Access Matters campaigners at NZ Parliament Grounds crop

Accessibility for All Campaign

Every New Zealander should be able to learn, work, travel, and take part in community and whānau life with dignity and freedom. Public spaces, workplaces, healthcare, and education should be open to everyone.

But right now, many disabled people are shut out by barriers that shouldn’t exist — doors that are hard to open, videos without captions, classrooms without sensory supports, and online systems that don’t work with assistive tech. These barriers also affect older people, parents with prams, and people recovering from injury:

A Deaf commuter and a parent tending to a fussing baby miss their stop because the audio announcement is unclear and there’s no visual display.
A wheelchair user and a person using crutches can’t get into a café because the doorway is heavy and hard to open.
A blind person and an older adult can’t find the right room at the health centre because the signs are too small and low contrast.

These barriers aren’t inevitable. They exist because Aotearoa New Zealand doesn’t yet have clear, enforceable accessibility standards.

The Accessible Aotearoa New Zealand Bill is a chance for all of us to help design an accessibility law that works. A strong accessibility Act will create long-term, systemic change by making accessibility the norm in workplaces, schools, transport, homes, and public spaces.

New Zealand helped shape the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), an international agreement that says disabled people should have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Now we have a chance to put those commitments into practice by building a future where everyone can participate fully.

We can choose to remove barriers

New Zealanders know our communities work best when all of us can take part fully — at work, at home, and in everyday life.

But for many of us, barriers get in the way. These barriers don’t just happen on their own — they’re created through design and policy choices. And because New Zealand has no clear legal framework for accessibility, there are no consistent, enforceable standards to guide organisations or hold systems accountable.

A strong accessibility Act will put practical, fair rules in place so barriers can be identified and removed. It’s a simple, effective way to build an Aotearoa New Zealand that works for all of us.

Moving freely is moving forward

Every New Zealander should be able to move freely through life, to learn, work, travel, and take part in their community without barriers. Being able to get where we need to go and do what we need to do is a basic part of dignity and independence.

Yet many New Zealanders — disabled people, parents with small children, and others with temporary or age-related barriers — are still held back because of buildings, businesses, and services that aren’t accessible. Without clear rules, accessibility remains inconsistent and easy to overlook.

We can change this. Accessibility legislation with clear minimum standards will remove the barriers that block people’s movement and participation, opening the door to a fairer future for us all.

A fair and inclusive future

Accessibility is a basic human right. Everyone should be able to live with dignity, make their own choices, and have equal opportunities to access information, spaces, services, and support.

But without clear rules, accessibility often depends on luck or goodwill. Too many people are still excluded because our systems and places weren’t designed with everyone in mind. Aotearoa New Zealand has already committed to removing these barriers through international human rights agreements, but those commitments aren’t yet reflected in everyday life.

It’s time for an accessibility Act for Aotearoa New Zealand. With clear, consistent standards, we can create a future without barriers for every New Zealander.

Nothing about us, without us

“Nothing about us without us” means that disabled people should be involved in decisions that affect their lives. It reflects a long history where disabled people were often excluded from policy, planning, and everyday decision-making.

When disabled people lead, decisions are grounded in lived experience, respect, and fairness, creating solutions that work better for everyone. But when decisions are made without disabled people, essential insights are missed, and barriers often remain, even when intentions are good.

An accessibility Act will help put this principle into practice by embedding genuine partnership and disabled leadership into law, so we can build an accessible Aotearoa New Zealand for everyone.

Access Matters Campaigners with hands in the air and sunflower balloons

Join the Accessibility for All Campaign

Do you want to help remove barriers to accessibility?

Do you wish to see the introduction of an access law, with clear minimum standards, so that every New Zealander can move freely through life?

Do you believe accessibility is a basic human right and that all Kiwis should have equal opportunities to access information, spaces, services, and support?

Do you think people with access needs should be involved in decisions that affect their lives?

Then get involved today!