Advocacy, Law & Government

Your Rights

Organisations to protect your rights

The Health and Disability Commissioner

This is the website of the Health and Disability Commissioner and has useful media releases, policies and reviews of services.

Health and Disability Commissioner's Office

The Office is an independent agency to promote and protect the rights of consumers of health and disability support services. It administers The Code of Health and Disability Service Consumers' rights which promotes and protects the rights of consumers of health and disability support services and places corresponding obligations on providers of those services.

Auckland Office:
Level 5, Quay Tower Cnr Lower Albert and Customs Sts, PO Box 1791, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: 09 373 1060
Fax: 09 373 1061

Wellington Office:
Level 13, Vogel Building Aitken Street, PO Box 12 299, Wellington, New Zealand
Phone: 04 494 7900
Fax: 04 494 7901

Health and Disability Commissioner
National Freephone: 0800 11 22 33
E-mail: hdc@hdc.org.nz

Health Advocates

The office employs independent advocates to:

Support consumers to resolve complaints between parties
Give information about rights to consumers and providers
Give information about the various ways to make a complaint, including how to contact the Health and Disability Commissioner
Act on the instructions of the consumer

Official List of Advocacy Services as from July 1, 1999

Region	North of the North Island	Mid and Lower North Island	South Island
Contact	Manager	Manager	Manager
Organisation	Health Advocates Trust	Advocacy Network Services Trust Inc	Advocacy Services South Island Trust
Post Box	Regional Office: PO Box 9983 Newmarket AUCKLAND Sites: Epsom Ph: 09 623 5799 Middlemore Hospital Ph: 09 276 0064 Glenfield Community Centre Ph: 09 441 9001 Kaitaia Ph: 09 408 7189 Whangarei Ph: 09 430 0166	Regional Office: PO Box 782 WANGANUI Sites: Wanganui Ph: 06 348 0074 New Plymouth Ph: 06 753 3861 Palmerston North Ph: 06 353 7236 Turangi Ph: 07 386 0943 Rotorua Ph: 07 349 0182 Tauranga Ph: 025 205 4669 and/or the Adnet 0800 number Napier Ph: 06 835 1640 Gisborne Ph: 06 868 3590 Thames Ph: 07 868 5318 Hamilton Ph: 07 834 3960 Wairarapa - TBA Lower Hutt Ph:04 560 4770	Regional Office: PO Box 1307 CHRISTCHURCH Sites: Canterbury/Westcoast Ph: 03 377 7501 Nth Otago & Sth Canterbury Ph: 03 684 1594 Nelson/Marlborough/Buller Ph: 03 547 8415 Dunedin Central/Sth Otago Ph: 03 479 0265 0800 37 77 66 Southland Ph: 03 214 0415
Physical	97 Manukau Road Epsom AUCKLAND	Room 113, 1st Floor Wakefield Chambers 59 Ridgway Street WANGANUI	Unit 1, Amuri Park Cnr Bealey Ave & Churchill Street CHRISTCHURCH
Phone	09 623 5799 0800 20 55 55	06 348 0074 0800 42 36 38 0800 4 ADNET	03 377 7501 0800 37 77 66
Fax	09 623 5798	06 348 0473	06 348 0473 03 377 7504

The Privacy Commission

This site is a full guide to the specific functions of the Privacy Commissioner and the practical applications of the Privacy Act in the workplace, media and life of individuals. It sets out what information is covered by the Act; how to make a complaint, accessing your own personal information, as well as providing a number of fact sheets related to privacy issues and the Privacy Act.

The Privacy Commissioner 09-302 8655 (for callers in Auckland)
P O Box 466 0800 803 909 (for callers in other areas)
Auckland Fax 09-302 2305

Human Rights Commission

The Human Rights Commission promotes respect for and observance of human rights. It uses education, information and publicity to do this. It also helps people to resolve situations where there might have been unlawful discrimination taking place. A good website for raising issues of discrimination for people with ASD.

Human Rights Commission addresses
Level 4, Tower Centre, 45 Queen Street, P.O. Box 6751, Wellesley Street, Auckland.
Phone: 0800 496 877 TTY 0800 150 111 Fax: (09) 377 3593
E-mail: infoline@hrc.co.nz

The HRC has a number of Fact Sheets available on discrimination. You may be particularly interested in this fact sheet:
Protection against discrimination for people with disabilities

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Child's rights

boes.org: Multilingual Child Rights

This web site is available in a variety of languages regarding the rights of the child.

United Nations Declarations, Conventions and Covenants

The key principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child involve considering whether laws, policies and practices:

Are in the best interests of children (Article 2)
Enhance the survival and development of children (Article 3)
Encourage children's participation in society (Article 6)
Apply in a non-discriminatory way to all children (Article 12)

As a signatory to this Convention, the New Zealand Government is expected to adhere/abide by the Articles of the Convention. There are other United Nations covenants and conventions that our government has accepted legal obligations under.

The Office of the Commissioner for Children

The commissioner promotes the welfare of children and young people and ensures that their rights are recognised. A useful site to keep up to date and raise issues of concern for children with ASD.

Commissioner for Children's Address
Level 12, 86-90 Lambton Quay, P.O. Box 5610, Wellington.
Phone: (04) 471 1410 Fax: (04) 471 1418
E-Mail: children@occ.org.nz

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Organisations to assist with promoting your rights

Disabled Persons Assembly

DPA (New Zealand) is an umbrella organisation representing all people with disabilities, the organisations involved in advocacy on their behalf, and service providers. DPA is the voice of people with all types of disabilities in New Zealand. A useful site for raising issues pertinent to ASD

Auckland Disability Providers Network

Approximately 160 disability service providers make up this Network. It recognises that it is essential for service providers to present a united voice on disability issues affecting the Auckland Region. It is a collaborative and collective network providing an opportunity for service providers, individuals and families to work together to ensure the needs of people with disabilities are being heard and met.

A contact person for the Auckland Disability Providers Network is:

Judith Lunny
email address: BJlunny@xtra.co.nz

Donald Beasley Institute for Research & Education on Intellectual Disability

The Donald Beasley Institute is a national, independent, non-profit organisation. The two broad aims of the Institute are to promote and carry out applied research in the area of intellectual disability and to educate everyone involved about current knowledge and philosophies relating to people with intellectual disabilities.

This site has access to their newsletter, library, research articles access to the New Zealand Journal of Disability Studies & seminars, with many useful resources for people with ASD

Enable New Zealand

Formerly the New Zealand Disabilities Resource Centre, is an organisation working to assist people whose lives are touched by disability. Our services are available to people with disabilities, their families, employers, and health professionals and support organisations In addition, they have a library service with a wide range of books to loan on ASD and access to journals.

Like Minds, Like Mine

This is a project to Counter Stigma and Discrimination Associated with Mental Illness. This website provides information and resources on the project, looks at who is involved and how you can contribute to safer and healthier New Zealand communities.

IHC

IHC is New Zealand's largest provider of services to people with intellectual disabilities and their families They support people with intellectual disabilities by:

advocating for their rights
providing a variety of housing and work options
supporting families.
And provide a number of specialist services such as behaviour support and training.

(Access to IHC's library can be made through this website)

Wellington Community Law Centre

This office operates the Parents Legal Advocacy, Information and Communication Service for Education Issues (PLAICE) and can be contacted on Phone: 0800 499 488

The Centre aims to satisfy the unfulfilled legal needs to the community, to demystify the law, and empower people to solve their own legal problems. It produces a range of law-related publications.

Wellington Community Law Centre
PO Box 24-005 Wellington

PLINFO

This service is operated through the Wellington Community Law Centre which also provides free legal advice, education, information and an advocacy service.

What does the Parents Legal Information Line For School Issues (PLINFO) do? The service aims to provide parents with knowledge about their own and their children's rights and obligations within the school system. This may include information about:

school discipline
suspensions
searches
fees
truancy
privacy
rules
uniforms.

PLINFO is focused on solutions, and based on rights.We will provide you with information about your rights. We will also discuss ways in which you may communicate and work effectively with the school to ensure the best possible outcome for your child.

How is the service operated?

The phone line is staffed by legally trained volunteers and is operated through the Wellington Community Law Centre with funding provided through the Office of the Commissioner For Children.

Advocacy

As well as giving information to parents, the service will sometimes:

make phone calls on behalf of parents
send faxes or letters to principals or boards of trustees.

What must I do if I have a problem or query?

Phone our toll free number 0800 499-488.

But please note the service will not be staffed at all times. If no-one is available to take your call please leave a message. We will get back to you as soon as possible, usually within a few hours, Monday to Friday.

We will then talk to you about your query and will discuss options with you.

Upon request, we can send you a copy of "A guide for parents � Schools and the right to discipline". There is no set charge for this publication, but we would be grateful for a donation.

The 48-page A4 booklet answers questions on the rights and responsibilities of students, parents and schools. Subjects covered include school uniforms, hair and jewellery, fees charged, discipline, truancy, searching of students, police involvement, and many other matters. Guidance is offered on how different situations should be handled and what to do or who to contact for advice.

Mental Health Foundation

The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) had its origins in a Trust established in 1974. As a recipient of the 2.1 million dollars raised in New Zealand's second telethon in 1977, the Foundation distributed a total of 2.6 million to many organisations involved in mental health activity. The foundation has roles in relation to providing resources & information,mental health promotion,advocacy & policy development.

Spectrum Care

Spectrum Care aims to ensure the best quality of life & choice for people with a disability & their families. They offer a range of services and offer respite care arrangements for families. For more information about their background, philosophy and service provision, refer to the following link

Parent and Family Resource Centre

The Parent and Family Resource Centre are based at the Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Science they aim to promote a healthier society through the development of a beneficial and respectful exchange between themselves and the community.One of the ways this is achieved is through networking with community groups,and providing students with community based educational experiences that increase their awareness of the challenges and opportunities faced by people in the community in relation to health.

To raise the profile of the needs of people with ASD it is important that students also have the opportunity to obtain an understanding of the challenges of living with ASD.

They can be contacted on 09 636 0351,or via the following website.