LINKS
We have constructed a collection of links that are related to the information and resources found at support options. Feel free to browse these links to find further information on a wide range of topics. The categories in this section are as follows:
Funding
- ACC
- ACC manages New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme.
- Accessable
- Manages Ministry of Health funding for equipment, housing modifications and vehicle modifications for disabled people living in Auckland and Northland.
- Enable New Zealand
- Manages Ministry of Health funding for equipment, housing modifications or vehicle modifications for disabled people living in the rest of New Zealand (south of the Bombay Hills).
- Disability Funding
- Information about how to access Ministry of Health funding for disabled people in New Zealand.
- Grants Online
- Funding for community groups, voluntary groups and in some cases, individuals, includes Community Organisation Grants Scheme (COGS) and Lottery Grants Board.
Government Departments
- ACC
- New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme.
- Charities Commission
- Registers and monitors charitable organizations in New Zealand.
- Child, Youth and Family Services
- Child, Youth and Family is the government agency authorized to get involved to protect and help children who are being abused or neglected or who have problem behaviour.
- Dept of Labour
- Provides information, services and support covering almost every aspect of work in New Zealand.
- Family and Community Services
- Assists families to access information and social services.
- Housing NZ Corporation
- Housing New Zealand provides New Zealanders with access to good quality, affordable homes.
- Ministry of Education - Special Education Services
- Special Education Services (GSE) supports children and young people with special education needs.
- Ministry of Health Disability Services
- Disability Services are responsible for funding services for people with disabilities.
- Ministry of Justice
- The Health and Disability Commissioner within the Ministry of Justice to ensure people know about their rights when receiving health and disability services.
- Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
- Promotes the development of Pacific peoples in New Zealand.
- Ministry of Social Development
- Provides social services to New Zealanders, such as Work and Income, Child Youth and Family
- Ministry of Youth Development
- Promotes the interests of young people aged between 12 and 24 years.
- New Zealand Lottery Grants Board
- Administered through the Department of Internal Affairs, the LGB distributes the proceeds of state lotteries to the New Zealand community.
- Office for Disability Issues
- Responsible for ensuring government keeps faith with the New Zealand Disability Strategy.
- Te Puna Pacific Island Web Directory
- The National Library of New Zealand’s directory to New Zealand and Pacific Island websites
- Te Puni Kokiri
- The Ministry of Maori Development provides policy and advice to government on matters related to Maori.
- Work and Income
- Assists job seekers and pays income support on behalf of the Government.
Government documents
- New Zealand Disability Strategy
- The NZ Disability Strategy provides a framework for government to work towards removing barriers that prevent disabled people from participating fully in New Zealand society. This framework provides guidance to ensure that government departments and agencies consider disabled people before making decisions.
- Health of Older Persons Strategy
- The Health of Older People Strategy sets out the government's approach regarding health and disability support services to meet the increasing needs of older people.
- To Have an ‘Ordinary’ Life
- This is a report that highlights issues faced by adults with an intellectual disability living ordinary lives in the community with recommendations to government based on the framework of NZ Disability Strategy.
Health & Disability Information
- Arthritis New Zealand
- For information and education to enable people to better manage their arthritis.
- Auckland Cancer Society
- Support for cancer patients and their families; prevention of the onset of cancer and to carry out research into cancer.
- Autism NZ
- Support and resources for people with autism spectrum disorder and their families.
- Carers NZ
- An online information resource for Carers of all ages.
- CCS Disability Action
- Provides support and services for people with physical disabilities; and advocates for the rights of disabled people.
- Counties Manukau Webhealth
- Your online connection to Health and Social Services in the Counties Manukau DHB region.
- Deaf Association of New Zealand Inc.
- The Deaf Association of New Zealand is committed to providing quality services to all Deaf people in New Zealand.
- Diabetes Auckland
- Supporting people affected by Diabetes.
- Diabetes Auckland
- Supporting people affected by Diabetes.
- Dyspraxia Support Group of NZ Inc.
- Information and support for people with Developmental Dyspraxia and their families.
- Everybody
- Online health and disability information site for New Zealanders.
- Healthpoint
- Healthpoint is a tool that allows doctors, patients and caregivers to access local information about what to expect prior to, during and following a referral to secondary/tertiary medical healthcare services.
- IDEA Services (IHC)
- IDEA is the short form for Intellectual Disability Empowerment and Advocacy Services for people with intellectual disabilities - supporting them to live ordinary lives in the community.
- Mental Health Foundation of NZ
- Access to quality information and resources on mental health and well being.
- Motor Neurone Disease Association
- Offers support and information to family/whanau and carers of people affected with MND.
- National Foundation for the Deaf
- Supports deaf or hearing impaired children and adults throughout NZ.
- New Zealand Federation of Disability Information Centres
- Promotes and supports the local provision of generic disability information and referral services through independent community Centres nationwide.
- NZ Organisation for Rare Disorders
- Provides support networks, resources and information for people with rare disorders and their families.
- SPELD
- Supports people with specific learning disabilities.
- Royal NZ Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB)
- Provides vision-related habilitation and rehabilitation services to people who are blind, deafblind or vision impaired.
- Stroke Foundation of NZ
- Provides information and support to people with a stroke, their family/whanau and caregivers.
- Weka
- New Zealand’s generic disability information website, Weka, which stands for what everybody keeps asking about disability information.
Children
- Barnardos
- Provides a range of care, education and support services for children and their families.
- Carers NZ
- An online information resource for Carers of all ages.
- CCS Disability Action Early Intervention
- Support for families with infants, toddlers and preschool children with developmental needs to achieve milestones and inclusion in the community.
- Child Cancer Foundation
- To promote services of excellence and consistency to children with cancer and their families.
- Children’s Commissioner
- The Children’s Commissioner speaks out on behalf of all children to ensure their rights are respected and upheld.
- Cystic Fibrosis Association of NZ
- Providing information and support to people with CF and their families.
- Down Syndrome Association
- Provides information and support to families changed by Down Syndrome and promotes the rights and inclusion of people with Down Syndrome.
- New Zealand Federation for Deaf Children
- Provides support, information and networking opportunities for parents of deaf children; assistance for deaf children and advocacy on behalf of parents and deaf children.
- Parent to Parent
- Provides support and information network for parents of children with special needs
- Skylight
- Provides support to children, young people and their families when faced with change, loss and grief – whatever the cause.
- Spectrum Care
- Provides support, education and respite services to families of children and young people with intellectual disabilities.
- Taikura Trust
- Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) agency for disabled people aged 0-65 years living in the Auckland region.
- Variety – The Children’s Charity
- Variety’s "Kids on the Move" programme provides assistance to children with physical restrictions. Variety’s Sunshine Coaches transports thousands of New Zealand children to schooling, therapy and community outings.
Older People
- Age Concern
- Promotes health and wellbeing of older people and positive ageing for everyone else.
- Agewell
- Promotes healthy ageing
- Alzheimers Auckland
- Provides support, information and services on alzheimer’s and dementia.
- Carers NZ
- An online information resource for Carers of all ages.
- Eldernet
- Online information about services available to older people.
- Grey Power
- To support and protect the wellbeing of older people in New Zealand.
- Residential Care Line
- This link provides information mainly for people over the age of 65 who are considering a move into care.
- Stroke Foundation of New Zealand Inc
- Provides information and support to people with a stroke, their family/whanau and caregivers.
Consumer-led Organisations
- Association of Blind Citizens
- Advocates on behalf of vision impaired and blind people integrating into the community; provider of blind and disability-specific services.
- DPA, (Disabled Persons Assembly (New Zealand) Incorporated)
- DPA, (Disabled Persons Assembly (New Zealand) Incorporated) is an umbrella organisation representing people with disabilities, the organisations involved in advocacy on their behalf, and service providers.
- Tiaho Trust
- Tiaho Trust is a disabled consumer-led organisation (for disabled - by disabled) which provides support to DIAS providers for the effective provision of disability information in the Northland region.
- Diversityworks
- Specialists in diversity and change, Diversityworks’ expertise centres around understanding and managing the impact of diversity and social issues in many areas, including customer service, employment and business, education, law and social policy, research and the arts.
- People First
- An organisation run by and for people with learning disabilities.
- Ripple Trust
- Ripple Trust is a not-for-profit organisation, established to deliver services for disabled people by disabled people in the Auckland and Northland regions.
Education
- Conductive Education
- A programme that assists disabled children to learn and participate in their environment.
- Special Education
- The Ministry of Education funds Special Education services for children and young people with disabilities to participate and achieve in schools.
- AUT University
- The Disability Resource Service offers information and a range of services to disabled students and Deaf students.
- Kelston Deaf Education Centre
- Provides services for deaf and hearing impaired children, their families and professionals throughout Auckland, Northland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.
- Manukau Institute of Technology
- Offers a range of services for disabled students to enjoy the full benefits of studying.
- Massey University
- Massey University is committed to providing education that is accessible to students with disabilities.
- North Tec Tai Tokerau Wananga
- The Disability Service offers a range of support options for students with impairment.
- Unitec
- Disability Liaison Centre provides information about courses and programmes, arranges specialised equipment and offers ongoing support.
- University of Auckland
- Offers extensive resources, excellent student facilities and personalised support to help you succeed
Vocation
- APET Enterprises
- Provides employment and work skills training for up to 130 people from metropolitan Auckland.
- Association for Supported Employment in NZ
- Supported employment service for people with disabilities.
- Career Services
- Advice and information service for making career choices.
- Kaleidoscope
- Vocational rehabilitation programme dedicated to supporting disabled people towards employment they enjoy.
- Workbridge
- Support equal opportunities for disabled people to participate in the workforce.
Social and Recreation
- Auckland Deaf Society
- The Auckland Deaf Society provides sporting and recreational activities for the Deaf.
- Blind Sailing
- Offers sailing opportunities to all New Zealand blind people through the New Zealand Council for Sailing for the Blind and Vision Impaired Inc.
- Blind Sport
- Blind Sport promotes opportunities for blind athletes to participate in National, International events and the Paralympics (Parallel Olympics).
- Back Up New Zealand
- Deaf Sports Federation
- Offers outdoor pursuit opportunities to people with disabilities.
- Disabled Snowsports
- Helps to remove participation barriers and encourages people with physical or intellectual disabilities to get involved in Snowsports.
- Halberg Trust
- The Halberg Trust Sport Opportunity Programme is committed to ensuring that people with a disability can participate in inclusive sport and active leisure within their community.
- Janet McVeagh Recreation (email only)
- Provide a range of recreational programmes and services for people of all abilities.
- Paralympics New Zealand
- Paralympics New Zealand is the recognised National Sporting Organisation for people with disabilities; which supports and encourages sporting opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in all levels, from club level, regional and national competition through to international competition.
- Recreate Auckland
- Recreate Auckland is a Charitable Trust established to provide holistic recreational opportunities that enhance the social, emotional and physical development of young people with disabilities while also providing support and respite for their parents and families.
- Sailability
- Sailability in NZ provides opportunities for physically disabled young people & adults to learn to sail, or just to experience being on a sailing boat.
- StarJam
- Creates opportunities for young people with disabilities to participate in the performing arts.
Rights and Responsibilities
- Health and Disability Commissioner
- An independent agency that promotes and protects the rights of people who use health and disability services.
- Human Rights Commission
- Supporting human rights towards a fair and just society for the people of New Zealand.