Behind the Data: The Realities for People with Learning Disability in NZ

Focus: Improved Data-Improved Lives

Audience: Parents, whānau and professionals 

In 2023, IHC released a landmark report using New Zealand’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), a large government database holding information on nine million people. This research exposed stark inequities faced by people with intellectual disability, including much poorer health outcomes, higher rates of chronic illness, and a life expectancy up to 22 years shorter than the rest of the population. It also revealed that people with intellectual disability are over three times more likely to be victims of crime, and that families are disproportionately affected by child removals and family violence.

IHC have now updated this research with new data, allowing us to track whether outcomes for people with intellectual disability have improved since 2018. Alongside this, IHC has released The Cost of Exclusion, a new report showing the severe and ongoing economic disadvantage faced by people with intellectual disability and their families. They are three times more likely to live in material hardship, often go without essentials such as fresh food, heating, and transport, and children are far more likely to miss out on school and social activities because of cost.

This presentation will share key findings from these updated reports, highlight trends over time, and connect the data to the lived experiences of families. It will also discuss the action needed to create meaningful change and achieve equity for people with intellectual disability in Aotearoa New Zealand.