New Zealand First has today introduced the Accessibility Standards Bill, a Member’s Bill which creates an opportunity to establish practical standards to address avoidable barriers that limit participation, opportunity, and independence.
“New Zealand First believes that all New Zealanders deserve to participate and contribute to society in a meaningful way. The Accessibility Standards Bill will identify, prevent, and remove barriers in a practical and sustainable way,” says New Zealand First Health and Disabilities spokesperson Jenny Marcroft.
The 2023 Census identified that 17 percent of New Zealanders are disabled with prevalence rising significantly with age. This is a large number of New Zealanders including seniors, carers, families, workers recovering from injury, returned servicemen and women, and communities across regional New Zealand.
“We want fewer New Zealanders to encounter avoidable barriers so that more people can participate in their communities, education, employment, public services, and the economy. Better accessibility is not only a social good but good for the economy.”
New Zealand is playing catch up. In 1990 President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law, in 1992 Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating’s passed the Disability Discrimination Act.
“When a school, hospital, transport hub, public building, social housing development, civic space, footpath, park, community facility or digital public service is being designed from scratch, accessibility can be built in from the beginning. This is when standards do the most good and cost the least,” says Ms Marcroft.
Better accessibility supports workforce participation, productivity, customer access, independent living and stronger communities. Its benefits extend to older people, families, carers, businesses and the wider public. Closing the disability employment gap alone could add $578 million to GDP.
“New Zealand First has a history of standing up for our seniors and veterans, and there is more work to be done so that we can maximise the potential of our citizenry. This Bill will strengthen existing institutions, focus public money on practical outcomes, and ensure there are clear standards.”
We applaud the advocacy of Access Matters Aotearoa and their work to remove barriers so that New Zealanders can participate in their communities.
