Engaging with the community

Whaikaha – The Ministry of Disabled People is committed to working with disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori. This includes Deaf people, Turi Māori and whānau. Our mission is to:

• drive system-level change that aligns priorities across government
• provide policy advice on matters affecting disabled people in education, health, employment, housing, and justice
• support government agencies to connect and work with disabled people.

To do this, Whaikaha has a range of formal and informal relationships with disability community organisations, groups, and leaders across the country. We also bring new groups together to talk about specific policy or projects.

An important part of engagement is ensuring Whaikaha supports the leadership capability and capacity of the disability community.

Whaikaha is committed to ‘nothing about us without us’ as a core principle. We want to ensure that people have the information and opportunities to make decisions for themselves and to have a say in their communities and in government.

Visit our get involved page to find out more about what we’re doing and how you can get involved.