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Wheelchair users in NZ

How many wheelchairs users are there in NZ please? If possible, I would like to know how many can independently transfer themselves in and out of their wheelchairs too. Thank you.

Govt is shifting towards closure of 'daycentres' for people with disabilties. Currently in NZ there are NO publicly available toilets with hoists and changebeds. When we have few daycentres this will mean people who use wheelchairs and can't self transfer on a toilet (most of them) will only be able to use the loo in their own home. Staff don't manually lift. I need the numbers to ascertain the numbers/locations publicly accessible toilets should be available in NZ, in order to include this information on a grant request and a paper I want to put to MSD.

My job is to move IHC away from daycentres and towards proper community inclusion, so I have to do all I can to ensure the community is ready for us. Having this data will help me make this happen, at least in terms of toilets- a crucial part of everyday life- imagine if you could only go to the toilet in your own home- how disabling would that be?


Response from
Ministry of Social Development

Different agency responsible

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