Quick facts

Population

In 2001, about 1 in 5 females had a disability, most commonly a mobility, an agility or a hearing disability. Slightly more females than males had a disability, but the overall rates were similar.

Most adults with disabilities have more than one disability.

Disability rates increase with age. In 2001, fewer than 1 in 10 females aged under 15 had a disability, while 8 in 10 females aged over 85 and living in a household had a disability.

Females are more likely to have disabilities caused by disease or illness or ageing than men.

In 2001, just over half of Māori with disability living in households were female. While Māori males with disability outnumbered Māori females with disability in the 0–14 age group, Māori females outnumbered Māori males in all other age groups. This gender pattern of disability over the different age groups was similar to the pattern for non-Māori.

For Māori and Pacific adults, the most common disabilities are physical disabilities caused by disease or illness.

Back to top

Geographical location

Fourteen percent of people with disabilities live in rural areas, which is significantly less than the 23 percent of the general population in rural areas. Around 10 percent of people with a disability living in rural and-urban areas report requiring some form of assistance on a daily or less frequent basis.

Back to top

Families and households

In 2001 most women with disabilities lived in households, rather than in residential care facilities, rest homes, long-stay beds in hospitals and residential units. About 4 percent of people with disabilities lived in residential facilities and more than two-thirds were female. This is because women live longer than men, and older people account for the majority of people with disabilities in residential facilities.

Most people in residential care have more than one disability and most are older women.

Women are more likely than men to receive help with everyday activities made difficult because of their disability.

Nearly half of all women with disability received assistance, mainly for heavy housework or gardening, compared with less than a third of men with disability.

Back to top

Paid work

Women with disabilities have lower rates of participation in paid work (52 percent) than men with disabilities (63 percent).

In 2001 employed females with disabilities were more likely than employed males with disabilities to be paid employees (61 percent compared with 50 percent) and less likely than men with disabilities to be self-employed (11 percent compared with 4 percent) or to own a business employing others (11 percent compared with 6 percent).

Back to top

Income

Women with disabilities are more likely to have low incomes than men with disabilities or women without disabilities.

Seventy-one percent of women with long-term impairments report an annual personal income of less than $15,000.

Back to top

Education

Adults with disabilities are less likely to have an educational qualification than adults without disabilities. Four in 10 disabled adults have no qualification compared with about 2 in 10 of adults without a disability.

Back to top

Health

The most common types of disabilities are physical and sensory disabilities. Two-thirds of adults with disabilities have some form of physical disability, while 4 in 10 have a sensory disability, such as blindness or deafness.

Most adults with disabilities are either mildly or moderately limited by their disabilities, while 15 in 100 are severely limited.

A third of adults with disabilities living at home use special equipment, but more than 1 in 10 report they do not have special equipment that they need.

Back to top

Physical disabilities

Two-thirds of disabled adults have physical difficulties that could not be corrected with special equipment.

Back to top

Psychiatric or psychological disabilities

About 16 in 100 adults with disabilities have psychiatric or psychological disabilities. More women have psychiatric or psychological disabilities than men, but of children aged under 14, more boys than girls have this type of disability.

People with this type of disability have difficulty, or are prevented from doing, everyday activities because of a long-term emotional, psychological or psychiatric condition. Everyday activities include communicating and mixing with others.

Back to top

Sight limitation

About 81,500 adults are blind or have a sight limitation that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.

Back to top

Hearing limitation

About 223,500 adults have a hearing limitation that cannot be corrected with a hearing aid.

About 7,700 partially or completely deaf adults living in a household use New Zealand Sign Language and/or Signed English and about 51,000 are able to lip read. A total of about 28,000 people can communicate in New Zealand Sign Language. A bill to make Sign Language an official language in New Zealand is before Parliament. If passed, New Zealand Sign Language could be used in official legal proceedings by the Deaf community and government agencies would use and promote the language.

Back to top

Housing

It is estimated that between a quarter and a third of all people with disabilities lack appropriate or affordable housing.

Adults with disabilities are less likely to own their own home, mainly due to their low incomes. Rental housing suitable for people with disabilities is also in short supply.

People with disabilities often have reduced housing options through poverty or discrimination.

In 2001, women comprised nearly 70 percent of all adults with disabilities in residential care. This is because women live longer than men and older people account for the majority of people with disabilities in residential facilities.

Back to top