Disability Among Whanau
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There are 96,600 Maori with disabilities in Aotearoa. Thatís 17% of the Maori population.
More people had disabilities in 2001 (3% more).
Most Maori with disabilities live in their own households. But some live in formal residential care facilities (rest homes, hospitals, long stay residential units).
Nearly all Maori with disabilities (99%) live in households and less than one percent live in residential facilities. (Source: 2006 Disability Survey Hot Off The Press Report, Statistics New Zealand, p.8.)
The rate was the same in 2001.
Maori with disabilities are young, just like the general Maori population. The largest group is rangatahi aged 15 Ė 44 and the second largest group is tamariki up to 14 years old.
There have been a few changes since 2001.
In particular, there were more rangatahi with disabilities in 2001. There were also slightly fewer pakeke and kaumatua with disabilities in 2001.
Over half (51%) of Maori with disabilities are women.
There were slightly more women in 2001 (54%).
About 200 males and 700 females live in residential facilities.
The largest group of males with disabilities are tamariki. The second largest group are rangatahi.
The largest group of females with disabilities are rangatahi. The second largest group are pakeke.
Caregiving is prevalent among Maori. Unpaid caregiving is a common activity for 22% of adult Maori.
41,733 care (without pay) for someone who is ill or has a disability and lives in the same household.
39,966 care for someone who is ill or has a disability and does not live in the same household.
Overall, then, 81,699 care for someone who is ill or has a disability. Thatís 22% of adult Maori.
There has been little change since 2001.
Two thirds of caregivers are women.
There were slightly more males caregiving in 2001 (37%).
17% of the non-Maori population is disabled. Thatís the same rate as for Maori.
More non-Maori live in residential care facilities compared to Maori - 5% for non-Maori, 1% for Maori.
49% of non-Maori with disabilities are women. For Maori itís 51%.
Non-Maori have an older age structure. Their rates of disability are opposite to Maori so that, where most Maori with disabilities are in the younger age groups, most non-Maori with disabilities are in the older age groups.