Marlee Matlin once said,

“Silence is the last thing the world will ever hear from me.”

Today is the day to make our voices heard.

Today is the day to make politicians and decision-makers of this country stop and listen.

Today is the day to claim our basic human rights; rights that can only be fulfilled when we have decent accessibility legislation, to remove the barriers we face and to prevent the creation of new barriers.

The sky is a little cloudy here in Wellington today, but even if it rains, we will not hold back from our manifesto. And our sunflower balloons will brighten the day!

We have ponchos available to help keep everyone dry. And besides, a little rain will not silence us.

Let’s say out loud that we want: standards, a regulator, a barrier notification system and a dispute resolution process to remove access barriers.

Jan Logie MP will receive the Access Matters Aotearoa petition of nearly 15,000 signatures at Parliament today, and our international expert on accessibility law - acclaimed Canadian Accessibility Advocate and a long-time supporter and catalyst for the Access Matters campaign David Lepofsky - will also be with us.

The campaign team is working tirelessly behind the scenes, and we have confirmed mainstream media presence.

We look forward to welcoming those of you who can attend in person at Parliament Grounds* - in the Seddon Statue and front lawn area - on Wednesday 22 February 2023 between 1:00pm and 2:00pm.

Wear a black top, to give strong contrast with the colourful balloons we are handing over, and please arrive early** at 12:00pm midday for a rehearsal. NZSL interpreters will be onsite.

Ngā mihi nui

Juliana Carvalho

Lead Campaigner

Access Matters Aotearoa

www.accessmatters.org.nz

* Please note the rules and guidelines for protests and demonstrations in Parliament Grounds.

** We have been notified that there is a Metlink union meeting today which may affect some transport services in Wellington. Please allow plenty of travel time.