May 05th, 2026

Data reveals scale of disadvantage for people with
 intellectual disability
Radio NZ
From Nine To Noon, 9:20 am on 16 March 2026

A new report comparing health and wellbeing outcomes for New Zealanders with an intellectual disability and those without shows a complex picture of inequity and unmet potential.
 
Advocacy organisation IHC's latest report titled 'From Data to Dignity' uses the Government's Integrated Data Infrastructure set, data from the 2023 Census and other administrative data to provide one of the clearest available pictures of the lives of people with intellectual disability in New Zealand.
 
Intellectually disabled students are almost three times as likely to be suspended than their non-intellectually disabled peers.
 
They are more likely to have coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, dementia and any type of mental disorder or mental health diagnosis.
 
And more likely to be unemployed, a smoker, or the victim of a crime. Shara Turner is the report's author.
 
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019027078/data-reveals-scale-of-disadvantage-for-people-with-intellectual-disability