The National Disabled Students’ Association is a non-partisan organisation, and we welcome collaboration from parties from across the political spectrum on shared kaupapa. Our primary purpose is to act as a representative and advocate for disabled ākonga — making sure their voices are heard at national and local levels. As a part of this, we may submit on proposals affecting disabled learners, and provide learner perspectives on these discussions. Here, you can find submissions the NDSA has made on issues affecting disabled ākonga.
Regulatory Standards Bill 2025
In June 2025, the NDSA submitted on the Regulatory Standards Bill 2025 in opposition to the Bill. We expressed concerns around how the Bill may impact future legislation affecting disabled learners, and the introduction of how cost may impact decision-making around good legislation. We were also concerned around the lack of plain language used to inform the public around the Bill’s purpose and effects. We felt the Bill did not honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and may not be in the best interests of tangata whaikaha.
Education and Training Amendment Bill (No 2) 2025
In June 2025, the NDSA submitted together with the Disabled Persons Assembly on the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No 2) 2025 in opposition to the Bill. We believed disabled learners should be able to achieve their academic potential, however this should be held in the same importance as other essential life skills formed during school such as critical thinking, determination, confidence, creative, and social skills. We also disagreed with implementing attendance management plans, where we felt a prescriptive approach risks punishing learners and their whānau for disability and unmet needs impacting their attendance.
Plain Language Act Repeal Bill 2025
In May 2025, the NDSA submitted on the Plain Language Act Repeal Bill in opposition to the Bill. We felt the Plain Language Act 2022 is an important part of making sure democracy is fair and accessible in Aotearoa, and that disabled people should have the right to access plain language information about services they use. We believed the Repeal Bill would reduce accountability of the government, and that the Plain Language Act 2022 was serving its purpose in making information accessible to every person in Aotearoa.
We created a document (blue background version) which helps to explain our understanding of the Plain Language Act Repeal Bill, and what its impacts may be for disabled ākonga.
Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill 2022
In November 2022, we submitted in support of the Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill 2022. We supported the proposed changes to create better accountability for government and its agencies, and the vision of improving accessibility in Aotearoa. We proposed several changes to the Bill, including the extending scope of who the Bill relates to, and how disability is defined, along with introducing a accessibility standards and a non-partisan regulator to monitor compliance.
Plain Language Bill 2022
In March 2022, we submitted in support of the Plain Language Bill 2022. We believed this supported the democratic right of everyone who works and lives in Aotearoa to receive accessible information from the government. We felt the Bill introduced more transparency for government, improving trust and developing stronger relationships with the disabled community. We also felt this Bill and efforts to provide accessible, plain language information to people using government services would reduce time and costs spent on compliance and communications surrounding those services.