabled people
  • collect data on disabled people’s experiences in work.

This work supports the goals in the New Zealand Disability Strategy 2026–2030.

Employment initiatives

All-of-Government paid internship programme

We ran a paid internship programme pilot from November 2025 to February 2026. Thirteen students and recent graduates with lived experience of disability took part to gain public sector work experience.

The interns worked in 10 different government agencies, in policy, communications, and human resources roles.

The programme focused on experience, learning, development, and making sure the interns had what they needed to do well.

Interns received mentoring, peer support, and help with career planning.

The pilot has ended. We are now reviewing what worked well to plan future programmes.

We also help other government agencies make their own graduate and internship programmes more accessible. We give advice on how to recruit, select, and support disabled people in fair ways.

Read about other government internships or graduate programmes on Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission website: Graduate programmes and internships external URL .

OneinSix.nz - employment guidance

Whaikaha and the New Zealand Disability Employers’ Network (NZDEN) created OneinSix.nz. This website provides tools, resources and real stories to help businesses and government hire and support disabled employees.

Businesses can find guidance on writing inclusive job ads, making recruitment processes accessible, and reaching disabled talent.

We are working with industry groups to promote OneinSix.nz and help more employers use accessible hiring and workplace practices.

Visit One in Six external URL .

Building public service capability and confidence

We know that disabled public servants still face challenges and inequities.

Te Taunaki, the Public Service Census, collects data about disabled employees’ experiences. This helps us understand what needs to improve.

We support the public service to lead by example by:

  • delivering and supporting workshops for public servants on disability inclusion
  • supporting a cross-government Disability Inclusion Community of Practice, so government agencies can learn from each other, and share what works
  • supporting disabled people-led employee networks, such as the All-of-Government Deaf Kaimahi Network
  • supporting the work of Papa Pounamu, a group of public service chief executives who are leading work to make public service workplaces more inclusive.

Read more on Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission website: Disability external URL

Research and evidence

We are improving the data and evidence we have about disabled people’s access to work.

A 2025 update of the ‘Valuing Access to Work report’ by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research shows how better education and employment outcomes for disabled people contribute to social and economic wellbeing.

The report uses up-to-date job market data and shows the social and economic gains from closing the job gap between disabled and non-disabled people.

Read the report: Valuing access to work: the 2025 update

What we are working on next

We will continue working on the employment actions in the New Zealand Disability Strategy 2026–2030.

Actions include developing more resources for employers and disabled people, mentorship programmes, and an awareness campaign.