Accessible Wellington
The Accessible Journey Action Plan
May 2019
Contents
Foreword by Justin Lester,
Mayor of Wellington
Links to the Council
direction
2019-22 Accessible Action
Plan – Key Actions
Action 1: Accessibility in Strategic
Planning
Action 2: Access to Information
Action 4: Accessibility Reviews
Action 5: Gathering feedback on accessibility
Action 8:
Accessible Navigation
Action 9: Accessible Democracy
International Case Studies and further reading
Seattle: AccessMap the sidewalk mapping app.
Wellington is a city where
many people want to live. We want to welcome everyone and ensure the city’s
attractions are available to everyone.
With steep hills and narrow
streets, it’s not the easiest place to get around, and it is even more
challenging for those with mobility issues, whether due to disability, age or
having young children in prams and pushchairs.
However, with planning and
forethought we can include everyone in all aspects of city life. This is
important because we are the capital city and should be at the forefront of
accessibility planning and design.
We have a unique
opportunity to lead the way for other cities in taking an
accessibility-friendly approach to accessibility development.
Last year we had our first
Wellington Accessibility Awards, which recognised businesses, initiatives and
people who help make the city more accessible.
Some are taking up the
challenge themselves but we need a city-wide approach if we want to really be
the people-centred capital we aspire to be.
And it’s the little things
such as street furniture, accessible signage and seating that combine with the
larger aspects, such as footpath and road design and public transport features
that will make all the difference.
As Mayor of Wellington, I
fully support this Accessible Wellington action plan and look forward to the
positive change it makes.
As the current co-chairs of the Accessibility Advisory Group we welcome the Accessible Wellington Action Plan. We see it as a positive step ahead for many different journeys, the journey we as disabled people make through Wellington city and one for Wellington City Council as they explore new ways of understanding accessibility and how to work with the disability community.
The Accessible Journey is a very important one for disabled people as it impacts our ability to participate as Wellingtonians. It enables us to access education, employment and health services. It also allows us to participate and for us to be socially involved. It also affects our ability to be contributing citizens.
This Accessible Wellington Action Plan is being released at the same time as a world-wide wave of heightened awareness of the responsibility local government agencies have towards establishing accessible environments as part of their role in creating sustainable cities and communities.
It is a living document. We look forward to seeing it evolve.
Gratitude must go to Michael Bealing, Nick Ruane, Alice Bates, Crispian Franklin and Geoff Lawson who were instrumental in the development of this action plan.
Tristram Ingham and Rachel Noble
We want all people in Wellington to be able to participate in all aspects of city life on an equal basis.
This means providing accessible services, communication channels, facilities, transport options, and buildings and public spaces to help make Wellington more accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Improving the city’s accessibility will make it more inclusive and help the city remain attractive to residents and visitors of any age and ability.
Approximately 24% of people in New Zealand have a disability. This is much higher for people over 65 years of age, with 59% of people having some kind of disability. Physical limitations are the most common type of impairment (Stats NZ). There are also 3,500 mobility card holders in Wellington, most being over the age of 65.
Parents with young children can also have negative experiences if the city is not built with accessibility in mind. In 2017 there were 6,057 births in the Wellington region (Stats NZ), which provides an indication of the number of people travelling with pushchairs and soon-to-be young children who need providing for.
We want to build on our reputation as an inclusive and socially responsible city that is accessible, safe and easy to get around and where all people can participate in city life and have a say about its future.
This plan is to act as our guide and will enhance people’s independence and ability to participate, engage in, and benefit from, key Council services.
The plan sets out specific actions, will include measurable criteria, such as timeframes and action owners, and is a starting point for both coordinating what the Council is already doing and recommending key actions for the next three years. This is considered to be a living document, and over time, additional actions may be included.
New Zealand ratified the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)[1] in 2008. The Convention
is a key document in the area of accessibility.
The purpose of the Convention is ‘to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.’
The Convention is important as it clarifies the rights of persons with disabilities and sets out responsibilities to respect those rights. The Convention promotes accessible social development and has been described as a human rights treaty and a development tool.
The New Zealand Disability Strategy (NZDS) was guided by the
principles of the UNCRPD. The Council supports the achievement of the
goals of the Convention and its Optional Protocol (A/RES/61/106).
The New Zealand Disability Strategy 2016-2026 has identified eight outcomes which contribute towards making New Zealand a non-disabling society. Outcome 5 relates to Accessibility - We access all places, services and information with ease and dignity. The Strategy sets out what “our future looks like and what needs to happen” for Outcome 5. This is that:
· ‘We have access to warm, safe and affordable housing that meets our needs and enables us to make choices about where we go to school or work and to fully participate as members of our families, whānau and communities.
· We can get from one place to another easily and safely, for example from home to school, work or to a friend’s house. We can also access all public buildings, spaces and facilities with dignity and on an equal basis with others.
· We feel safe taking public transport to get around and are treated well when we do so. Our needs are also appropriately considered when planning for new transport services. Private transport services are responsive to and inclusive of us. For those of us who need it, there is access to specific transport options that are affordable, readily available and easy to use.
· Information and communications are easy for us to access in formats and languages that are right for us, including in our country’s official languages of Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. This helps us to be independent because we do not have to rely on other people. We use technology on the same basis as everyone else; those of us who need specific technology solutions will have access to these in a way that is innovative, progressive and helps to eliminate barriers. The evolving opportunities presented by new technology helps us to achieve our goals.
· Our accessible communities are free of barriers (for example, access to shops, banks, entertainment, churches, parks, and so on), which enables us to participate and contribute on an equal basis with non-disabled people.’
This Action Plan aligns to our Towards 2040: Smart City strategy – and links closely to the following two pillars:
People-centred city
Wellington's people-centred city will be healthy, vibrant, affordable and resilient, with a strong sense of identity and 'place'. This will be expressed through urban form, openness and accessibility for its current and future populations.
As a connected city,
Wellington's people, places and ideas access networks - regionally, nationally
and globally. Connections are
·
physical - allowing for ease of
movement of people and goods.
·
virtual - in the form of
world-class ICT infrastructure.
·
social - allowing people to
connect to each other and their communities.
The approach outlined in
this action plan also aligns with the Positive
Ageing Policy, Central
City Framework, and the Wellington
Urban Growth Plan 2014-2043.
It also aligns to existing
work streams – including the Let’s Get Wellington Moving programme of work and
the updated urban growth plan Planning for Growth being
developed.
The
Council’s Accessibility Advisory Group has guided the development of this plan.
Parents with pushchairs, seniors, those temporarily injured, the disability
community, and carers in Wellington were also consulted during the development of this plan.
Figures
from Stats NZ show that 22% of people in the Wellington Region have an
impairment. Mobility impairments are the most common in the region followed by
hearing and agility.
Disabilities are more common in the over 65s, with Pacific Peoples
experiencing the sharpest increase in that age range.
Mobility is the most common form of impairment in Wellington.
People with mobility impairments find it more difficult to travel to and
through the city, and are more impacted by a poor or unreliable transport
network and construction works occurring on roads and footpaths.
While many areas of Wellington are highly accessible, Wellington is
experiencing strong population growth resulting in more city development (and
associated construction disruption), and construction relating to the
earthquake.prone building strengthening programme is also impacting on the
overall accessibility of the city.
Additionally, the Lets Get Wellington Moving programme of work will also
see construction occurring in the central city and along key arterial routes
for many years into the future.
Considering that mobility is the most common form of impairment, and key
areas of the city will see higher levels of construction disruption for the
foreseeable future, additional survey work was carried out to better understand
accessibility issues.
The survey was targeted towards those with a disability, older people and
parents with young children and asked for feedback on a journey they regularly
take and how difficult or easy this is for them.
Out of the 577 survey responses:
·
82% of survey respondents
experience difficulties during a trip they take regularly.
·
Most people who completed
the survey are travelling around Wellington on foot, followed by bus or
driving. Respondents experienced the most difficulty with pavements in the
city.
·
36% of respondents considered
that accessibility in Wellington has remained about the same over the last five year period. However, around a
third (30%) believe it has become better
(6%) or much better (24%).
·
Just under half (42%) of
respondents thought Wellington was either accessible
(33%) or very accessible (9%).
·
16% of respondents also reported
that pavements are the most positive part of a journey followed by good public
transport. This shows when pavements are or aren’t accessible it makes a big impact
on the ease of a person’s journey.
This
sets the scene for a positive action plan to continue to address the issues of
accessibility and to enable participation in city life.
The New Zealand
Disability Strategy 2016 includes a description of an accessible future where
“we can get from one place to another easily and safely, for example from
home to school, work or to a friend’s house. We can also access all public
buildings, spaces and facilities with dignity and on an equal basis with others”.
This ‘accessible
journey’ has been used as a way to visualise chronologically the accessibility
tasks of users. It highlights potential opportunities and points of contacts
with the Council. The journeys which people carry out on a daily basis such as
going to the shops, attending an event or visiting friends are important to
enable everyone to participate in city life.
The barriers to the accessible
journey for disabled people cover information about services, arranging a
service, getting from home to the pick-up point, using the service to go to a
destination and returning home. (The Accessible Journey: Human Rights Commission, 2005)
New Zealand
Building Code Clause D1 Access Routes defines an ‘accessible route’ as;
An access route usable by
people with disabilities. It shall be a continuous route that can be negotiated
unaided by a wheelchair user. The route shall extend from street boundary or
car parking area to those spaces within the building required to be accessible
to enable people with disabilities to carry out normal activities and processes
within the building.
The Action Plan
builds on the ‘Accessible Journey’ concept that was chosen with the
Accessibility Advisory Group (AAG). For the purposes of this action plan the
accessible journey will be a broader definition that is a combination of the
two above. It will not be limited to arriving at a building or place and then
use of and movement within the building or place. An accessible journey also
includes:
·
all the decisions made early
in the journey through to the destination.
·
how information is sourced
about travel.
·
the accessibility of the
building or place.
In this way, the
complete journey is understood and the barriers to access are identified.
Goal
All
people, residents and visitors, are confident accessing the information they
need to participate in Wellington city life, they are able to get to and from
all venues and use the service at a destination with ease
Access to Information
There is easy access to information about the
Council and business services, entertainment, hospitality, events, education
and recreation.
What this will look like:
·
People can find information in an
accessible format about the accessibility of the venue, facilities or event -
and how to get there and back.
·
Information on the Council
websites is in an accessible format and compliant with the NZ Standards: Web
Accessibility Standard 1.0 and Web Usability Standard 1.2, and amendments.
·
All tourist attractions,
hospitality venues, hotels, restaurants and cafés publish statements on venue
accessibility.
·
Greater Wellington Regional
Council and other transport stakeholders have accessibility information publicly
available for their transport and public transport routes.
Access in the built environment
There are efficient accessible transport options
(including mobility parking, active mode routes, multi-node routes and clear
signage and wayfinding).
What this will look like:
·
Mobility parks are in the places
that are of use to people, they are available and not being misused.
·
These mobility parks and all kerb
cuttings are compliant with NZS4121:2001.
·
Pedestrian facilities meet the
Guidelines for facilities for blind and vision impaired pedestrians - RTS 14.
·
Accessible signs are provided
throughout the city including links to further information and/or YouTube NZSL
explanations.
Access to venues
There is accessible access to services (e.g. public
buildings, restaurants, theatres, accommodation, business providers).
What this will look like:
·
Accessible facilities are
available that are fit for purpose.
·
Staff are helpful and
knowledgeable about accessibility.
·
Guides and programmes are in
accessible formats, audio descriptions and closed loop audio at events.
There is accessible access to buildings and
movement throughout these buildings.
What this will look like:
·
More buildings, public places and
homes are compliant with the MBIE accessibility requirements/guidelines.
·
Council facilities and tourist
attractions, hospitality venues, hotels, restaurants and cafés in Wellington
will be compliant with NZS4121:2001 (and subsequent amendments).
Accessibility Leadership
There is strong messaging from the Council on the importance
of accessibility.
What this will look like:
·
The Council will plan and forecast
for future accessibility requirements, and support this with internal
capability to enable the uptake of novel or disruptive technologies that
address accessibility.
·
The Council will encourage tourist
attractions, hospitality venues, hotels, restaurants and cafés in Wellington to
publicise the achievement of and compliance with accessibility standards.
·
The Council will raise the
awareness of accessibility by creating spaces that showcase universal design
and accessible venues/businesses; and by running accessible events in these
spaces.
·
Our consultation and engagement is
in line with Ministry of Health guidelines: “A Guide to Community Engagement
with People with Disabilities”.
Building data to track our progress over time
Accessibility and universal design should be embedded in the long-term
vision for the city and taken into account in developing and reporting on the
Long-Term Plan, Annual Plan and strategy documents.
This action can be delivered within existing budgets.
Actions:
1.
The
Council will monitor the wellbeing outcomes for citizens within Wellington on
the basis of disability, and work with key stakeholders (e.g. national
government, Regional Council, and the District Health Board) to mitigate any
inequity identified.
Timeframe: annual.
Owner: WCC (Policy, Research and Evaluation team).
2.
Carry
out a survey where people provide regular feedback on the accessibility of the
city. Review the survey results and track accessibility progress.
Timeframe: annual.
Owner: WCC (Research team) and
WCC (Policy team).
3.
The
Council actively pursues opportunities such as the Lightning Lab to enable it
to identify new and innovative solutions to accessibility barriers.
Timeframe: annual.
Owner: WCC (Policy team).
4.
Establish
a regular ‘Accessibility Hui’ made up of staff from across the Council. The
group will be interlinked and share both skills and resources.
Timeframe: Establish in 2019. Meetings will be bi-monthly.
Provide usable up-to-date information on accessible Wellington
Access to information is vital so people can make choices about where
they can go safely. Currently the information is not consolidated in one place
neither is it driven from a user perspective. This action focuses on delivering
the right information in a format so the accessible community can make good
decisions.
The Council developed an accessibility map as part of the 2012-2015
action plan. Additional information can be added, for example, venue
information or allowing people to enter information through a ‘live’ function,
such as “there is scaffolding on this street”; “a stair rail is missing”. The
current map also appears not to be well known and its placement on the website
and an accessibility communication strategy needs to be considered.
A review of this map will be carried out with the accessibility
community and community partners. This will include what accessibility features
people would like to see on the map to enhance their accessible journey and will
explore alternatives for communicating accessibility about the city beyond
visual maps. This action can be delivered within existing budgets.
Actions:
1.
Develop
a page through Engagement HQ that allows people to engage with the Council about
what information would be of most use and how that information would be
provided.
Timeframe: 6 Months.
Owner: WCC (Policy team).
2.
Following
feedback, explore if the site can then be used to test – providing the
information wanted, in the form needed. (Will rely on people engaging with the
site to source the information.)
Timeframe: 12 months.
Owner: WCC (Policy team).
3.
Establish
a working group of stakeholders to develop scope and deliver a plan that will:
·
Engage
with the accessibility community to determine what information would be useful .
·
Preferred
ways to access this information .
·
Determine
if the current Accessible Wellington Map meets the needs of the community.
·
Develop
a communications and marketing plan.
Timeframe: 12
months.
Owner: WCC (Policy team).
4.
Work
with partners and accessibility consumers to develop a platform that integrates
and displays accessible information in appropriate formats.
Timeframe: 12 months.
Owner: WCC (Policy team.
The accessible space will act as a starting point within the city for full accessibility.
This project seeks
to create accessibility spaces across the city that champion and model good
accessible design and practice. The spaces will address the physical
accessibility of the environment as well as also promoting an accessible
culture within the businesses that operate in the location.
This will require
considering accessibility and how it can be carried out at a much higher
standard to which it currently is and raising the bar. Universal Design
principles will be applied to the space, street and buildings. The space will
be designed with the accessibility community who will input on what the new
higher standard should look and feel like.
We will work with
businesses to assist them to operate in an accessible way ensuring that
customers and potential staff with accessibility requirements will be able to
fully participate within the space.
The aim is to
create spaces that people can feel confident visiting knowing that no pre-planning
is required about the accessibility of the space and its venues before
visiting. People will be confident about the space and participating in events
and activities. The space will educate Wellingtonians on what full
accessibility looks like and how good accessibility benefits everyone.
Actions:
1.
Work
with the Urban Design team to identify an upcoming project that would fit with
the Accessibility Space concept.
Timeframe: 2019/20.
Owner: Cross Council Initiative.
2.
Work
with the community in a co-design process to identify what a high standard of
accessibility and Universal Design would look like for the space.
Timeframe: 2020.
Owner: Cross Council Initiative.
3.
Work
with businesses in the space to improve and become fully accessible.
Timeframe: 2020.
Owner: Cross Council Initiative.
4.
Hold
events that are accessible and raise awareness of accessibility.
Timeframe: 2020/21.
Owner: Cross Council Initiative.
Sharing best practice to inform, educate and lift standards
There is an opportunity for people who experience a disability to write their own reviews about places visited in the city so that the whole community can learn from the experience of others and venues get feedback on their accessibility from personal experience. The Council would explore partnership opportunities to establish this. The review information would be publicly available and can be used by all people when planning a trip.
The reviews will work in conjunction with the existing strategy of
encouraging venues to meet accessibility guidelines. This could include a
rating system to encourage businesses and venues to improve accessibility.
There are existing international examples and these sites encourage
businesses to address reviewer comments by improving accessibility. Over time
we would work towards all tourist attractions, hospitality venues, hotels,
restaurants and cafés in Wellington publishing a statement on their venue’s
accessibility (per NZS4121:2001 and subsequent amendments).
Our role will be around advocacy and facilitation and therefore the
costs to the Council are expected to be low and be delivered from within
existing resources.
Actions:
1. To
investigate partnership opportunities with stakeholders and companies already
working on accessibility assessments to create publicly available reviews of
Wellington’s places, spaces and venues.
Timeframe: 2019/20.
Owner: WCC (Policy Team).
2. Establish
a working group of stakeholders and people of interest to test functionality
and to gauge potential uptake and interest in the Review tools.
Timeframe: 2020.
Owner: WCC (Policy Team).
3. Create
the Wellington based content with partners.
Timeframe: 2019/20.
Owner: WCC (Policy Team) and partner.
4. Work
with the communications team to promote the Review tools and raise awareness of
it to the public. Develop a communications plan to promote venue accessibility
across the city.
Timeframe: 2020/21.
Owner: WCC (Policy team and Communications and Engagement team). Potential for
partner also.
5. Maintain
the Review tools to ensure the content is relevant and up to date.
Timeframe: ongoing.
Owner: WCC (Policy Team).
Allowing public to
feedback on ‘accessible journeys’ through Wellington
We need to give the accessible community the opportunity to easily and
quickly provide feedback on accessibility issues they face that can then be
addressed by the Council.
It is proposed to build a tool that would build on the accessible
journey exercise that was carried out with the Council’s Accessibility Advisory
Group, to engage and allow the wider public to report on positive and negative
parts of any journey they undertake.
This feedback tool could be live or run for set periods of time, for
example, over the summer for three months. It would gather accessible issues and ideas for improvements that people experience so that these can
then be actioned. The information that is gathered could then be considered by
the Council and inform future investment plans. A communications plan would be
built around this initiative which would raise awareness and be a channel for
broader accessibility messages.
The first stage of this action is to work with stakeholders to refine
scope, functionality and likely uptake of any tool. Potential costs will also
be determined through this initial scoping phase.
Action:
1. Establish
a working group of stakeholders and people of interest to test functionality
and potential uptake of an app or a survey.
Timeframe: 2020.
Owner: WCC (Policy Team).
2. Work
to refine app or survey and questions to record an accessible journey along
with accessible usability of the tool.
Timeframe: 2020.
Owner: WCC (Policy Team).
3. Work with Wellington City Council communications team to promote the tool and raise awareness of it to the public.
Timeframe:
2020.
Owner: WCC (Policy with Communications and Engagement Team).
4. Run
app or survey for a three month period allowing feedback to be received on
journeys.
Timeframe: 2020.
Owner: WCC (Research and Policy Teams).
5. Once
the tool run period has concluded, analyse and then present results to
Wellington City Council business units for action/investment.
Timeframe: ongoing.
Owner: WCC (Policy with relevant teams that feedback relates to).
6. Repeat
the above four actions each year. Tailor the tool and questions as needed.
Timeframe: ongoing.
Owner: WCC (Policy team).
Ensure that the design of public spaces incorporates universal
design principles.
Results from the Getting Around Wellington
survey showed that city design, particularly the pavements and the quality of
Wellington’s streets, make a big difference to the ease of people’s journeys.
Comments in the survey included street clutter and other barriers that people
experience already. Better designed streets, managing footpaths and public
spaces, and removing potential barriers that block these spaces, will create
more accessible journeys around the city.
This will be considered through a reviewed Footpath Management Policy or
any new City Design guidelines.
Feedback was also received through the survey on the accessibility of
some of Wellington’s parks.
Action:
1.
Develop
an infrastructure investment/upgrade plan to increase the kerb cuttings that
comply with NZS4121:2001 specifications.
Timeframe: 2020/21.
Owner: WCC (Policy Team) and WCC (Transport and Infrastructure).
2.
Review
of the Footpath Management Policy and development of guidelines for the design
of public spaces including:
·
Street
furniture.
·
Accessible
Signage – Use of braille, large font, high contrast, easily readable signs and
other tools that can link to additional information.
·
Non-obstruction
- review of standards for the location
of street furniture and sandwich board retail signs.
·
Seating
– ensure that public space seating is included at regular intervals throughout
the city (for those with limited walking/standing capacity) and that seating
has arms to permit easy transfers.
Timeframe: 2020.
Owner: WCC (Policy Team) and WCC (City Design Team).
Mobility parks are fit-for-purpose
The Council adopted a
Mobility Parking Policy in 2005, which aims to ensure Wellington is a liveable
place for people with limited mobility by enhancing their ability to
participate in employment, social, cultural and political life and their access
to services and resources. The policy only
covers Council-provided mobility parking spaces and does not cover mobility
parking spaces on private land, such as at supermarkets and retail
outlets.
In 2005,
there were 23 Council-provided on-street mobility spaces. This increased to 55
spaces in the central area or 1.7 percent of all metered spaces. This was
planned to be close to 2 percent of parking in line with Australian and
Canadian cities.
CCS Disability Action (CCS)
provides mobility parking permits, advocacy
and information sharing in the disability sector New Zealand-wide. They have
developed an app, Access Aware that allows people to report information on
Mobility Parks. The Council has been trialling the alert function of the app.
Reporting of potential mobility parking misuse of a Council-controlled parking
space is sent in real time to the Council’s parking enforcement team so they
can monitor the use and respond to potential misuse of the mobility parking
spaces.
Action:
1. Work
with CCS to share information on Mobility Parking in Wellington. Information
includes creating a data base that is crowdsourced about the amount, location
and type of mobility parking space in Wellington. The database will cover both
Council-provided and other mobility parking spaces.
Timeframe: 2019.
Owner: WCC (Policy team).
2. Review
the Mobility Parking Policy (2005) as part of the Parking Policy Review.
Timeframe: 2019/2020.
Owner: WCC (Policy team).
3. Following review of the
CBD mobility parks develop an improvements plan:
a. hold a workshop to
review the current Council on-street mobility parking spaces
b. use the information from
the workshop, plus survey results, to develop an action plan for improving the
provision of Council on-street mobility parking spaces in Wellington.
Timeframe: 2019/2020.
Owner: WCC (Transport and Infrastructure) and WCC (Research and Policy teams).
Investigating options
for assisting with navigation
of the city with ease
We have piloted BlindSquare for people who are blind or have low vision
or a print disability. With the BlindSquare iPhone navigation app and
Kontakt.io beacons, people with sight loss can explore their city with
independence. As app-users pass shops and businesses that are ‘BlindSquare
Enabled’, the app provides a spoken description of the business, including its
name, what goods or services it provides and the shop layout. The app also
provides other information such as the names of the roads they are walking
along, or where the bus stops are.
This area is rapidly moving with new technology development.
Action:
1.
Continue to explore ways to assist people
navigate their way around the city.
Timeframe: ongoing.
Owner: Community Networks.
Participate in democracy and have a say in how the city is run
The Council has a duty to enable all people to have a voice in the
topics and issues shaping the city. Everyone
who lives in Wellington should have access to voting in elections and be able
to have a say in the topics that affect them.
Actions:
1.
Audit the accessibility
of council buildings, and council-related public buildings against
NZS4121:2001.
Timeframe: tbc.
Owner: Investigating.
2.
Accessibility of
Committee rooms at 113 The Terrace.
Timeframe: ongoing.
Owner: Democratic Services.
3.
Options for closed loop
audio for all WCC public meetings will be investigated.
Timeframe: 2019/20.
Owner: Democratic Services.
4.
The availability of NZSL
Interpreters for WCC public meetings on request will be advertised more
prominently.
Timeframe: 2019/20.
Owner: Democratic Services.
5.
Accessibility awareness
raising and training of staff.
Timeframe: 2019 and then ongoing.
Owner: Policy and
Communications Team.
6.
Accessible consultation
and engagement.
·
Produce Council
Consultation and Engagement Guidelines.
·
Promote use and
implementation of the Guidelines.
Timeframe:
6 months and then ongoing.
Owner: Engagement team.
The Council will continue to deliver the following as part of its
business as usual activities which address accessibility issues and access to
information.
Access to Venues:
·
We will continue to improve the
levels of accessibility compliance at Council venues. We will do this through
continuing accessibility audits, and staff training to improve building
accessibility and customer service.
·
We will look at options of
inclusive play where practical and possible when we undertake upgrades to play
spaces and the development of new play spaces.
·
Building consents will continue to
be assessed on any required accessibility standards. Compliance with those
standards will be enforced on the building code accessibility standards.
Access to Wellington:
·
We will ensure that Mobility
Parking installations are in the right places and that they meet as practical
as possible the accessibility standards in the road.
·
Our street upgrade programmes will
include accessibility pavement upgrades to ensure that our streets are
increasingly accessible for all.
·
Within our Open Space Access Plan
2016 we will identify the paths and walkways that have sealed surfaces and flat
pathways for mobility users.
·
We will review whether more
accessible tracks need to be constructed.
·
We will continue to support the
annual Accessibility Awards, recognising businesses, initiatives and people who
help make Wellington more accessible.
Access to Information:
·
We will ensure that Council
information – including emergency and emergency preparedness messaging is
accessible.
·
We will ensure that the Council
and affiliated websites are compliant with the NZ Standards: Web Accessibility
Standard 1.0 and Web Usability Standard 1.2, and subsequent amendments.
Accessibility Leadership:
·
We will work with other
stakeholders to improve accessibility as an integrated approach is often
needed.
·
We will involve the Accessibility
Advisory Group, technical accessibility advisors, and the wider disability
community, in service development initiatives.
·
We will work with GWRC and other
transport stakeholders to ensure accessibility-specific information is made
publicly available (online, in app format, and in other digital/non-digital
media) for all transport and public transport routes.
·
The Council will support/advocate
for national standards for mobility parking, integrated ticketing and shared
fare structures on public transport in Wellington, accessible options for
public transport without requirements for prior bookings or reservations,
including accessible bus stop design, methods of signalling the need for
assistance on bus stops, and accessibility training of staff to assist
passengers safely embark/disembark public transport.
Once the action
plan has run its duration a review of the 2019-2022 Action Plan will be carried
out and a refreshed plan produced.
AccessMap is a map-based app used in Seattle that plans accessible routes
through the city. Pedestrians with limited mobility can be provided with a
route to a destination that is accessible and will avoid features such as
inclines that would be problematic or even an accessibility barrier. Google
maps does not currently provide such an accessibility feature. The University
of Washington’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology, which created the map
currently gathers information on elevation, crossings, sidewalks and kerb ramps
from existing databases. The project is nowentering the next step and is
crowdsourcing extra information such as pavement widths and handrails.
The Access City
Award is for cities in Europe that are making it easy for everyone to live
there. The Awards are for cities that work to make buildings, parks, transport
and many other public areas more accessible for people with disabilities and
the elderly.
In 2018, the city
of Breda in the Netherlands won the award.
“In Breda, public places such as parks and
stores are accessible to everyone. Digital technologies ensure that all
citizens can get around using public transport. And Breda's investments pay
off. Tourism is thriving thanks to the city’s commitment to inclusion. In the
near future, the European Accessibility Act will complement Breda's efforts by
setting European accessibility standards for key products and services. Our
combined efforts at local and European level are a game changer for the more than 80
million Europeans with disabilities.”
In 2017 the city of
Chester was the winner of the award. The city has gone beyond legal minimum
requirements for accessibility to ensure the city is used by all.
Chester is an
historic city famous for its 3.2 km City Walls which form the most complete
circuit of Roman, Saxon and Medieval walls in the UK. It is also well known for
the Rows, unique elevated walkways above the four main streets. As an Ancient
Monument, access to the City Walls has had to be tackled with great care and
sensitivity. Ramps and level access have been introduced over many years and
are now at 11 locations. All sections of the elevated Rows have been made
accessible with a combination of ramps, level access routes, a lift and
escalator. Access points are widely advertised on panels around the city and in
the city centre access leaflet.
To enable disabled
people needing specialist facilities to enjoy the city for longer, four
Changing Places units have been provided. These are larger than standard
accessible toilets and include equipment such as hoists, an adjustable height
changing bed, washbasin and shower.
The city also improved
how people get around with 129 accessible buses. Improved access to municipal
buildings allows greater access to participating in city life and the city’s
website aims to comply with international standards providing accessible
information for people.
Euan’s Guide - euansguide.com
Euan’s Guide is the
accessibility review website that aims to ‘remove the fear of the unknown’ and inspire
people to try new places. The website was founded in 2013 by brother and
sister, Euan and Kiki MacDonald, after Euan became a powerchair user. After
spending hours of their time making enquiries about access at places they
wanted to go, the duo realised that they could not be alone in their search for
access information. This idea became Euan’s Guide, a digital charity that is
helping to open up towns and cities to people struggling with accessibility
everywhere.
Individuals, their
friends and families can use the website to search for listings and reviews of
venues across the UK and beyond. Listings include information about accessible
toilets, wheelchair access, hearing loops and multiple other access features
that exist at any one particular venue. The cornerstone of Euan’s Guide however
is its community of independent reviewers, who share their photos and
experiences of restaurants, hotels, train stations, attractions and anywhere
else they may have visited. By sharing their experiences people can give others
an idea of what to expect when they visit somewhere new for the first time.
It now provides
accessibility information on about 6,000 venues across the UK.
NZ Government. New
Zealand Disability Strategy 2016-2026, Office for Disability Issues
NZ Government. Web
Accessibility Standard 1.0. 2013. Wellington: NZ Government. Accessed on
2/12/2017 at: https://webtoolkit.govt.nz/standards/web-accessibility-standard-1-0/
NZ Government. Web
Usability Standard 1.2. 2013. Wellington: NZ Government. Accessed on 2/12/2017
at: https://webtoolkit.govt.nz/standards/web-usability-standard-1-2/
Standards New
Zealand. 2001. NZS4121:2001 New Zealand Standard: Design for Access and
Mobility – Buildings and Associated Facilities. Wellington: Standards New
Zealand. Accessed on 2/12/2017 at: https://www.standards.govt.nz/shop/nzs-41212001/
Ministry of Health.
2017. A Guide to Community Engagement with People with Disabilities (2nd edn).
Wellington: Ministry of Health. Accessed on 2/12/2017 at: http://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/guide-community-engagement-people-disabilities-2nd-edn-apr17.pdf
United
Nations.2006. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. New York:
United Nations. https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html
Road and Traffic Standards – Guidelines for facilities for blind and
vision impaired pedestrians. 3rd Edition - May 2015. Road and Traffic Standard
Series www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/road-traffic-standards/docs/rts-14.pdf
Accessibility – We access all places, services and
information with ease and dignity. (New
Zealand Disability Strategy, 2016-2026).
Co-design – People with accessibility needs are
consulted on and actively involved in the development and implementation of
legislation and policies concerning housing (home ownership, social housing and
private rentals), transport (public and private), public buildings and spaces
and information, communication and technology.
Public building – is a building that is open and can be used by the
public.
Facilities - applies to building facilities, lifts and
toilets but also public external facilities such as tracks, toilets, shelters,
seating etc. Facilities can be within buildings and venues.
Venues – the place where
something happens, especially an organized event such as a concert, conference,
or sports competition.
Universal design - is good design that works for everyone:
·
It is
about making sure everything is accessible to, understood by and used to the
greatest extent possible by everyone, without adaptation or requiring little
adaptation. Incorporating universal design early on is cost-effective.
·
Universal
design is often referred to in relation to the built environment, but it
applies to services, supports, the curriculum and technologies as well.
·
Universal
design is distinct from accessible design. Accessible design represents the
minimum accessibility requirements in built design, whereas universal design
seeks accessible design outcomes that work for everyone.
(New Zealand Disability Strategy 2016)
Accessible Format – That a document or piece of information has
been made with consideration of accessibility. Some formats suit one type of
impairment more than another and a combination may be required depending on the
audience:
·
visual
impairments – audio, audio description, Braille, Moon, telephone
·
learning
disabilities and literacy difficulties – audio, audio description, easy read,
easy access, Makaton, subtitles
·
hearing
– Sign Language, Makaton, subtitling, textphone, SMS
·
co-ordination
difficulties – large print, audio, audio description, telephone (gov.co.uk).