medical conditions that are deemed to impose a significant cost on medical and education services and a threshold of $41,000 medical costs over five years. Furthermore, children deemed, but not assessed to need, Ongoing Resourcing Scheme21 funding are also denied residency. These factors are considered along with the applicant’s connections with, and ability to contribute to, New Zealand. Back to top. Inclusive education – Article 24 Advocating for an enforceable right to inclusive education for students with disabilities has been a priority for the IMM. In 2016, the IMM released a report ‘Article 24, The Right to an Inclusive Education’ on the progress being made in New Zealand (based on current data) toward the realisation of the right to an inclusive education as set out in Article 24 of the CRPD.22 Section 3 of the Education Act 1989 protects the right of any person (with a disability or without) to enrol and receive education at any school, while section 8(1) affirms equal rights to primary and secondary school students who have ‘special educational needs’. However, the current legislative framework does not specifically incorporate inclusive education or reasonable accommodation principles. In practice, many aspects of the education system in New Zealand lack consistent working knowledge of what an inclusive education system is and how it functions. People with a disability are at a high risk of being bullied. There is a lack of data as to what students require, what supports students are/are not getting and the supports they need to thrive. Recently it was discovered that children with disabilities were being held in seclusion-like conditions in several schools. This led to the practice of seclusion being explicitly outlawed in an updated version of the Education Act 1989. The Government needs to gather comprehensive data and evidence to fully understand what is required to ensure the right to an inclusive education is realised for people with disabilities. Back to top. Employment – Article 27 Disabled people are less likely to be employed than the general population or other minorities. In the June 2017 quarter, disabled people were more likely to be unemployed and their average weekly incomes were just over half those of non-disabled people. 21 The Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) provides support for students with the highest level of need for special education to join in and learn alongside other students at school. 22 http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/resources-and-publications/documents/article-24-the-right-toan-inclusive-education Page 16