Seeflow

Hello and welcome to our first newsletter for 2022!

We’re excited to start a new year! Especially with the creation of a new ministry and new accessibility legislation coming in 2022. For 11 years, our team have been working to advance accessibility, and promote the opportunity for Aotearoa to become the most accessible country in the world.

The new ministry and legislation takes New Zealand one step closer to this goal of being world-leading in accessible social and economic development, and has ensured that accessibility is well and truly on the business leadership agenda for 2022.

The timing is critical, as the pandemic has highlighted inequalities for people with disabilities and access needs, in the realm of digital accessibility, where many people with disabilities and access needs have had difficulty accessing the goods and services they need during lockdowns. And also in terms of employment outcomes, and in health and mental health outcomes throughout the pandemic. (1)

So it is absolutely crucial that as we build back New Zealand after the pandemic we build back a fully accessible New Zealand. We must prioritise this into the future.  Accessibility will bring social and economic benefits for individuals and communities. It must be at the heart of New Zealand’s economic recovery.

Accessibility also brings social and economic benefits for business too. These are:

·      Attracting and retaining the best talent. (2)

·      Tapping into the access market allows businesses to expand their customer base and increase profits (3).

·      A genuine engagement with accessibility also creates a brand advantage. (4).

·      And post-COVID, there is also an enormous opportunity presented by national and international Access Tourism. (5)

Here at Be. Lab we understand the business advantage of genuinely and holistically embracing accessibility, and in 2022 Be. Lab will continue to encourage New Zealand’s business and government leaders to raise the bar, to go beyond a tickbox approach to accessibility, to reimagine our world and embrace the opportunities accessibility presents.

We will be sharing more resources for businesses in the coming months, to ensure that any and every business can initiate or continue their accessibility journey, no matter their budget.

We will also be developing our existing offerings, and piloting a new way of working with companies and organisations, in order to meaningfully embed accessibility in every part of the business. Our aim is to support organisations not only embrace the intent of the new legislation, but go beyond it, in order to fully reap the benefits that accessibility brings.

This year we ask New Zealand’s business leaders, as they build back their organisations after the ups and downs of COVID, that they make a commitment to build back accessible. (6)

You’ll gain a business advantage- and be ahead of the game when the accessibility legislation is finalised. The Be. Lab team have the expertise and the experience to help support you on your journey. Get in touch to find out more. E-mail info@belab.co.nz

Now is the time to ensure we capitalise on this opportunity to be world-leading, and to show the world what it means to build a 100% accessible nation. Join this movement today, and help make New Zealand the most accessible country in the world.

Links:

(1)  https://minhealthnz.shinyapps.io/nz-health-survey-2020-21-annual-data-explorer/_w_fe38b68d/#!/)

(2) https://www.belab.co.nz/items/how-to-build-an-accessible-culture-in-your-workplace/

(3) https://www.belab.co.nz/items/the-access-economy-an-overlooked-business-opportunity

(4) https://www.belab.co.nz/items/brand-values-why-accessibility-is-good-for-your-brand

(5) https://www.belab.co.nz/items/the-business-case-for-accessible-tourism

(6) https://www.belab.co.nz/items/build-back-accessible