The best advice on how to make buildings accessible for disabled people is now available online for free. As the result of advocacy by the Barrier Free Trust, CCS Disability Action and DPA, eleven organisations have joined together to fund public access to New Zealand Standard 4121: Design for access and mobility: Buildings and associated facilities (NZS4121) over the next two years.
NZS4121 covers public buildings such as government offices, commercial buildings, police stations, hospitals, schools, theatres, shops, petrol stations and public toilets. It provides detailed technical guidance for design and building industry professionals on how to achieve the minimum level of accessibility in the built environment, as required under the Building Act 2004.
The Department of Building and Housing (now part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) has agreed to fund fifty percent of the cost, with the remaining fifty percent being met by:
- Wellington City Council
- Auckland Council
- Christchurch City Council
- Selwyn District Council
- Building Officials Institute of New Zealand
- Barrier Free New Zealand Trust
- CCS Disability Action
- Be. Institute
- Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB)
- National Foundation for the Deaf (NFD)
- Deaf Aotearoa.
This is a great achievement. It will promote greater knowledge of practical changes that can be made to improve access for all.
The Barrier Free Trust and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment are planning a series of seminars to inform the disability and construction sectors on the importance of NZS4121 in the design and building process. These seminars will help to spread the news about the free availability of NZS4121.
You can access NZS4121 at: http://www.standards.co.nz/4121+access+mobility+design
