Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Disability Action Plan
The reforms of the health system and evolving government priorities have provided an opportunity to review and enhance support for the one in four New Zealanders that identify as disabled. Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People was established 1 July 2022 to work in partnership with the disability community, Māori and Government, and to help transform the disability system in line with the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach.
The introduction of Disability Action Plans (DAPs) is designed to encourage and support Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) in taking a proactive approach to improving outcomes for disabled learners. This initiative is also part of the government’s commitment to ensuring that TEOs fulfil their obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi was created out of the concern and struggle for equitable educational outcomes and success for Māori. Historically, the WAI 718 claim and the respective settlements of 2003 and 2010 are testament to this struggle. They are testament also to the recognition by the crown, in terms of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, to provide more effectively for the education of Māori through programmes, and in an environment, designed to enhance their tertiary educational opportunities.
At the core of our existence lies our response to historical breaches of treaty principles and our commitment to dismantling barriers to education. This foundational ethos has profoundly shaped the design of our Disability Action Plan (DAP) and underscores our distinctiveness as a wānanga. Our approach is centred on addressing the specific needs and unique characteristics of our learners, while also contributing to the broader development aspirations of the communities they serve.
