Tō tātou mahere About our plan

Find out about the University's Te Ara Taupuhipuhi Disability Action Plan 2025 - 2027.

This Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington Te Ara Taupuhipuhi—Disability Inclusion Action Plan supports the strategic priorities of connection, collaboration, and community in our Mahere rautaki—Strategic Plan. It implements commitments from our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Framework, outlining objectives to achieve these for disabled students and staff. This plan helps meet our legislative obligations and follows guidance from the Kia Ōrite Toolkit for an inclusive tertiary education environment, and Lead Toolkit for employing disabled people.

Disabled students face significant educational disadvantages in Aotearoa New Zealand, impacting economic, employment, and social outcomes. To address this, we must create inclusive environments that value diverse students, including those with disabilities.
Disabled people have lower income and employment rates. At Te Herenga Waka we value attracting a diverse community of staff and ensuring disabled staff can fully participate and engage in their mahi.

Te Ara Taupuhipuhi builds on the success of our 2017 Disability Action Plan, which significantly increased the number of Te Herenga Waka disabled students, a trend that is continuing. We greatly welcome the increasing diversity of our community. The development of Te Ara Taupuhipuhi was informed by a review of our first plan, international exemplars, best practices, data, student voices, staff engagement, and disability expertise. It does not include everything we are doing and is focused on priority areas where we want to make the most difference.

This ambitious plan reflects our progress to date and the tremendous amount of lived student and staff disability experience we have alongside professional and academic staff expertise. Disabled students and staff should not need to rely on the goodwill of others to get the support they need and should expect disability inclusion. This plan will enhance the disability inclusion and confidence of our community.

We are confident that we can continue our contribution to best practise in this field to ensure disabled students and staff can thrive and achieve their aspirations.

Te rautaki me ngā whanonga pono | Strategy and values

Our commitments to disability, diversity, and inclusion are strengthened by our strategic priorities of fostering connection, collaboration, and community. Disability inclusion is particularly supported by our values of akoranga, kaitiakitanga, and manaakitanga, honouring te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Akoranga—we value the knowledge that both students and staff bring to the university experience and recognise that greater understanding grows out of shared learning.

Kaitiakitanga—as guardians, we have an active duty to protect and nurture those entrusted to our care.

Manaakitanga—we are welcoming and generous and operate in ways that enhance the mana of our staff and students.

Our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Framework aims to create a vibrant, supportive, and inclusive environment for recruiting, developing, and retaining diverse talent.

Te Ara Taupuhipuhi—Disability Inclusion Action Plan implements our Strategic Plan and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Framework to ensure equity for disabled students and staff.

Ngā kaupapa here | Policy

The University has two key equity policies relating to achieving equity for disabled people:

The Meeting the Needs of Students with Impairments Policy (2005, effective 2014): ensures disabled students can demonstrate their abilities equitably with non-disabled students.

The Staff Development Policy: Promotes equity and diversity in staff development, accommodating specific needs of under-represented groups and addressing equity and diversity issues.

Ngā pūtea | Resourcing

The student-focused parts of this plan are funded by Te Amaru—Disability Services through the Student Services Levy and equity funding from the Tertiary Education Commission, supplemented by indirect university resources. Support for disabled staff is provided across the university and resourced by Te Pūmanawa Tāngata—Human Resources.

Te whakahaere me te arotake | Implementation, governance and review

Te Amaru—Disability Services are the operational lead for this plan in partnership with students and staff across the University. Te Amaru—Disability Services are vital to the success of the plan, as are the wide range of students and staff they partner with, if we are to be successful in our mission of embedding disability inclusion across the University. The ambitious nature of this plan reflects the strength of many of these existing partnerships.

The success of this plan relies on embedding disability inclusion into the fabric of the University. This plan is connected to and aligned with multiple University plans, projects and frameworks including Mai i te Iho ki te Pae, Pasifika Strategy and Plans, Learning and Teaching Plan, Pastoral Care Code projects, Digital Roadmap, Ngā Kīwai o te Kete-Student Engagement Framework, Paerangi—Student Success Framework, Campus Master Plan, and Campus Development Project Plan.

The Associate Director, Student Equity and Wellbeing Portfolio is responsible for Te Amaru—Disability Services. The Portfolio is part of the Te Pūrengi—Student Experience and Wellbeing Directorate, that reports to the Tumu Whakauru—Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students).
Te Pūmanawa Tāngata—Human Resources lead developments in our support of disabled staff and report to the Director, People and Capability.

The governance of this plan sits with the Tumu Whakauru—Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students), and the Equity and Diversity Steering Group. The Student Experience Committee, which includes a representative from the Disabled Students’ Association, will monitor the implementation of the primary actions relevant to students.

An annual report on how we are tracking towards achieving the measures outlined in the plan will be prepared by Te Amaru—Disability Services (with contributions from responsibility leaders and disabled students) for the Equity and Diversity Steering Group and the Student Experience Committee, or as required by Te Hiwa.

An evaluation of the success of this plan will take place prior to 2028 to assess progress against actions and what should be included in a new plan. This evaluation will be coordinated by Te Amaru—Disability Services with oversight from the Equity and Diversity Steering Group and the Student Experience Committee and involve advice, expertise, and feedback from disabled students, disabled staff, alongside both student and staff implementation partners.