c.) A quarter of disabled Māori adults said their household income was not sufficient to meet their everyday needs. d.) Four in ten disabled Māori adults had no formal educational qualifications – almost double the proportion of non-disabled Māori. e.) Over a third of disabled Māori said their health was excellent or very good, while just under a third rated their health as fair or poor. There is even less information on Pacific people, who like Māori have higher-than-average disability rates, after adjusting for differences in ethnic population and age profiles. Back to top. Women – Article 6 A study involving 44 participants focusing on violence against disabled people13 highlighted the hidden nature of much abuse directed against disabled people living in care situations akin to a family relationship within the community. In addition to the physical, emotional and sexual abuse experienced by non-disabled people, ‘locked in’ and ‘silencing’ violence is often specifically directed at disabled people. The report noted that it was reasonable to interpret the Domestic Violence Act 1995 as generally excluding people in employer/employee relationships, such as care workers, from the definition of a domestic relationship. The author continued: As such, it is not clear whether the Act adequately protects disabled people experiencing abuse in home-care/live-in support situations. There appears to be an uncertainty about the legal protection available to disabled people experiencing such abuse, and particularly emotional and psychological abuse.14 The Family and Whānau Violence Legislation Bill amends the Domestic Violence Act 1995 and other legislation, including the Crimes Act 1961, to implement proposed reforms to family violence laws. At the Bill’s select committee stage, several submitters raised concerns about disabled people living in violent home care/support situations. The Bill is currently awaiting its second reading. Back to top. 13 The Hidden Abuse of Disabled People Residing in the Community: An Exploratory Study, Roguski, M (18 June 2013) http://www.communityresearch.org.nz/research/the-hidden-abuse-of-disabled-peopleresiding-in-the-community-an-exploratory-study/ 14 Ibid. Page 11