Pacific disabled people Pacific families and communities have significant experience in living with disabilities and caring for people with disabilities. 2350 Pacific people receive Ministry of Health Disability Support Services, and the median age of service users is 22 years. Thirteen percent of all family funded care funding goes to Pacific families, who manage disability care within the family.59 • Agencies’ proprietary criteria for support eligibility • No streamlined processes to access support across government portfolios Participants at Commission fono wanted coordinating government agencies to improve the service to Pacific peoples, to reduce the frustrations they have with those agencies, such as the duplication of services, and inconsistency. The following concerns were raised during the fono: • Government ministries have different and conflicting definitions of “disability” • Inconsistent definitions of family member Fofola e fala kae talanoa e kāinga” The fala (mat) is a common space for talanoa (dialogue) with family and friends. Photo courtesy of Le Va. Disability Support Allocations to Pacific people Characteristic Statistic Median Age of Pacific Disability Support Services clients 22 years Total number of Pacific clients 2350 Percentage of total allocations to Pacific clients Home and Community Support Services Carer Support Community Residential Services Aged Residential Care (Younger People) Supported living Respite Services Behaviour support services Day services High and Complex needs Choice in community living Individualised funding Enhanced individualised funding Funded family care 5% 8% 4% 6% 3% 7% 7% 3% 9% 4% 6% 1% 13% Figure 6: Pacific peoples allocations of disability support services60 57 58 59 60 20 Concluding observations on the eight periodic report of New Zealand, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, 25,07.2018, United Nations. Accessed from https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/ Download.aspx?symbolno=CEDAW/C/NZL/CO/8&Lang=En. ibid. Ministry of Health, 2018. Demographic Report for Clients Allocated the Ministry of Health’s Disability Support Services, accessed at https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/demographic-report-for-client-allocatedministry-of-health-disability-support_services-2018-update14nov2019.pdf. Ministry of Health, 2018. Demographic Report for Clients Allocated the Ministry of Health’s Disability Support Services, accessed at https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/demographic-report-for-client-allocatedministry-of-health-disability-support_services-2018-update14nov2019.pdf. Talanoa: Human rights issues for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand