Information key to measuring well-being of disabled Māori

Good information key to measuring well-being of disabled Māori

23 June 2015

A new report from Statistics New Zealand shows the importance of collecting good information about the one in four Māori who are disabled.

He hauā Māori: Findings from the 2013 Disability Surveyshows that while many disabled Māori enjoy good levels of material well-being and quality of life, overall they tend to fare worse than non-disabled Māori.

“Most disabled Māori were participating in the labour force, but they had a high unemployment rate of 17 percent,” labour market and household statistics manager Diane Ramsay said.

“Disabled Māori also tended to have lower incomes than other Māori, with a quarter saying their household income was not sufficient to meet their everyday needs.

“This type of information is critical in promoting understanding of the issues faced by disabled Māori, and in monitoring progress towards the goal of the Māori Disability Action Plan, Whāia Te Ao Mārama, to improve the quality of life for disabled Māori.”

The survey also found disabled Māori were more likely than other Māori to have problems with their housing, such as cold or damp living conditions.

“Despite these issues, most disabled Māori felt positively about their lives,” Ms Ramsay said. “Most were happy with the amount of social contact they had, felt safe in their communities, and rated their health as good or better.”

When asked to rate their overall life satisfaction on a scale of 0–10, almost half rated it at 8 or higher. However, this was lower than the 7 out of 10 non-disabled Māori who rated their life satisfaction at this level.

Read He hauā Māori: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey

Statistics NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa marks 175 years of the Treaty of Waitangi Te Tiriti o Waitangi with this report, and other information for and about Māori and New Zealand nationhood.

For more information about these statistics:

• Visit He hauā Māori: Findings from the 2013 Disability Survey – report

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