Seeflow

The Latest News from Be. Lab!

It’s been a busy month in the world of accessibility.

We're excited for future possibilities, with news of upcoming transformations within the sector.

More than 10 years ago Minnie Baragwanath founded Be. Accessible (now Be. Lab), to shine a light on the need for accessibility and the possibilities for Aotearoa to become the most accessible country in the world. The recent announcement takes us one step closer to being world-leading in accessible social and economic development.

Read this great article where Minnie outlines how with additional factors such as an ageing population and long-Covid, prioritizing accessibility is absolutely crucial for New Zealand to be positioned to deal with these challenges into the future.

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/how-an-ageing-population-need-a-ministry-for-disabled/

The announcement of stand-alone accessibility legislation is a significant milestone in prioritizing accessibility. Many of you may be curious about how this legislation will work. What we know is that the legislation is still in initial stages, and will be referred to select committee in 2022, and will undergo a submission process before the details are finalised. We’ll keep you informed with any updates.

Here at Be. Lab we welcome the legislation to encourage those who haven't yet discovered the business benefits of accessibility- but you don't need to wait till the legislation is in place. You can lead in accessibility now by partnering with Be. Lab. We’re here to support you to discover the benefits for your organisation.

Accessibility benefits everyone, and also opens goods and services up to a new market. This article from Stuff nicely sums up why you should build accessibility into your business strategy today.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/126792015/online-businesses-costly-mistake--ignoring-people-with-disabilities/

This month has also seen a change of Alert Level restrictions for Auckland, and this means attractions and retail have opened up. So, we’re taking this opportunity to celebrate some of the exciting accessibility improvements that have taken place in the retail space, and tourist attractions space over the past year.

www.belab.co.nz/items/aucklands-accessible-attractions/

www.belab.co.nz/items/accessibility-improvements-auckland-retail/

www.belab.co.nz/items/kiwi-property-accessibility/

We’re also excited to announce new members of our team, and over on our website we introduce you to our fantastic Be. Coach and Design Plan Consultant Team. These awesome individuals add so much value to the work we do here at Be. Lab.

https://www.belab.co.nz/items/be-coach-and-consultant-team

Happy reading!

And please get in touch if there’s anything we can do to support your journey to greater accessibility.

Team Be. Lab