Disability Family Violence

In Aotearoa New Zealand, victims with disabilities face unique layers of coercive control. Abusers often weaponize a person’s health, mobility, or communication needs to create a state of total dependency.

If you have a disability and are experiencing harm, it is important to know that disability-related abuse is a crime, and you have specific rights to protection and support.

1. Recognizing “Disability-Specific” Abuse

Abuse isn’t always physical. In the context of disability, it often looks like:

Medical Sabotage: Withholding medication, over-medicating you to keep you quiet, or refusing to help you get to doctor’s appointments.
Equipment Control: Taking away your wheelchair, hearing aids, communication device, or glasses to keep you “trapped” or isolated.
Financial Abuse: Taking your Supported Living Payment or managing your money without your consent.
Caregiver Gaslighting: Telling you that “no one else will want to look after you” or that you are “too much of a burden” for anyone else to love.

2. Your Legal Rights in NZ

The Family Violence Act 2018: This law specifically recognizes that people with disabilities are at higher risk. A “caregiver” (whether paid or unpaid) can be considered to be in a “family relationship” with you, meaning you can apply for a Protection Order against them.
The Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC): If your abuser is a paid carer or health professional, you can lodge a formal complaint regarding a breach of your rights under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights.

3. Tactical Communication & Safety

If the abuser monitors your phone or you have difficulty speaking/hearing, use these NZ-specific tools:

The 111 TXT Service: If you cannot safely speak on the phone, you can register your mobile for the 111 TXT service. This allows you to text the Police in an emergency.
- Action: Register now at 111.txt.nz.
NZ Relay Service: If you are Deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired, use NZ Relay to contact support services safely.
Secret Code Words: If you have a trusted neighbor or a different carer, agree on a “code word” (e.g., “I need more milk”) that means “Call the Police for me.”

4. Specialist Support Services

While general services (like Women’s Refuge) are available, these agencies specialize in disability-related safety:

Shine: They have specialist advocates trained in disability-related family violence.
People First NZ: A self-advocacy organization run by and for people with learning disabilities. They provide easy-read resources on rights and safety.
Emerge Aotearoa: Provides disability support services and can assist in finding safe, accessible housing.
Age Concern: If the abuse is happening to an older person with a disability, their Elder Abuse Response Service is the primary contact.

5. The “Accessible” Safety Plan

When planning to leave or stay safe, consider these disability-specific factors:

The “Go-Bag” for Disability: Along with clothes and IDs, your bag must include:
- A 7-day supply of essential medication and copies of prescriptions.
- Chargers for any medical/communication equipment.
- Contact details for your GP, specialists, and your NASC (Needs Assessment Service Coordination) contact.
Housing: If you leave, tell the Police or a refuge immediately that you require accessible accommodation.

6. Reclaiming Your Mana

Abusers try to make you feel like your disability makes you “less than.”

The Truth: Your disability does not waive your right to safety. You are entitled to Mana Motuhake (autonomy) and a life free from fear.

This Easy-Read Accessible Safety Plan is designed to be simple, direct, and focused on the practical needs of whānau with physical, sensory, or learning disabilities.

In New Zealand, this approach aligns with the Enabling Good Lives principles—giving you control and ensuring your safety is managed with dignity.

My Safe and Sane Plan

1. People I Can Trust

When I do not feel safe, I will contact these people.

Support Person/Friend: [Name & Number]
My Doctor/GP: [Name & Number]
My Needs Assessment (NASC) Coordinator: [Name & Number]
Police (Emergency): 111 (or text 111 if registered)

2. My Equipment & Health

I need these things to stay well and move around. I will keep them close to me or in a “Go-Bag.”

My Mobility Aids: (e.g., Wheelchair, walker, white cane)
My Communication: (e.g., Hearing aids, iPad, letter board, glasses)
My Medication: I have a list of my meds and at least 3 days of tablets ready.
Power: I have chargers for my phone and my chair/equipment.

3. My Safe Places

If I need to leave my house quickly, I will go to:

Place 1: (e.g., A neighbor I trust, the library, a community center)
Place 2: (e.g., My sister’s house, a marae)
How I get there: (e.g., I can drive, I will call a mobility taxi, I will use my walker)

4. My Digital Safety

My Phone: I will keep my phone charged and in my pocket.
Location: I know how to turn off “Location” if I think I am being followed.
Passwords: I have changed my passwords so my carer/partner cannot see my messages.

5. If I am in Danger Now

I will move to a room with a lock or a way out.
I will call 111.
If I cannot speak, I will text 111 (I must register for this at 111.txt.nz).
I will use my “Code Word” with my trusted friend: [Write your code word here, e.g., “The cat needs food”].

Important for Support Workers & Advocates

If you are helping a person with a disability fill this out:

Autonomy: Ensure the plan is led by the person’s wishes.
Access: Print this on high-contrast paper or save it as a “Speak Screen” friendly document.
Whakamā (Shame): Remind them that needing help with daily tasks does not give a caregiver the right to be abusive.