Advocacy
Find out who can help stand up for you, with you and on your behalf if you don't feel safe to speak yourself.
You are not alone. There are people out there who care so much that they've specifically become advocates for our disability community or representing you with any concerns you have about ACC.
What is a disability advocate?
A disability advocate is someone who can support you to have your voice heard. They know the system and can guide you through it. They also tend to know where to shout to be heard and who the people are that you need to be heard by to make change.
The Advocacy Service
The Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service (The Advocacy Service) offers free, independent, and confidential advice and support. The people who work for this national service have all the knowledge you need to support you in resolving issues with health and disability services.
These issues could be with a doctor, occupational therapist, residential care facility, or home support service. Our disabled community don't have to put up with feeling unsafe or unsupported, there are advocates who specialise in speaking up with you.
Advocates are free through this service and can support you to understand what your rights are. They'll answer all your questions confidentially and without judgement.
A disability advocate will also talk through how you can make a complaint and where complaints can be lodged to make a change. They help you write or make your complaint and advise on what the steps will be after laying it.
Advocates are there to help protect and support you during what can be a tough time. They'll be there for you during the complaints resolution process too, making sure your rights continue to be protected.
Get support from the Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service
Disabled Persons Assembly
The Disabled Persons Assembly is another group that offer advocacy services. They are a collective that work to help you have a voice and often speak out on Government issues.
They have a focus on making systemic (whole system) change in New Zealand for our disability community.
Minister for Disability Issues
Our Minister for Disability Issues is decided by the Government of the day and they are responsible for leading and coordinating New Zealand's strategic disability policy.
This means that they are trusted to do what's best for our disability community in the delivery and transformation of disability support services. The Minister advocates for our disability community through understanding what matters to us and what challenges we're facing. Like all Government ministers, you can reach out to the Minister to support them to advocate for you and your community.
You can contact New Zealand's Minister for Disability Issues at this link.
Disability specific advocacy
It's worth reaching out to your needs-specific support group to discover if there are specific areas they are currently advocating for. Many organisations have petitions running or events coming up which you could participate it. They can also recommend support people based on similar experiences, who may be able to advocate for you or your loved one. You can find these groups at the link below.
Needs specific support organisations
What is ACC Advocacy?
Getting support through ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) can be confusing, they cover a whole bunch of things and don’t cover others. You might find you don’t get the support you expected and if that happens, you might like to look for support from someone outside of ACC who understands their systems.
ACC Advocacy is an organisation which was set up by the Connection and Navigation Service to help people in New Zealand who are dealing with ACC claims. This service was set up by a dispute resolution lawyer with lots of experience in dealing with disagreements between clients and ACC. These included concerns around medical treatment, income support, or rehab services — they step in to guide and support you. ACC Advocacy are an organisation set up to help make sure your rights are protected and your voice is heard.
How they do it:
ACC Advocacy is an organisation that works by offering advice, helping you understand your rights, and they can even speaking up for you in disputes or reviews. Their team can help you gather the right information, prepare documents, and represent you in meetings or hearings if needed.
You can usually reach out to them through their website, by phone, or by email. They often have easy ways to contact an advocate or request help online. Many of their services are free, especially if you’re facing challenges with an ACC decision.
Find out more about the ACC Advocacy Service on their website.