Lack of interest in specialist medicine letting down people with disabilities, says ACT

Our GPs aren’t trained enough to be able to recognise some of these things to [refer their patients to specialists]

Making specialist medicine more appealing will shorten waiting lists and support people with disabilities to be formally diagnosed, ACT spokesperson for disability issues Toni Severin says.

“Our GPs aren’t trained enough to be able to recognise some of these things to [refer their patients to specialists],” Ms Severin said in a panel discussion yesterday. “We’ve got to make sure we’re making it attractive to work in these specialist areas.”

The event, an Accessible Democracy Forum hosted by IHC, saw four politicians share their parties’ policies on issues affecting disabled communities, followed by a Q&A session.

Ms Severin’s statements were in response to a question from the audience on what can be done to reduce waiting list times, prompting Green MP Golriz Ghahraman to acknowledge her experience with multiple sclerosis.

She said when she developed blindness in her left eye in 2018, an early symptom of MS, eight months was the standard wait time for a scan for the condition.

Ms Ghahraman also brought up concerns about the difference in treatment for those born with a disability, compared with those developing one later in life, saying this is not equal.

“We have to have legislation that sets a definition of disability broadly, is co-designed with the community and sets minimum standards that a government will enforce,” she says.

Held at Wellington’s Wharewaka Function Centre and online via Zoom, the forum gave politicians from the Labour, Green, ACT and National parties eight minutes each to share what their party planned to do for disabled people should they form the next government.

Much of the discussion centred on housing and employment barriers that restrict disabled peoples’ access to services and support, such as benefits and in-home carers.

Among the issues raised was the fact some young people in need of day-to-day support don’t have family and friends to help them. In these cases, they are being made to live in aged residential care because there is nowhere else equipped for them, and the workforce is unable to support home visits.

Minister for disability issues Priyanca Radhakrishnan says workforce shortages in primary care have always existed but have been “compounded by COVID.”

“Ensuring that we have the doctors and nurses and that they are paid well [will help to solve this issue],” Ms Radhakrishnan said. She was the only panellist to introduce herself in sign language and with a verbal description.

The National Party’s spokesperson for disability issues, Penny Simmonds, was unable to attend and Mana candidate Frances Hughes appeared instead, although she had to leave early due to other commitments.

Lived experience was a focal point throughout the discussion, with all parties agreeing that consulting with disabled communities should be part of any policy decisions.

“We do not believe in [every decision] taking place in Wellington,” Dr Hughes said. “We have international commitments through the UN conventions.”

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities sets out 60 recommendations to uphold the rights of those with disabilities, of which the current Government has accepted 51.

Ms Radhakrishnan says all disability support was previously contracted through Disability Support Services, managed by the Ministry of Health. Establishing Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People meant disability was no longer exclusively for the health sector.

She said Whaikaha will allow the government to be more accountable to its UN obligations.

“We want to ensure which ones of the 60 concluding observations across the different agencies we would accept, whether outright or with [changes].

“What we don’t want to do is cobble together a response when it’s time to report on it again. We want to be held to account by the disability community.

“It’s about the change we can achieve through [the process of reporting to the UN].”

Ms Severin was open about her own difficulties growing up with dyslexia, which she was diagnosed with at 21. “We can all overcome the barriers that are there if you’re given the right tools to be able to,” said Ms Severin, who worked as a lab technician for 14 years and entered Parliament as a list MP in 2020.

Later in the panel, Ms Severin said the ACT Party would keep Whaikaha, which Ms Radhakrishnan said was a relief to hear because the party is “getting rid of everything else,” a statement that prompted laughter and applause from the in-person audience.

Disability rights commissioner Prudence Walker gave a brief speech before the political discussion, to remind the audience of their role in the coming election.

“Our stories are powerful and can help parties to develop effective policy,” Ms Walker said. “Every disabled voice matters [and] we can make a difference for an inclusive community.”