Welcome.
Access to appropriate and inclusive housing is a fundamental human right and a key social determinant of health. Yet, disabled people, including tāngata whaikaha Māori, often face significant barriers in exercising choice and control over their living arrangements. Navigating a housing system primarily designed for non-disabled individuals presents significant challenges for those experiencing disability.
The 'Hua Tahi | Flourishing Together' research project has collaborated with disabled people, including tāngata whaikaha Māori, to co-produce policy recommendations for kāinga, housing and home. We aimed to develop a deeper understanding of the contexts in which disabled people could access and maintain kāinga, housing and home in ways that best meet their needs and aspirations.
At the same time, we co-designed and piloted novel processes and methods to more meaningfully include disabled experiences and expertise in future health-related policy development spaces.
This website will collate the stories, recommendations and outputs arising from the research.
Please do get in touch by email if you would like to connect or have any further questions.
Ngā mihi nui
Rachelle (on behalf of the team)
Including disabled voices improves housing outcomes and challenges systemic inequities, fostering a more inclusive and accessible housing future for all.
Achieving safe, accessible, and affordable housing for all requires inclusive policies that address the needs of disabled people and their families | whānau, including tāngata whaikaha Māori.
Yet, disabled voices remain underrepresented in housing policymaking.
The Hua Tahi | Flourishing Together project has used participatory co-production methods in partnership with disabled people. We have used realist methods to guide the research - trying to understand what works best for who, in what contexts, and how.
Between 2021 - 2025, 40 disabled people collaborated with researchers as a ‘Co-Production Team’. This work would not have been possible without their involvement and rich input.
This project was funded by the Health Research Council (HRC) Emerging Researcher fund. The study was approved by the University of Otago Human Ethics Committee (H21/099)
