A petition has been lodged with Parliament to investigate systemic harm and push for real change.
There are about 280,000 people with ADHD in Aotearoa New Zealand. That’s 280,000 reasons to sign today.
This petition is officially hosted on the New Zealand Parliament website.
Clicking ‘Sign the Petition’ will take you directly there.
Every signature helps push for urgent ADHD reform.
About the Petition
Parliament requires one person’s name to lodge a petition, unless you are part of an organisation.
This one began with one voice, but it’s built from many voices across Aotearoa.
The aim has always been to open another pathway for a collective conversation and lasting change, not to dictate the outcome.
The petition wording had to fit strict Parliamentary character limits and be approved by the Petitions Committee.
What’s published is just a snapshot of the issues. A full background document is available below.
This petition isn’t here to criticise existing efforts, it backs them up with a call for deeper, systemic change.
Non-partisan: This petition is independent. While supporters may hold their own views, the materials on this website, and social media will remain neutral and focused on delivery across Health, Education and Justice.
What the Petition Asks For
Launch a public inquiry into systemic harm affecting people with ADHD.
A time-bound, trauma-informed Select Committee inquiry with clear milestones and a required Government Response.
The petition calls on Parliament to:
- Investigate misdiagnosis, stigma, exclusion, and lack of support across health, education, justice, and employment systems.
- Put ADHD issues on the official Parliamentary record.
- Develop a National cross-sector ADHD Strategy and annual funding plan for lasting reform.
Sign the Petition
The petition is now live and open for signatures.
Title: Launch a Public Inquiry into Systemic Harm to People with ADHD in Aotearoa
Request: That the House of Representatives initiate a Select Committee inquiry into ADHD-related systemic harm, including misdiagnosis, stigma, and limited access to culturally safe, neuro-affirming support in health, education and employment, and establish a National ADHD Strategy and Annual Funding Plan to address lifelong harm.
Reason: ADHD affects about 280,000 New Zealanders who face stigma, misdiagnosis, and limited access to culturally safe, neuro-affirming support in schools, healthcare, workplaces, and communities. Other countries have held inquiries into ADHD policy and investment, but New Zealand does not yet have a coordinated plan. Evidence shows systemic harm, serious health impacts, and inequities for Māori, Pasifika, women and girls. The issues of people with ADHD have been seen as a personal problem.
Why This Matters
ADHD is everywhere — but support is not.
Over 280,000 New Zealanders are estimated to have ADHD.
Many have experienced:
- Late or missed diagnoses
- Punishment instead of support in school
- Workplace barriers and burnout
- Stigma in healthcare and communities
Despite this widespread impact, Aotearoa currently has:
- No coordinated national approach
- No targeted funding
- No consistent government policy
Recent government briefings outline cross-sector fixes; a public inquiry adds lived-experience evidence and turns advice into delivery with dates, funding, and accountability.
Other countries, including Australia, the UK, and Canada, have already launched formal ADHD inquiries or national reviews. It’s time for Aotearoa to do the same.
Systemic harm to people with ADHD is a human rights issue
People with ADHD are legally protected from discrimination under New Zealand law. Our government has also signed international agreements committing to fair and equitable treatment. These include:
- NZ Bill of Rights Act – Freedom from discrimination (Section 19), protection of cultural identity (Section 20)
- Human Rights Act 1993 – Prohibits discrimination in schools, workplaces, and healthcare
- UN Conventions – The CRPD and CRC, which guarantee equitable education, healthcare, and participation in society
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Ensures Māori voices and needs are central to reform and decision-making
These laws promise equal access to education, healthcare, employment, and justice.
Right now, these obligations are not being met. People with ADHD face systemic barriers including misdiagnosis, stigma, and a lack of culturally safe, neuro-affirming support across health, education, justice, and social development systems. These failures cause lifelong harm for individuals, families, and communities — and they fall especially hard on Māori, Pasifika, women and girls, and rainbow communities.
This petition asks Parliament to investigate how these obligations are being upheld, or breached, and to make those findings public.
A public inquiry would document this harm officially and create a foundation for lasting, systemic change.
In the media
Julie Legg spoke with Sian Flynn-Coleman about the call for an ADHD Inquiry in Aotearoa, and why so many people are raising concerns across health, education, and justice. You can watch their conversation here (hosted on the ADHDifference Podcast):
The Cost of Inaction
The cost of inaction is far too high.
When a system is designed only for the majority neurotype, it misses differences — and it fails to support people with ADHD.
That failure comes with a heavy price:
- ADHDers are 5x more likely to attempt suicide compared to the general population.
- International research shows ADHD is common in prisons (25–55%). NZ data shows young adults with ADHD are nearly five times more likely to be incarcerated than their peers. We don’t yet have a direct NZ prison-prevalence figure.
- Late-diagnosed adults often receive no clear pathway of care, even as they raise the next generation and try to parent differently from how they were raised.
- Teachers are leaving because they aren’t given the training or resources to support neurodivergent learners.
Every missed diagnosis, every unsupported child, and every preventable crisis isn’t just a policy failure, it’s a breach of our shared responsibility to protect human rights.
Every year, these failures drip-feed costs into health, education, and justice systems.
It’s more efficient, and far more humane, to redesign systems now, rather than keep patching problems for decades to come. The choice isn’t whether we spend money, it’s whether we spend it wisely.
What is systemic harm?
ADHD isn’t the problem. The system is.
The harm doesn’t come from ADHD itself.
It comes from systems that fail to understand, include, and support people with ADHD.
Examples include:
- Policies that exclude or punish instead of help
- Services that are fragmented, underfunded, or culturally unsafe
- Stigma and bias that lead to misdiagnosis or no diagnosis at all
ADHD is a difference.
Systemic harm happens when society fails to adapt, leaving individuals, families, and communities to carry the burden alone.
What Happens Next
Step 1: People across Aotearoa sign the petition to show this issue matters.
Step 2: Parliament decides whether to launch a Select Committee inquiry.
Step 3: If approved, the inquiry gathers evidence, stories, and data to map what’s broken and how to fix it.
Step 4: The findings shape a National ADHD Strategy and funding plan for lasting reform.
Every signature is both hope and public support. Together, they make our voices impossible to ignore.
Ways to Help
Even if you’ve already signed, you can support the movement by:
- Sharing the petition with friends, whānau, and networks
- Telling your story on the Your Story Matters page or on social media #280kReasons
- Following @ADHDInquiryNZ for updates
- Joining the conversation in your community
- Emailing your local MP let them know why this is important to you
Shared Voices
This petition began with one voice, but it is written factually rather than from opinion. It reflects:
- Frustration with broken systems
- Hope for better understanding and support
- Determination to push for real reform
In order to gain visibility, signatures and support it will need shared insight and collective voices, not individual ownership.
If an inquiry is launched, it will be conducted by Parliament, with input from everyone who chooses to take part.
Hope keeps us going, but pressure makes the system move.