Empowering employers to improve disability inclusion and equity outcomes.

Why join the NZDEN?

In New Zealand, nearly 1 in 4 people are identified as disabled, but only 25% of them are employed. Further to this, disabled people are more than twice as likely to be underemployed. This presents an opportunity for employers smart enought to increase their disability inclusion. Accessing a previously undertapped section of the labour market.

The underlying problem is that employers tend to discriminate against disabled people due to misinformation and unchallenged biases. Even organisations with a high maturity in gender, bi-culturalism, and rainbow inclusion find they have barriers preventing them from realising disabled people's true potenial.

When you become a member of the New Zealand Disability Employers' Network (NZDEN) you are pooling your resources with other organisations to gain access to specialist knowledge, skills and connections to support your organisation's disability and neurodiversity inclusion to thrive.

Furthermore, the network aspires to establish New Zealand best practices that become the de facto standard for organisations to contribute to true equity in employment for disabled people.

NZ's only employer body focussed on disability and neurodiversity

While our ultimate goal is to improve disability employment outcomes, we achieve this by supporting our member organisations to take their unique disability and neurodiversity inclusion journey.

We have developed the skills, expertise and connections to support your organisation's journey at both a strategic and practical level.

A network of experience

Every member brings experience to the table.

We help unlock the good experiences, and learn from the bad ones, from across the network to assist in creating the best possible outcomes for everyone.

The Disability Advantage


  • Broaden your access to talent

    There is a 46 percentage point employment gap outcomes for disabled and disabled people. This means there are a lot of talented people available.

  • More customers

    Over 24% of New Zealanders are disabled. By increasing your own disability-inclusion you are increasing the organisations chance to connect with disabled customers.

  • Loyal employees

    Disabled people stay with employers on average 50% longer.

  • Represent society

    Your organisation will more appropriate represent the make up of New Zealand society.

  • Less sick leave

    It is a common misconception that disabled people take more sick leave, the statistics actually prove otherwise.

  • Increased brand reputation

    When staff know you care for everyone, customers see that you care for everyone, and your reputation benefits.

  • Enhanced productivity

    Disabled people bring their unique perspectives and skillsets to the workplace, helping enhance overall productivity.

  • Stronger team and culture

    We know that diversity and inclusion increase culture, and bringing disability in to the picture only strengthens that.

  • Better health and safety

    Having disabled people on your team has been proven to improve health and safety outcomes.