Building safer, fairer policing for disabled people: analysis on the NZ Police Disability Roadmap 2026
By Debbie Ward, National Disability Leadership Coordinator, CCS Disability Action
Published 30 June 2026
Disabled people interact with the justice system and Police at much higher rates than many New Zealanders realise. We are more likely to experience crime, less likely to feel safe, and often face extra barriers when we try to report harm or seek justice.
In February 2026, NZ Police released a new Disability Roadmap 2026 – a five‑year plan that sets out sixteen actions they say will improve how they work with Deaf/deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people. I read this roadmap not as a nice‑to‑have document, but as something that, if done well, could make a real difference to our lives.
Why this roadmap matters
Recent data from the New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey shows disabled adults experience higher rates of victimisation than non-disabled adults and are more likely to experience repeat victimisation. Disabled people report lower feelings of safety and lower levels of trust in police and courts than non-disabled people. At the same time, disabled people are disproportionately represented in youth justice and prison settings.
Research commissioned by Police on “Understanding Policing Delivery” highlights some of the reasons behind these figures. Disabled people who took part in that research described not being believed, not having their communication needs met, and sometimes experiencing unnecessary or excessive use of force when their disability wasn’t recognised or understood. Many spoke about wanting Police who listen, de-escalate, and work alongside them and their whānau, rather than responding with suspicion or force.
Against that backdrop, it is encouraging to see NZ Police publicly acknowledge the need for a Disability Roadmap and commit to a framework of actions through to 2026. The roadmap recognises that disabled people are more likely to be victims of crime and over-represented in parts of the justice system, and it sets out sixteen actions to help Police respond better.
The promise – and the challenge – of the Disability Advisory Group
One of the most significant commitments in the roadmap is the establishment of a Disability Advisory Group as a priority action. Done well, this group could give Police high-quality advice on everything from training and data collection to operational practice and community engagement.
But for this to work, the Advisory Group must have real mana inside the organisation. It cannot be a token group set up to tick a box. It needs to be listened to by senior leaders, resourced properly, and involved early in decision-making, not just asked to endorse what has already been decided.
It is also crucial that the group has strong representation of disabled people and whānau, not only representatives of community organisations or disability support providers. Disabled people have repeatedly said, including in Police’s own research, that they want their lived experience to sit at the centre of change, not on the margins. A genuine partnership with disabled people is the only way this roadmap will deliver on its promise.
Getting the language, rights, and data right
Some of the actions in the roadmap show promising intent. Commitments to strengthen engagement with disability communities, improve disability-related data, and provide disability training for staff are all important steps. These changes are necessary for Police to meet their obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, particularly around non-discrimination and access to information.
However, the details matter. For example, language like “vulnerable adults” can be stigmatising and may be better replaced with terms that emphasise rights and support, such as “adults with care and support needs”. Individuals, including disabled people, are not inherently ‘vulnerable’. They are made so by the people and systems around them.
Ensuring Police public information is available in alternate formats (such as NZSL, Easy Read, audio, and Braille) is not just a nice accessibility feature, it is about upholding disabled people’s rights to information and communication.
Screening questions to identify disability also need to be handled carefully. Police staff are not qualified to diagnose disability, and any approach must respect disabled people’s right to privacy and their valid concerns about discrimination if they disclose. This is one area where co-design with disabled people and clear safeguards will be essential.
Training and relationships: where real change happens
Most of the roadmap’s actions will only succeed if Police invest in meaningful training for all their people – uniformed and civilian, governance and management, and especially frontline staff. Research has shown that a lack of disability awareness can lead to misinterpretation of behaviour, inappropriate charging decisions, and unnecessary use of force.
There is a real opportunity here for partnership. Organisations like CCS Disability Action, Deaf and disabled people’s organisations, and tāngata whaikaha Māori groups can offer training, guidance and ongoing relationships that support Police to change their practice over time. Disability training should not be a one-off workshop, but part of an ongoing shift towards relational policing and de-escalation, especially when someone is in crisis or distressed.
From my own experience, I have seen how local relationships can make a difference. When I lived in Takanini, I was involved with Neighbourhood Support and sat briefly on the Papakura District Neighbourhood Support Committee. Those committees have close connections with community constables and local Police teams. If NZ Police were to endorse disability representation on Neighbourhood Support Committees around Aotearoa, it could be a very practical way for Police and communities to build a more inclusive understanding of disabled people’s diverse needs at the local level.
Keeping the focus on disabled people’s leadership
Disabled people and researchers have often talked about a pattern where change depends on a few “individual champions” inside systems like Police, courts, or Corrections. The danger is that when those champions move on, progress stalls. A roadmap on its own does not change this pattern, but it can help if it embeds disabled leadership and accountability into the structures of policing.
For NZ Police, that means more than having a document on a website. It means:
Ensuring the Disability Advisory Group is majority-led by disabled people and has a clear, influential role.
Embedding disability-related expectations into leadership, performance, and professional development.
Investing in data and research that actually tell us how disabled people are experiencing policing, and using that evidence to adjust practice.
Combining targeted recruitment of disabled staff with roles like disability liaison officers, to bridge gaps between Police and communities.
If those elements are in place, the Disability Roadmap 2026 could be a turning point – a move from ad hoc responses to a more consistent, rights-based approach to policing disabled people.
Where to from here?
As a disabled leader working within the community sector, I welcome NZ Police’s Disability Roadmap and the effort that has gone into consulting with Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people. It is an important starting point, and it recognises realities that disabled people have been naming for a long time: higher victimisation, lower trust, and significant barriers to justice.
But a roadmap is only as good as its implementation. Over the next few years, disabled people and our allies will be watching to see whether the commitments on paper turn into safer, fairer encounters in real life – at the roadside, at the station, and in our homes and communities.
My hope is that NZ Police will treat the Disability Roadmap 2026 as a living commitment: one that is informed and led by disabled people, properly resourced, and taken seriously at every level of the organisation. If that happens, we have a real chance to build policing that keeps disabled people safe, upholds our rights, and honours our dignity.