PhD Candidate: Ms Emily Bain (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Toarangatira)

Primary Supervisor(s): Dr. Esther Willing

It is well established that there are significant problems in Aotearoa New Zealand’s health and disability system, especially for Māori – largely due to the cultural differences between Māori and the biomedical system the New Zealand health system was modelled on.

In Aotearoa, disability funding (for a non-accidental, non-elderly/injury related condition) is determined via the Needs Assessment and Co-ordination (NASC) agencies. These agencies are located around the country and are the agencies which determine the amount of funding a whānau can receive for disability. However, this process is not transparent and whānau Māori face significant barriers in accessing the funding and support that is available. Following the completion of a systematic literature review, I will be undertaking qualitative interviews with whānau Māori and Kaupapa Māori providers. This process will assist me to build meaningful relationships and help develop opportunities to mitigate the challenges faced by whānau and providers. From these interviews and literature review, the overarching goal of the project is to develop a Kaupapa Māori equity-based tool. It is hoped this approach will lead to the development of a Kaupapa Māori framework to evaluate and assess funding for whaikaha Māori through a co-design process.