Thursday 5 February 2009

Disability Group Slams Rodney Hide

Cabinet Minister Rodney Hide’s recent comments regarding building regulations have outraged the disability community in New Zealand.

On TVNZ’s Close Up programme Rodney Hide recommended that a Christchurch businessman should break the law and not follow accessibility guidelines in building regulations because it was too costly.

CCS Disability Action, the largest pan-disability support provider in New Zealand, believes Mr. Hide’s comments were irresponsible and based on ignorance of critical issues in peoples lives and relegate disabled people to second class citizens.

“This is discriminatory leadership at its worst. Disabled people make up a large proportion of the population in New Zealand, roughly one in five people have a disability, and ignoring the issues and the law around access in this way is unacceptable,” says Viv Maidaborn, CEO of CCS Disability Action.

Rodney Hide’s comments come less than a year after New Zealand ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“Mr. Hide’s comments go against at least 5 of the UN Convention’s 8 guiding principles. This is an embarrassment for the Government. New Zealand has long been seen as a leader in disability rights and these comments represent a huge step backwards,” says Viv Maidaborn.

Rodney Hide’s comments aside, CCS Disability Action agrees that building regulations need to be made easier for all New Zealanders.

“For a long time building designs have excluded disabled people. Up and down the country there are homes, workplaces, shopping malls and community resources like libraries that are off limits to disabled people because they aren’t accessible,” adds Viv Maidaborn.

CCS Disability Action has been active in this area setting up an organisation to tackle this very problem. Represented by former Consumers Institute CEO David Russell, Lifemark, aims to promote building designs that feature usability, adaptability, accessibility, inclusion and lifetime value without significant costs.

“This isn’t just about one workplace at a fixed point in time. A building that is made accessible for disabled people is also going to be useful for big people, families with pushchairs, elderly people with limited mobility and anyone who has ever picked up an injury playing rugby,” adds Viv Maidaborn.

ENDS

There are eight guiding principles that underlie the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:

1. Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one's own choices, and independence of persons

2. Non-discrimination

3. Full and effective participation and inclusion in society

4. Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity

5. Equality of opportunity

6. Accessibility

7. Equality between men and women

8. Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities

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