The goal of this research project was to provide information to enhance the development
and implementation of an effective model of disability support service provision to Maori
with disabilities. This was done by identifying and documenting the needs expressed by
disabled Maori and their carers living in the Midland area, and by considering the
experiences and observations of a key informant group. From our reading of the
literature and the feedback we received from participants, a proposed model of disability
support service provision has been proposed.
In five sections, this report begins by defining disability, and also by defining the act of
caring for the disabled. Focussing on the Maori experience, obstacles, access to existing
support services, cultural barriers, and health policies are discussed. In the second
chapter, the research methodology is described, along with how the information was
gathered. Following this is the third section which presents the opinions and reflections
of Maori with disabilities. It concludes strategically with a view of the ideal community,
suggesting possible resolutions, by exposing current flaws and inadequacies. Chapter
four records the views and perspectives of key informant/whanau carers who participated
in the project. They offer an insightful account of the often unrecognised side of the
disability experience. Considering the preceding discussions, the final section develops a
model of service provision for Maori with disabilities, and proposes this for effective
service delivery.
