Organisational Guidelines for Disability Support Services: Working with Pasifika People with Disabilities and their Families

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide organisational guidance to Ministry of Health funded disability support services working with Pacific peoples to ensure the delivery of high quality support and improve access to disability support services amongst Pacific communities.

These guidelines were developed as a result of an analysis of an international and local literature review combined with qualitative interviews with key stakeholders across New Zealand. An overarching outcome indicates that in order to effectively address quality care for Pasifika, disabled people and their families,
disability support services should consider implementing a range of interventions across the whole organisation. These organisational guidelines should be used in conjunction with Le Va’s Your Guide to Disability Support Services (available in English and Pacific languages), and other Le Va initiatives designed to enhance quality services and access for Pacific peoples and their families. Practical application can be enhanced through Le Va’s Engaging Pasifika cultural competency training programme for disability support services.

The authors wish to emphasise that these organisational guidelines are the first of their kind in New Zealand and should therefore be considered as a starting point for implementing organisational cultural responsiveness for disability support service providers working with Pacific disabled peoples.