Outcome 7 in Action - Choice and Control - Enabling Good Lives

Enabling Good Lives (EGL) is a new, principles-based approach to supporting disabled people that offers greater choice and control over the supports they receive so that they can plan for the lives they want.

 

Word cloud created from the voices of partners/participants in the Waikato Enabl
Word cloud created from the voices of partners/participants in the Waikato EGL programme

Since 2011 when the EGL programmes started in Canterbury and the Waikato, approximately 470 people have participated from a range of ages and ethnicities.

One young lady’s life has improved in many ways since she moved to the Waikato and joined the EGL programme.

Since transferring, the energetic and passionate 29-year-old has found a place to live and a part time job. She has a "Connector/Tūhono" who has helped her with making these important community connections. Her brother manages her EGL direct funding, allowing her to focus on building the life she wants to live. The young lady also has a support worker to spend time with and to share her interest in acrylic painting.

She has a new-found pride in herself for achieving so much in a short space of time. Her future goals include increasing her hours at work, being accepted into the Wintec computer course and to get her learner’s licence.

The EGL approach is achieving its objective when it gives a person greater choice and control over the disability supports available to them and enables them to use more mainstream and natural supports. Another benefit that has been realised is that disability support funding is used more efficiently.

Due to their success, the Canterbury and Waikato EGL programmes are being extended and the learnings from them are informing the nationwide transformation of the disability support system.

Resources and Guidance

Download handout with Resources section [PDF, 76 KB]

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