Barriers

An access barrier for all disabled people is the total lack of money - in the Government's 'Wellbeing Budget 2020' - to make violence prevention and response services accessible and appropriate for disabled people. The new national strategy for family and sexual violence says it is for all people. Yet people with disabilities have been completely left out of the funding allocated in the budget.

I asked a life guard at my local pool about the hoist for disabled people. The life guard completely spoke over my head and ignored me. She treated me like I was stupid, even though I had asked the question.

I encountered an access barrier when visiting the New Zealand Parliament grounds in Wellington. I wanted to go up and down the parliamentary stairs, but I was prevented from doing so. This made me feel angry as it confirmed to me that our Government is NOT "walking the talk". They are NOT committed to creating an accessible New Zealand for all.

I took my ten year old grandson to the playground at Western Springs, Auckland, which has been refurbished in the last year. He wanted to enjoy a swing.

My grandson is wheelchair dependent, so he was looking forward to using the accessible 'bucket swing'. There is now NO swing, or any other equipment, suitable for a physically impaired child. The refurbishment is definitely not an improvement. We were both extremely disappointed.

The website mycovidrecord.health.nz, operated by the New Zealand Government Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora, fails to conform with the international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), as interpreted by my computer screen reader JAWS for Windows.

I was trying to get off the bus at the Christchurch Bus Interchange. I got up from my seat, with my cane extended in front of me, and walked down the aisle to exit through the front door of the bus, as I usually do. The driver physically blocked me with their arm and said “No!”

Prakashni speaks out about attitudinal barriers that prevent access to employment and socialising.

I wanted to buy a bottle of milk before catching the bus home to attend an important Zoom meeting. I am blind, so I went to the service desk at Countdown to request sighted assistance. I was asked to wait, which I did. Ten minutes later I was told they had no one available to assist me.

Listen to David speak about difficulties accessing Colmar Brunton and Opinion World surveys, for blind and low vision people.

Some RSA clubs do not have enough room in their toilet facilities. Doorways and general access is okay for abled but for not for disabled people. People who need extra travel time, or an elevator to get to another level, often encounter more steps than ramps. For those who would like to enjoy a meal, seating can feel squashed in the dining area.