In less than a month, we are marching to Parliament and delivering the petition to redraft the Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill!

If you haven’t already, please share the petition – and if you have, share it again! We need as many signatures as possible to create the most impact.

Minister for Disability Issues Statement to Media
The Minister for Disability Issues, Hon Penny Simmonds, recently gave a statement to the media in response to accessibility issues in the tourism industry:

‘The Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill introduced in 2022 initially offered hope but disabled communities called it a failure that should be scrapped or rewritten.

Disability Issues Minister Penny Simmonds said as a response she has paused the Bill's progress.

"I don't want to go any further until I see what the gap is and perhaps whether the Bill is worth trying to revive or whether we should be starting from scratch again," Simmonds said.

The Bill was opposed by the National Party last term, calling it fundamentally flawed as it lacked enforceable standards.

Simmonds has given officials the next year to analyse the gaps in the legislation, examining what other countries doing, before deciding what to do next.

She acknowledged that travellers with disabilities often didn't find New Zealand an easy place to travel in and couldn't access everything they expected to.

"That's a reflection of what our disabled community is facing every day so that's why we need to make sure we get this legislation right, and I acknowledge and I accept what the disability community has been saying that the current Bill wasn't right."’

We acknowledge Hon Penny Simmonds’ comment recognising that the current Bill hasn’t got it right. Let’s make sure that the review over the next year is completed in proper consultation with the disability community, people with access needs, seniors, and everyone who will be affected by this legislation.

By marching to Parliament on Thursday 7 March we will demonstrate the vibrancy, diversity and resilience of our communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and show how important it is to put accessibility into law.

Volunteers in Wellington
We need your help in making the march to Parliament on Thursday 7 March a success! We will need volunteers to help with:

• Livestreaming the march on Facebook
• Making placards
• Arriving early at the departure points (Midland Park or Bunny Street) to greet supporters and assist on the ground.

If you can help with any of these, please let us know by replying to this email or emailing Isabelle at icohen@blindlowvision.org.nz by Thursday 22 February.

March to Parliament Details
When: Thursday 7 March, 12pm – 3pm

Where: Departing from either Bunny Street or Midland Park, and arriving at Parliament at 1pm

Who: Supporters of strong accessibility legislation that covers all areas of public life in Aotearoa New Zealand

Why: To encourage the Government to listen to disabled voices in their consultation process when reviewing the Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill

We look forward to seeing you at the march.

Again, please share the petition far and wide!

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION]: The image portrays a gathering of people advocating for increased accessibility and the removal of access barriers. The individuals in the image are holding signs with messages such as “remove access barriers”.  Juliana Carvalho, Access Matters Lead Campaigner is speaking into a microphone, addressing the crowd. Amy Hogan, Access Matters Co-Chair is smiling behind Juliana.