The DPO Coalition
Your voice in government policy
“Nothing about us without us.”
MDANZ is a proud member of the Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO) Coalition, the official collective of consumer-led disability organisations that partners with the New Zealand Government to shape disability strategy, legislation, and human rights.
Direct Representation: Ensuring neuromuscular perspectives are heard by Cabinet Ministers and government agencies
Grounded in the UN Convention: Monitoring New Zealand’s compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
Member-Driven Advocacy: Powered by the real, everyday experiences of our members and whānau
Latest News
This week, the Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO) Coalition launched a new report: My Experiences, My Rights: Standard of Living.
MDANZ is a member of the DPO Coalition, which asked for this research. Disabled people led the research at every step. The Donald Beasley Institute carried it out.
184 tāngata whaikaha, Deaf and disabled people and their whānau filled in a questionnaire. They told us about money, the cost of living and the extra costs of disability.
Here is some of what people told us:
Benefits and disability funding are too low, and work can be hard to find and keep.
Rising costs have made life harder, including housing, food, power, transport and healthcare.
Some people have cut back on food, medication or doctor’s visits.
Many people feel cut off from their communities.
People feel decision-makers don’t listen and treat disability as a burden.
“I live in government-enforced poverty via the Supported Living benefit. No, they are not allowing us an adequate standard of anything.”
Disabled people have the right to a decent standard of living. This right is in Article 28 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Most people told us the Government is not meeting this right. They also told us what they want: enough money to live on, control over their own lives, and to be treated with dignity.
Next, the research team will talk with people in interviews and focus groups to find out more.
You can read the report in Easy Read, te reo Māori, NZSL, audio, Braille, Large Print and other formats on the Donald Beasley Institute website HERE.
What is the DPO Coalition & why does it matter?
The DPO Coalition is unique because it is governed entirely by disabled people, for disabled people. Unlike general charities or service providers, DPOs represent the authentic voice of the disability community.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the New Zealand Government is required to formally consult with the DPO Coalition on any decision, policy, or law that impacts disabled Kiwis.
Through our seat on the Coalition, MDANZ ensures that the specific, complex needs of people living with progressive, physical, and rare neuromuscular conditions are actively addressed in national policy.
Key areas of advocacy
The DPO Coalition works across all levels of government to remove barriers and build an accessible Aotearoa. Key focus areas include:
Health & Disability System Reform
Advocating for fair, sustainable funding through Whaikaha (Ministry of Disabled People), reducing healthcare wait times, and ensuring specialised equipment and respiratory care are funded nationwide.
Accessible Housing & Transport
Driving mandatory accessibility standards in the NZ Building Code, increasing universal design in public housing, and improving wheelchair-accessible public transport and taxi subsidies.
Human Rights & Employment
Protecting employment rights, reducing the disability pay gap, and holding government bodies accountable to the UNCRPD to prevent discrimination.
Civil Defence & Emergency Preparedness
Ensuring local councils and emergency services have inclusive evacuation plans and power-dependency backups for disabled residents during natural disasters.
How your voice drives real change
High-level advocacy only works when it is informed by real-world experiences. When you share the daily barriers you face with MDANZ, our DPO representatives take those issues directly to government select committees and policymakers.
You share your experience
Tell us about barriers you face with hospital care, funding delays, housing, accessible transport, or WINZ/ACC systems.
MDANZ consolidates member evidence
Our advocacy team gathers member insights to identify widespread systemic failures or funding gaps.
DPO Coalition takes action
We present evidence directly to Ministers, government chief executives, and international UN monitoring bodies to demand policy changes.
DPO Coalition partners & how to get involved
MDANZ works alongside seven other national Disabled People’s Organisations to represent all Kiwis with lived experience of disability:
Blind Citizens NZ
Deaf Aotearoa
Disabled Persons Assembly NZ (DPA)
People First New Zealand (Ngā Tāngata Tuatahi)
Balance Aotearoa
Kapō Māori Aotearoa
Muscular Dystrophy Association NZ (MDANZ)