One in Six

Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People has launched the OneinSix.nz website in partnership with the New Zealand Disability Employers’ Network.

The new website provides practical advice for businesses wanting to recruit, retain, and support disabled employees as well as success stories. OneinSix.nz will be enhanced over time and updated quarterly with fresh content. It will also provide a platform for other work to support employment such as webinars.

The launch of the website delivers on action 4 of the New Zealand Disability Strategy 2026-2030, in the priority area of employment. There are a total of six actions in this area.

The goal for employment is for disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori to have meaningful career opportunities, equal to non-disabled people. Also, disability-confident employers will recognise the talents and expertise of disabled people and provide accessible and inclusive workplaces.

Untapped Potential of Disabled Job Seekers

Whaikaha also released a 2025 update to the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) report Valuing Access to Work 2017, originally commissioned by Blind Low Vision NZ for Access Matters.

The report highlights the untapped talent of disabled workers and the opportunities that greater inclusion could deliver.

The findings are compelling:

  • closing the employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people could increase New Zealand’s GDP by $578 million
  • improving education outcomes for disabled learners could contribute a further $132 million

Why this Matters

Whaikaha Chief Executive Paula Tesoriero said that, with 1 in 6 New Zealanders being disabled, greater workforce inclusion benefits all of us - socially and economically.

Many workplaces are already making progress, and the new report shows there is a substantial opportunity.

 

Whaikaha | Ministry of Disabled People