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The path towards equity in education for disabled students in Aotearoa New Zealand was started at an event at Parliament House on Thursday 11 December.

IHC Chief Executive Andrew Crisp, Minister for Education Hon Erica Standford and Secretary for Education Ellen MacGregor-Reid signed a landmark settlement for the benefit of disabled students and their family and whānau.

The settlement ends a legal complaint alleging discrimination in schools filed under the Human Rights Act 1993 in 2012.

Speaking at the event, Andrew shared a story about one boy and family’s difficulties in the education system:

“I learnt this week about Fletcher, 10 years old, born with Down Syndrome and neuro-disabilities, living in the country with his family and going to the local school.  

“Going”, I say but actually the thing is, that he has only attended school for half of the school year. Half days, half weeks, sometimes not at all for a whole week. When Fletcher is at school, he is on his own with a teacher aide away from his school mates not learning.  So, Fletcher feels excluded, wants to be with the other kids- not understanding why he can’t he communicates his distress through his behaviours.

“The school say they haven’t got the staffing and resources they need to have him there all day, every day, and they struggle with the decisions they make.

“I struggle to understand why in 2025, that these difficulties are still happening for Fletcher, for thousands of other children and young people like him, and for schools.  

“Today, I am confident that we, government and IHC, have a plan and a partnership, to work with the disability and education sectors to make changes to the education system that will benefit disabled students and schools.

“It’s time!” Read the full speech here.

Watch the signing event and speeches here.

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Kataraina, a mother from Porirua, also spoke at the event about the challenges her children and family faced and her hopes for the future.

“Our two youngest children, who are now aged 22 and 14 years old, have Down syndrome and takiwatanga (autism),” she said.

“We proudly say we are a takiwatanga whanau because we go through everything together.

“Discrimination and harm happens when we designed environments, processes and policies for one group of people.

“We know that the mainstream school environment is not designed for the children with disabilities.

“Due to lack of understanding and support, our daughter had to do part-time schooling for three years. I could only work part-time. Every school activity and outing, I had to be present. Every time, she was unable to cope or experienced a meltdown, I had to be there.

“For our children to be respected and valued in society, they need to be respected and valued at school.

“Belonging is a fundamental human need and our kids need to feel like they belong.  

"Belonging means that our children are welcomed, they are understood and accepted for who they are, it means that they have friends, and it means that even if our children are different, everyone puts in the effort to make sure that they feel the same.  

“I hope this agreement today leads us to that sense of belonging for disabled students.”

The settlement reached by IHC and the Government means the Ministry of Education will now work towards a plan that creates a better, fairer education system for disabled students.

This includes progress working nine areas proposed by IHC in a Framework for Action and establishing a stakeholder group of people with lived experience of disabilities and the education system to monitor that work for six years.

Full details of the settlement, Framework for Action, and how to apply for the stakeholder group can be found on IHC’s website here.

IHC and Ministry of Education's joint media release can be found here.