Situational risks shared by disabled people and other adults at risk Disabled people experience significant socioeconomic marginalisation The term ‘adult at risk’ refers to any adult who has needs for care and/or support, is being harmed or is at risk of violence and/ or abuse and is unable to remove or protect themselves because of their needs for care and/or support. A person is only considered an adult at risk when all three parts of this definition apply. A key element of the definition is that it is situational for example a situation where an adult is chronically ill, is incapacitated, or is experiencing mental distress. It also includes people who are incarcerated or under compulsory treatment orders. Most disabled (and older) people are not adults at risk. Impairment frequently results in reduced access to the social and economic factors that affect health. Disabled people are more likely to have lower incomes than non-disabled people, and low rates of educational qualifications. In December 2020: Disabled people are a significant part of the population In the last disability survey (2013) 24%, one in four New Zealanders, almost 1.1 million people, identified as disabled. Of these: • 516,000 were male • 545,000 were female • the majority had more than one impairment • more than half required disability support services.42 Statistics New Zealand (2013) report: 24 • Māori have higher rates of disability at 32% after adjusting for “differences in ethnic population age profiles”.43 • The median age of disabled Māori is 40 compared to European at 57 and Asian people at 45. • 38.7% of disabled people aged 15–64 were employed, compared with 78.3% of nondisabled people in the same age group • the unemployment rate for disabled people aged 15–64 years was 11.4% compared with 5% for non-disabled people.45 In 2020 Statistics New Zealand46 reported that compared with non-disabled people, disabled people: • fare worse across a range of outcomes relating to their homes and neighbourhoods, as well as their economic and social lives • were less likely to live in a suitable home that is warm, affordable, and free from damp and mould • were more likely to live in neighbourhoods where they were relatively disadvantaged and in households where total income was considered to be inadequate • had lower levels of labour force participation and employment, resulting in greater dependency on government benefits, and kept average personal incomes low • had on average lower educational attainment • tended to have lower job satisfaction, but longer job tenure • More Māori children are disabled (15%) than non-Māori children (9%). • • Pacific peoples have higher rates of disability at 26%. had a higher underutilisation rate, suggesting a greater unmet need for work • • When age-adjusted, Pacific peoples have the lowest median age for being disabled at 39. on average, were more likely to be lonely and to experience discrimination • • The disability rate for the Asian population is 17%. • Disability rates increase with age. 35% of disabled people are over 65. In 2013 that was 370,000 people.44 reported having less access to emotional and instrumental support from others, and lower levels of trust in other people and in public institutions. Human Rights Commission As to the seventh point above, underutilisation reflects people who do not have a job but are available to work and are actively seeking