This article is part of a series advocating for the rights of disabled people, contributed by Dr Pamela J. MacNeill, Managing Director, Disability Responsiveness New Zealand Ltd: https://drnz.co.nz/

Digital Barriers Are Still Locking Disabled People Out

We hear a lot about how technology is making life easier. Government services are moving online, forms can be completed from home, and people can access information at the touch of a button. But what happens when those digital systems are inaccessible?

I once tried to register a business using a government website. As a blind person using screen-reading technology, I encountered barriers that made the process impossible to complete independently. What should have been a straightforward task became a lesson in how government systems can still exclude disabled people.

Wanting to resolve the issue, I followed the channels that citizens are encouraged to use. I contacted my local Member of Parliament. The problem was then referred to the Minister for Disability Issues. Rather than investigating why a government website was inaccessible, the matter was eventually directed to an organisation that supports blind and low-vision people.

This response highlights a problem that many disabled New Zealanders know all too well. The organisation I was referred to does valuable work, but it has no authority to change a government website. It cannot fix coding errors, enforce accessibility standards, or require government departments to remove barriers. The only people who can do that are those responsible for the website itself.

When disabled people report inaccessible public services, the response should not be to send them somewhere else for help, such as a service provider. The response should be to fix the problem.

Too often, accessibility issues are treated as personal challenges that disabled people must work around. The burden is placed on the individual rather than on the system that created the barrier in the first place. This approach reflects a deeper issue in the way disability policy is developed. Decision-makers often rely on advice from service providers, organisations, allies, and family members. While these groups have important perspectives, they do not experience disability in the same way as those who live with it every day.

As a result, accessibility problems can be misunderstood. A broken website is seen as a support issue rather than a failure of public infrastructure. An inaccessible online form is treated as an inconvenience rather than a barrier to participation.

Disabled people need to be at the centre of decision-making about disability issues. Government ministers and local body advisors need direct access to reference groups made up of people with lived experience. This means disabled people ourselves, not people speaking on our behalf. These groups could meet regularly to identify problems early, provide practical feedback, and ensure that accessibility remains a priority across all areas of government. Reference group members would be paid for their time and expertise.

This is not about creating another layer of consultation. It is about ensuring that the people most affected by inaccessible systems have a direct voice in how those systems are designed and maintained.

When a government website prevents someone from registering a business, applying for a service, or accessing information, the consequences are real. Opportunities are lost. Independence is reduced. Participation is restricted. Accessibility is not a favour. It is not a charitable extra. It is a basic right of equal citizenship.

If governments are serious about inclusion, then they must stop treating accessibility failures as individual problems and start treating them as system failures that require system solutions.

The voices of disabled people must be heard directly, not filtered through others. Only then can we build a society where everyone has equal access to the opportunities that many take for granted.

A “thank you” to Dr Pamela J. MacNeill, Managing Director, Disability Responsiveness New Zealand Ltd for sending this article to The Upper Hutt Connection.

09/11/26