We are in the early stages of this work and will be seeking your input again when we go out for consultation on the draft Accessibility Action Plan.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our survey. The results are available in the Accessibility Action Plan early engagement survey report below.
On this page we’ll provide a summary of what we heard and the next steps in the development of the Wellington Accessibility Action Plan.
What the Accessibility Action Plan is
The action plan is Wellington City Council’s commitment to accessibility through strategic and operational, internal and external actions.
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.
The plan is underpinned by the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), New Zealand Disability Strategy, and Disability Action Plan 2019-2023. These three documents will guide the new action plan.
Where we’ve come from – what we’ve done
The Accessible Wellington Action Plan is due to be refreshed this year. Over the past three years, we worked hard to implement some of the actions, but there is a lot more to do. Here is a snapshot of the mahi we have completed so far:
- implemented a new mobility parking policy, which means when installing new mobility parks, we follow design and location guidelines to ensure these spaces are safe and accessible for all mobility park users
- hired a full-time Accessibility Specialist who is ensuring accessibility is at the centre of Council's activities
- included accessibility criteria to guide funding decisions for both our Arts & Culture and Social & Recreation funds
- installed a hearing loop in our Council Chambers at 113 The Terrace and our Democracy Services staff have had training on how to use it
- continue to ensure that Council’s and affiliated websites are compliant with the NZ Web Accessibility and Usability Standards.
Timeframe of the new Accessibility Action Plan
- Early engagement survey April-May 2022
- Data shared from survey data collection late 2022
- Conduct a review of the Accessibility Action Plan 2019 by the third quarter of 2023
- Pre-engagement with the community in the third quarter of 2023
- Draft Action Plan out for consultation by the fourth quarter of 2023
- Complete Action Plan presented to Council for sign off by the end of 2023.
Pre-engagement with the community
You can get in touch with us via accessibility@wcc.govt.nz to express your interest for those interested in being involved with pre-engagement.
Existing plan
The current Accessible Wellington Action Plan was adopted in 2019 - view it below (all documents open in a new window).
Accessibility Action Plan early engagement survey report
The results of the early engagement survey conducted in April-May 2022 are available in the report below.