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Section 1: Introduction

Note #1
The latter has been published by the Disabled Persons Assembly as Disability Rights in Aotearoa New Zealand 2010: A report on the Human Rights of Disabled People in Aotearoa New Zealand (2010) DPA New Zealand.
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Note #2
See Appendix A.
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Note #3
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (opened for signature 30 March 2007, entered into force 3 May 2008).
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Note #4
It is designed to be used in conjunction with the DRPI Individual Experience monitoring which provides information about the lives of people with disabilities. Using the two methods of data collection, it is possible to get a reading of the gap between a country's laws, policies and programs and the impact on the exercise of rights of individuals with disabilities.
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This report aims to outline New Zealand's approach to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. The research was supported by funding from New Zealand's Office for Disability Issues. The report relies on research conducted in the Law Faculty of Victoria University of Wellington, and research done by the Convention Coalition, a collaboration of disabled peoples' organisations in New Zealand1. The research utilised a systemic monitoring template devised by Disability Rights Promotion International (DPRI), an international project developed to monitor the human rights situation of people with disabilities2.

The DPRI's systemic monitoring template is structured around the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities3. The template is designed to measure the laws, policies and programs in existence in the given country as well as their practical application and effect. Monitors are required to compile descriptive data in relation to the laws, policies and programs at play, but must also test the impact of those laws, policies and programs against other analytical sources such as budgets and statistics, and conduct integrated analysis to measure consistency with human rights treaties in fact. Included in this analysis is a discussion of whether and how well the country performs in relation to five general human rights principles:

  • Dignity
  • Autonomy
  • Participation, inclusion and accessibility
  • Non-discrimination and equality
  • Respect for difference

This methodology operates to identify and draw attention to critical gaps and deficiencies in national legislative and policy frameworks in protecting and promoting the human rights of persons with disabilities4.

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