New Zealand Disability Employment Guide: Disability Strategy, Supported Employment, and ACC

Introduction

New Zealand / Aotearoa takes a rights-based approach to disability employment, grounded in anti-discrimination legislation, a national disability strategy, and a unique accident compensation system. New Zealand ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 26 September 2008, and on 1 July 2022 established a dedicated Ministry of Disabled People — Whaikaha. Despite these commitments, the disability employment gap remains large: in the June 2026 quarter, Stats NZ's Household Labour Force Survey found that the employment rate for disabled people aged 15 to 64 was 36.4 percent, compared with 78.4 percent for non-disabled people. This guide gives an overview of the legal protections, government programmes, and support services available.

Legal Framework

New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990

Section 19 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 states that everyone has the right to freedom from discrimination on the grounds of discrimination in the Human Rights Act 1993, which include disability. The Bill of Rights Act applies to acts done by the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of government, or by anyone performing a public function — but it sets the constitutional context for disability rights more widely.

Human Rights Act 1993

The Human Rights Act 1993 is the primary anti-discrimination legislation in New Zealand. Disability is one of 13 prohibited grounds of discrimination listed in section 21. The Act covers:

• Employment (section 22): It is unlawful for an employer to refuse to employ a qualified applicant, to offer less favourable terms, conditions, benefits or opportunities for training and promotion, to dismiss or subject an employee to any detriment, or to require an employee to retire or resign, by reason of a prohibited ground such as disability.
• Definition of disability: The Act defines disability broadly, covering physical disability or impairment, physical illness, psychiatric illness, intellectual or psychological disability or impairment, any other loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function, reliance on a disability assist dog, wheelchair, or other remedial means, and the presence in the body of organisms capable of causing illness.
• Exceptions (section 29): Different treatment based on disability is allowed only where the person could do the job satisfactorily only with special services or facilities that it is not reasonable to expect the employer to provide, or where there is a risk of harm that it is not reasonable to take — and the risk exception does not apply if the employer could, without unreasonable disruption, take reasonable measures to reduce the risk to a normal level.
• Measures to ensure equality (section 73): Actions taken in good faith to assist or advance groups who need help to achieve an equal place with others are not a breach of the Act.

Reasonable Accommodation

Employment New Zealand explains that under the Human Rights Act 1993, employers must take reasonable measures to meet employees' needs — known as providing "reasonable accommodation". This means adjusting the workplace or supporting employees so they can fully participate at work. It may be needed when someone starts a job or later, for example if an employee becomes disabled during their employment. In practice, employers should:

• Consider modifications to the workplace, equipment, or work practices, including flexible working arrangements.
• Explore alternative roles or restructured duties where the original position is no longer feasible.
• Talk genuinely with the disabled person before making decisions that affect their employment.

New Zealand Disability Strategy 2026-2030

The New Zealand Disability Strategy 2026-2030, launched on 2 December 2025, is New Zealand's third disability strategy and replaces the New Zealand Disability Strategy 2016-2026. Whaikaha led the work on it, with input from disability groups and working groups of disability community members, sector experts and officials. It has 5 priority outcome areas: education, employment, health, housing and justice — each with a goal and a set of actions.

The employment goal is that disabled people will have meaningful career opportunities, equal to non-disabled people, and that disability-confident employers will recognise disabled people's talents and provide accessible and inclusive workplaces throughout the employment lifecycle. Progress is measured using indicators including the employment rate and underutilisation rate for disabled adults, and the disability pay gap.

Enabling Good Lives

Enabling Good Lives (EGL) is an approach to transforming how disability support is funded and delivered in New Zealand. It is built on eight principles, including:

• Self-determination: Disabled people are in control of their lives.
• Beginning early: Investing early in families and whānau, rather than waiting for a crisis before support is available.
• Person-centred: Supports are tailored to individual needs and goals and take a whole-life approach.
• Ordinary life outcomes: Disabled people are supported to live an everyday life in everyday places, with opportunities including employment.
• Mainstream first: Disabled people are supported to access mainstream services before specialist disability services.
• Mana enhancing, easy to use, and relationship building complete the eight.

Ministry of Disabled People — Whaikaha

Whaikaha — Ministry of Disabled People was established on 1 July 2022 as a departmental agency hosted by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). Its role has since changed:

• After an independent review, Disability Support Services — which coordinate and fund disability support — moved from Whaikaha to a business unit within MSD in 2024.
• Whaikaha became a standalone ministry on 1 December 2024, focused on leadership and stewardship across government on disability issues and on strategic policy advice.
• Its work is guided by te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Enabling Good Lives approach and principles, and the UNCRPD.
• It led the development of the New Zealand Disability Strategy 2026-2030 and runs work to improve employment outcomes, including an all-of-government internship programme for disabled people.

ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation)

New Zealand has a unique no-fault accident compensation scheme administered by ACC. This system has significant implications for disability employment.

Coverage

• Everyone in New Zealand is covered by ACC's no-fault scheme if they are injured in an accident — including children, beneficiaries, students, people who are working, unemployed or retired, and visitors to New Zealand.
• Cover helps pay for treatment, help at home and work, and help with income.

Vocational Rehabilitation

ACC helps injured people stay in or return to work:

• Recovery plans: For more complex injuries likely to affect someone for more than 13 weeks, ACC helps develop a recovery plan with the person, their health provider and their employer, covering how they will get back to normal hours and duties and what support they need at work.
• Vocational assessment: Independent assessors can look at what types of work suit a person's skills, education and experience.
• New jobs and retraining: If a person cannot return to their job because of their injury, ACC can help them find the same type of job with a new employer, or look for and retrain in a different role.
• Weekly compensation: Eligible workers may get up to 80% of the income they earned before their injury (before tax) while they cannot work.

Limitations

ACC covers injuries from accidents. It cannot cover things like illness, conditions related to ageing, or emotional issues. People whose disability comes from birth or from illness rather than an accident therefore rely on other supports, which creates a two-tier system that has been the subject of ongoing policy debate.

Employment Support Programmes

Mainstream Programmes

Work and Income's Mainstream programmes support people with a disability or health condition into work:

• The Mainstream Employment programme runs for up to one year, for people getting a main benefit whose disability or health condition significantly affects their ability to find work.
• Employers receive an 80% wage subsidy for the first six months and a 50% wage subsidy for the last six months, and can get funding for training and specialised equipment.
• The person must work 15–40 hours a week, paid the same as others doing similar work.
• The separate Mainstream Internship programme runs for up to 12 weeks for students in their final two years of study or recent graduates.

Supported Employment Services

Work and Income can help disabled people and people with a health condition find a job, and funds employment support delivered through contracted providers, offering job coaching, workplace support and employer liaison. Modification grants can help pay for things like ramps, handrails, and visual aids.

Minimum Wage Exemption Permits

Under the Minimum Wage Act 1983, a labour inspector can issue an exemption allowing a disabled worker whose work is significantly and demonstrably limited by their disability to be paid below the minimum wage. The practice has been widely criticised as inconsistent with the UNCRPD and as perpetuating underpaid, segregated employment. In 2023 the previous government announced it would replace the exemption with a wage supplement, but in Budget 2024 the government stopped developing the wage supplement and decided to continue the existing exemption scheme, which covered around 900 disabled employees at the time. Safeguards include independent advocacy during wage discussions.

OneinSix

OneinSix.nz is a hub for employers developed by the New Zealand Disability Employers' Network in partnership with Whaikaha. It provides:

• Guidance across the recruitment cycle, including role design, advertising, screening, interviewing and onboarding.
• Advice, information and support on employing disabled people.
• Employer success stories and downloadable resources.
• Information on funding assistance available to employers.

Accessibility Charter

The Accessibility Charter is a public-sector commitment to accessible information. Chief executives of signatory agencies — across central and local government — commit their organisations to work toward making their information and services accessible to disabled people.

Financial Supports for Individuals

Disability Allowance

The Disability Allowance is a weekly payment from Work and Income to help with regular, ongoing costs because of a disability. It is:

• For people with a disability expected to last at least six months and ongoing disability-related costs not fully covered elsewhere; income limits apply, but you do not need to be on another benefit.
• Paid at up to $82.85 a week (2026) towards costs such as medical fees, prescriptions, travel, counselling, special foods, and power or heating.
• Not an income replacement benefit — it is designed to cover the additional costs arising from disability.

Supported Living Payment (SLP)

The Supported Living Payment is income support for people who have, or who care for someone with, a significant health condition, injury, or disability. For people with a health condition or disability it is:

• Available to people aged 16 or over who are permanently and severely restricted in their ability to work, or totally blind.
• Not available to people who regularly work 15 hours or more a week in open employment.
• Compatible with some work — income above set thresholds reduces the payment.

Unique New Zealand Considerations

Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Disabled Māori

New Zealand's constitutional and policy framework is shaped by Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi), which establishes the Crown's obligations to Māori, including partnership, participation and protection. For disabled Māori (tāngata whaikaha Māori), this creates intersecting considerations:

• Higher disability rates: Just over 1 in 5 Māori (21 percent) were disabled in 2023 — higher than the national rate and the rate for all other ethnic groups.
• Compounding barriers: Disabled Māori can face compounding barriers of racism, colonisation, and ableism in the labour market.
• Culturally responsive services: Services are increasingly expected to be grounded in te ao Māori (the Māori worldview), including whānau (family)-centred approaches to support, tikanga (cultural practices), and the importance of cultural identity in wellbeing and employment.
• Whaikaha's approach: Te Tiriti o Waitangi is one of the foundations of Whaikaha's work, and the 2026-2030 strategy is written for both disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori.

Pacific Disabled People

Pacific peoples in New Zealand also face compounding barriers to employment. Cultural considerations include the importance of community and family in decision-making, language access, and addressing stigma around disability within some Pacific communities.

Key Statistics

• Employment rate (disabled people aged 15 to 64): 36.4 percent, compared with 78.4 percent for non-disabled people (Household Labour Force Survey, June 2026 quarter).
• Unemployment rate: 12.8 percent for disabled people, compared with 5.7 percent for non-disabled people (June 2026 quarter).
• Prevalence: An estimated 17 percent of people living in New Zealand households — 851,000 people — were disabled in 2023 (Household Disability Survey 2023).
• Paid work (Household Disability Survey): 56 percent of disabled adults aged 15 to 64 had a paid job, compared with 82 percent of non-disabled adults; 72 percent of those without a paid job wanted one. (The two surveys use different definitions, so their rates differ.)
• Job quality: Disabled people are less likely to have jobs, more likely to have part-time or short-term work, and often earn less than non-disabled people.

Resources

• Whaikaha — Ministry of Disabled People: whaikaha.govt.nz
• New Zealand Disability Strategy 2026-2030: whaikaha.govt.nz
• ACC — Accident Compensation Corporation: acc.co.nz
• Work and Income — Mainstream programmes: workandincome.govt.nz
• OneinSix — disability employment hub: oneinsix.nz
• Enabling Good Lives: enablinggoodlives.co.nz
• Employment New Zealand — Employment for disabled people: employment.govt.nz
• Accessibility Charter: msd.govt.nz
• Stats NZ — Disability statistics: stats.govt.nz