Life Unlimited Welcomes Refreshed Disability Strategy

29 November, 2016 - Life Unlimited chief executive Mark Brown today welcomed the update and refresh to the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

“The disability strategy has always guided us and this strategy really restates our position as an organisation committed to disabled people being fully included in our society.

“It gives us even more aspirational goals for the future and it has the potential to unite us and other providers and government departments so we are all moving in the same direction.”

Life Unlimited is a Hamilton-based national charitable trust offering health and disability services, advice and equipment so disabled people or people with mobility issues, can live the life they choose.

“This strategy is aspirational and it’s a challenge for all aspects of New Zealand society from policy makers, government departments, district health boards, provider organisations and society as a whole.

“For us here at Life Unlimited, it is a core part of what we do every day.

“We’ve already been walking in this direction of enabling and supporting disabled people to more fully participate in the community – this has been the centre of everything we do so it’s really endorsing the way we are going but at the same time it is aspirational and it does put challenges in front of us because the work isn’t done by any means,” said Mr Brown.

“Our responsibility is to people who access our services – everything that we do seeks to support people to be in control of their own lives, making choices and enabling people to live the life they choose. We aspire to everything we do being of high quality and of professional standard.”

For example, in the Waikato, Life Unlimited provides a range of services which foster community participation and enable inclusion outcomes. They include friendship and participation programmes to enable people with disabilities to meet and make new friends and be involved in the community.

And in the Hutt Valley, Life Unlimited’s Local Area Coordination team works with disabled people and their whanau to build a good life in the community.

Life Unlimited also operates stores in Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua and Gisborne which sell equipment and provide free services and advice for people to live independent lives. By supporting Life Unlimited stores, people are supporting Life Unlimited’s work in the community.

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