The Labour and National Parties released their Disability Issues policies on Wednesday. Both policies include a prominent commitment to accessibility legislation.
National Party:
“Continue to support the introduction of accessibility legislation through Parliament with our ongoing commitment to the cross-party group, Parliamentary Champions of Accessibility Legislation”
See more in the National Party’s Disability Issues Policy here.
Labour Party:
“Labour will introduce an Accessibility for New Zealanders Act to help New Zealand to become more welcoming and accessible for disabled people and other New Zealanders with accessibility needs.”
See more on page 25 of the Labour Party’s 2020 Manifesto here.
Though great gains have been made, there is still more to be done to make sure the legal framework for accessibility is high on the list of priorities for the incoming government.
COVID-19 highlighted the experiences of those with disabilities and the gaps in accessibility. Without accessibility legislation, more barriers are put in the way of people with access needs and this creates disabling experiences that hinder full participation.
Here are some actions you can take to support the proposed Accessibility for New Zealanders Act:
- Email or send a letter to your incoming MP asking them to prioritise accessibility legislation in the first 100 days of the new government
- Visit your MP to explain the urgency of the Act
- Vocalise your support on social media using the hashtag: #AccessLawNow
Implementing accessibility legislation is the most important path to ensuring all of us can participate in and contribute to Aotearoa New Zealand today and in the future.
