On this page:
- Information, advocacy and support services
- Employment
- Sign language and support for deaf people
- Cognitive and learning disabilities
- Sports and recreation
Information, advocacy and support services
Office for Disability Issues (odi.govt.nz)
Government Office focused on disability issues working toward a vision of New Zealand being a non-disabling society.
Aspire Canterbury (Disabled Person’s Centre) (aspirecanterbury.org.nz)
Aspire provides free disability information and advice, and access to resources for disabled people.
- Has a directory of Canterbury services and supports for disabled people and their whānau
- Total Mobility Scheme provider
- Advises on products available
- Can be found on ERMS.
Carers New Zealand (carers.net.nz)
Carers NZ is the national body providing information, advice, learning and support for carers of disabled children and adults.
Caring Families Aotearoa (caringfamilies.org.nz)
Providing safe homes and advocating for the welfare and safety of children in care.
CCS Disability Action (ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz)
CCS provides disability support and advocacy about disability issues.
Disabled Person’s Assembly (DPA) (dpa.org.nz)
An organisation for people with all types of impairments which works to achieve equity for all.
Disability Steering Group Te Whatu Ora Waitaha (visit us online)
Ensures people with disabilities in the Canterbury/West Coast districts access services and participate in decision-making.
Hōhepa Canterbury (hohepacanterbury.com)
Hōhepa Canterbury is a disability support and service provider offering diverse support options.
LifeLinks (lifelinks.co.nz)
Life Links provides disabled people with assistance to be independent and contribute to society.
St John of God Hauora Trust (sjog.org.nz)
St John of God supports people living with physical or neurological disabilities and their whānau.
Vaka Tautua (vakatautua.co.nz)
A national ‘by Pacific, for Pacific’ mental health, disability and social services provider.
Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People (whaikaha.govt.nz)
Ministry set up in partnership with the community and Māori to provide disability information and resources.
Employment
Catapult Employment Services (catapultemployment.org.nz/employers/)
Provides a professional and comprehensive employment service for people seeking paid work.
Skillwise (skillwise.org.nz)
Facilitation of opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to be involved in training, the arts, volunteering, employment and recreational activities.
Emerge Aotearoa (emergeaotearoa.org.nz)
Delivers mental health, addiction, disability support, peer, employment, and offers rehabilitation and housing services throughout New Zealand.
Workbridge (workbridge.co.nz)
Provides support for disabled people to obtain employment.
Sign language services and support for deaf people
Deaf Aotearoa Tangata Turi (deaf.org.nz)
Understands and responds to Deaf and hard-of-hearing people’s needs relating to assessment, information and access to assistive equipment.
iSign Deaf Aotearoa (deaf.org.nz/what-we-do/isign/)
Enables access and participation for Deaf people by providing professional and confidential New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreting services.
Deaf Society (deafsocietyofcanterbury.co.nz)
Provides social, recreational and educational activities and facilities for people with hearing impairments.
Connect Interpreting (visit us online)
Connect is a team of experienced professional New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreters available for booking.
Wordsworth Sign Language Interpreters (wordsworth.nz)
Providing general and specialist interpreting services as well as interpreter training.
New Zealand Relay (nzrelay.co.nz)
Enables people with hearing and speech impairments to use the phone. We provide services for people who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, and speech impaired.
Cognitive and learning disabilities
Helen Anderson Trust (helenandersontrust.co.nz)
Provides a day support service, recreation and volunteering for adults with intellectual disabilities.
IDEA Services (idea.org.nz)
Provides needs assessments and supported living services for those with intellectual disabilities.
Seabrook Mackenzie Centre (seabrookmckenzie.net)
Provides assessments and tuition for those with specific learning disabilities as well as training for others.
Sports and recreation
ParaFed Canterbury (parafedcanterbury.co.nz)
Provides sports programmes, equipment and services for people with physical or visual impairments.