Disability Support Services

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Nau mai, haere mai. Find information for disabled people, whānau, support people, and providers.

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Take part in our community consultation

Community update 18 February 2025

In this video, Chris talks to the disabled community just before the first in person consultation workshop starts at the Newtown Community Centre.
Video transcript

Visual description:

Two people standing outside the Newtown Community Centre – on the left is Chris Bunny – Deputy Chief Executive, Disability Support Services, who is wearing a white shirt with a black pattern. The NZSL interpreter stands on the right wearing a black dress. 

 

Transcript

Kia ora koutou. I'm Chris Bunny. I'm leading the work to stabilise Disability Support Services.  

Today I am mixing things up a bit and doing my regular community update from the Newtown Community Centre, here in Wellington.  

It is a big day for me, my team and the whole sector.  

We are running our first in-person workshop and it is starting soon, and I'm really looking forward to meeting members of the disabled community and hearing their thoughts about how we can improve our assessment and allocation processes and our flexible funding settings.  

We would love to hear from you too. 

Your feedback is important. It will inform the advice we give to the Government on how we can improve these services. 

I encourage you to get involved in this important mahi. 

There is still time to register for in-person and online workshops. If you can’t attend, you can make a submission or complete our survey.

Everything you need to know including dates and times and background information is on our website – disabilitysupport.govt.nz.

Next week’s workshops will be in Whangarei and Auckland with sessions in Parnell, Ellerslie and Otara.  

I will attend as many workshops as I can so I hear directly from as many people as possible. 

I would really like to thank everyone who has already taken part – either by making a submission or completing our survey.  

Mā te wā, bye for now. 

About Disability Support Services

Disability Support Services (DSS) is a business group in the Ministry of Social Development. It is responsible for providing essential support to around 50,000 disabled people and their whānau, as well as equipment and modification services for approximately 100,000 New Zealanders.

For disabled people, whānau and carers, your first point of contact is your provider, NASC, or Enabling Good Lives site.

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Quick links

  • Assessment and funding

    If you have a disability, or care for someone with a disability, there is a range of support available.

  • Support and services

    Look at the types of support available to help disabled people live good lives

  • For service providers

    Find out how to become a provider of disability support services and how you can get help with your work

  • Independent Review

    Information and updates about the Independent Review of Disability Support Services

  • Engagement

    Disability Support Services is committed to engagement and consultation with the disability community and sector on Recommendations Five and Six of the Independent Review

  • Contact us

    How to contact us and provide feedback and complaints