Making justice accessible for Deaf and disabled people
Providing free legal advice, advocacy, and education so you can understand your rights and take action.
Aotearoa Disability Law (ADL) is the only legal service in New Zealand that focuses just on disability‑related legal issues. It gives free legal advice, advocacy, and education to Deaf and disabled people. ADL’s goal is to make the legal system easier to understand and easier to access for people who often face barriers when trying to get legal help.
ADL helps people across the country. Even though the team is based in Auckland, they support clients online or by phone, so people anywhere in New Zealand can use their services. They can help with problems such as discrimination, employment issues, difficulties with landlords, guardianship, supported decision‑making, police complaints, and consumer or banking problems. If a case needs to go to court, ADL will connect the person with a lawyer who can take it further.
ADL also creates easy‑to‑read legal guides and fact sheets. These cover topics like employment rights, privacy, relationships, making a will, and how to work respectfully with Deaf and disabled people. They also provide information on where to make complaints and how to understand your rights when dealing with the police.
ADL is led by Deaf and disabled people, and many staff have lived experience with disability. The organisation was created because people were struggling to find legal help that understood disability issues. ADL became an independent community law centre in 2009 and has worked since then to improve both legal services and the laws themselves.
People can contact ADL by email, phone, text, or NZSL video message. They offer appointments from Monday to Friday and aim to make it as easy as possible for Deaf and disabled people to get the help they need.
