PSA MEDIA RELEASE

PSA marks ‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities’

The Public Service Association is marking the ‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities’ by calling on the government to address long-standing funding problems for the disability support sector.

Today - December 3 - is ‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities’ promoted worldwide by the United Nations.
Around 10% of the world’s population or 650 million people are disabled. The day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.

In New Zealand the PSA and the Service and Food Workers Union, who between them represent more than 7000 workers in the disability sector, are working to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities by raising the status of those who support them.

“Disability support workers provide support with developing living skills as well as medical support, meals, personal care and domestic help on a daily basis to more than 110,000 disabled New Zealanders,” says PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff. “Some people need this support 24 hours a day seven days a week.”

“The PSA wants to ensure that disabled New Zealanders are supported by trained and qualified professional staff. That can’t happen while disability support staff remain among the lowest paid workers.”

In October the PSA filed legal proceedings against over 30 organisations that are underpaying support workers by not paying them the minimum wage for working sleepovers.

“The problem is that the whole sector is undervalued and underfunded,” says Richard Wagstaff.
“The Government needs to show more compassion for these vulnerable New Zealanders by taking responsibility for funding the sector in a way that ensures high quality support and care by experienced and properly paid staff.”

A conference for disabled people, their family, friends & wider networks takes place in Auckland on Monday, December 6.
http://www.ihc.org.nz/NewsEvents/tabid/1651/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/113/Making-it-Easy-to-Speak-Up--National-Disability-Conference.aspx

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