Employment – Disability Connect

Disabled people in Aotearoa New Zealand have the right to access the same employment opportunities as everyone else. The Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach strengthens this by focusing on ordinary life outcomes — including learning, work, and participation in community life.

Mainstream (open) Employment

Disabled people can work in any job, in any sector, with reasonable accommodations.

Government Funded Employment Supports

For Employees:

MSD funds a range of programmes that disabled people can access through Work and Income or contracted providers:

Job Support

Please refer to MSD for full conditions on Job Supports (updated 01/05/2026)

Equipment: Specialist disability office furniture or adaptive software.
Workplace modification: Money to help your employer make your workplace suitable for you.
New Zealand Sign Language and other interpreters: To interpret work meetings, documents about your job (e.g. your contract), and interpret some professional development.
Support person: Someone you hire to help you at work, such as a reader/writer or driver.
Parking: To cover costs of parking during your working hours.
Transport: To get to and from your work if you can’t access public transport.
Productivity allowance: A wage subsidy paid to your employer while you learn skills and set up workplace supports.
Job coach: A short-term coach to help you if you start a new job, your job description changes, or you have a change in your disability which affects your job.

Training Support

Please refer to MSD for full conditions on Job Supports (updated 01/05/2026)

Training Support funding can help you pay for extra costs relating to training if you have a disability or health condition. This is to help you get or stay in a job, including self-employment.

Training Support funding can cover:

Equipment: Specialist disability furniture or adaptive software.
New Zealand Sign Language and other interpreters: To interpret classes, presentations and some documents.
Support person: Someone you hire to help you with your training, such as a reader/writer or driver.
Transport: To get to and from your training course if you can’t access.

These programmes reduce barriers and encourage employers to hire disabled people.

Transition to Work Grants

Transition to work grants are not disability specific, but can help people cover the up‑front costs of starting a job or moving from a benefit into employment.

Information for Employers:

One in Six is a disability employment resources hub for HR teams, hiring managers, recruitment professionals, people leaders and business owners.

The Mainstream Employment Programme provides structured, long‑term support to help disabled people move into meaningful, sustainable employment. It combines wage subsidies, on‑the‑job support, and development opportunities so employers can confidently create roles and pathways that work for everyone.

The programme offers a wage subsidy for up to one year, helping to fund the salary of a disabled employee while they learn, grow, and build confidence in their new role. This makes it easier for employers to invest in talent and create accessible employment pathways.

Flexi-wage subsidy – employer information

Flexi-wage helps employers hire staff and get them the skills needed to do the job. Employers get a wage contribution, while the employee gets training and ongoing support.

Information about the Flexi-wage subsidy here.

Social Enterprises

Social enterprises are businesses that trade to earn income while also creating positive social outcomes. In New Zealand, a number of disability-led enterprises have been established by disabled people or employ large numbers of disabled people, with a strong focus on inclusion, meaningful work, and community participation.

What makes a disability-led social enterprise?

Many disability-focused social enterprises:

Are founded or governed by disabled people.
Create employment and training opportunities for disabled people.
Reinvent traditional ideas about disability by focusing on strengths and skills.
Reinvest profits into community programmes, employment pathways, or disability advocacy.

Will & Able

Will & Able is one of New Zealand’s best-known disability social enterprises. Based in Auckland, it employs people with intellectual disabilities to produce cleaning products, soaps, and hand sanitiser. Staff receive real wages and are involved throughout the production process. It was created to challenge low expectations around employment for disabled people.

Abilities Group (Auckland)

Provides employment opportunities through recycling, confidential document destruction, hospitality, and other business services. The organisation supports disabled people to gain work experience, training, and paid employment.

The D*List

The D*List is a disability-led social enterprise focused on storytelling, media, consultancy, and advocacy. It is run by disabled people and aims to strengthen disabled voices in public conversations and decision-making.

My Life My Voice

Is a youth-led movement and social enterprise that supports young disabled people to advocate for themselves, participate in leadership opportunities, and influence change within their communities.

Micro-Enterprises

A micro enterprise is a very small business, usually run by one person or a small team. In New Zealand, a micro business is commonly defined as having five or fewer employees, including sole traders who work on their own.

For disabled people, a micro enterprise can be a way to create work that matches their skills, interests, support needs, and lifestyle. Rather than working for someone else, they run their own small business and make decisions about the work they do.