Digital inclusion is a right, not a privilege - disability advocates

"Technology has the power to connect, empower, and transform lives - but only if it is designed with everyone in mind."

That was the message from Access Matters Aotearoa's Kōrero for Change webinar last month.

The 2023 Household Disability Survey found 10 percent of children and 18 percent of adults were disabled - a total of 851,000 people, or 17 percent of the population.

Despite one in six New Zealanders having a disability, as well as a growing recognition of the need for accessibility, digital and information systems remain a barrier rather than a bridge.

Advocates warn that without urgent reform, a significant portion of the population will continue to be excluded.

There are existing standards. Why has New Zealand not adopted them?

Neil Jarvis, a senior digital accessibility consultant at Intopia - a digital accessibility and equitable design agency - has called for New Zealand to adopt a European standard. The standard - EN 301 549 - has already been adopted by both Canada and Australia, and is intended to support the development of digital best practices for everyone, including people with disabilities.

"In Aotearoa New Zealand we have said for a long time that we need accessibility legislation, and in order to get that we are always told we need standards. Well, there's a standard right there," Jarvis said.

While Victoria MacLennan agreed that New Zealand needed to adopt the standard, she said there also needed to be legislation, and consequences for those who breached them.

MacLennan is the IT Professionals New Zealand chief executive as well as the chairperson for the Standards Approval Board, the Digital Equity Coalition Aotearoa, and Digital Future Aotearoa.

"How do we move from understanding these principles and having the standards in place to more of a framework where people are creating a digital future that works for everyone?

"How do we educate these decision-makers, provide them with practical guidance, and empower them to make accessibility a core part of their digital strategy-not as a box to tick, but as a non-negotiable aspect of what they deliver?"

Who else has a role to play?

Microsoft New Zealand co-lead for indigenous Dan Te Whenua Walker said the responsibility for ensuring accessibility should not rest solely with the government.

"The collective community manaakitanga approach, it is something that, I think, when we think of the government, yes, it's got to play its role, but to manaaki someone - to take care of someone - is something that we must do. Bringing those values back is, I think, really crucial when we think about accessibility. Technology obviously plays a part, but human values are something that we need to weave into that space too."

He said companies should not treat accessibility as an optional "diversity, equity, and inclusion" initiative rather than a fundamental right.

"Accessibility is a right and at no time should accessibility be reduced to DEI. It is a must that these organisations must do.

"My hope is that, with all of the narrative that happens not just in the US, but also in New Zealand, we should always ensure that this is something that business should hold the line on. We shouldn't be bullied or pushed to reduce these kinds of things, because it is a must."

The fight for digital inclusion

University of Canterbury information systems professor Annette Mills said New Zealand had a long way to go on the journey to digital inclusion.

"Digital technology information systems have a very crucial role, I believe, in promoting inclusion and belonging for everyone, but despite the advances, a lot of the tools that we have still have a lot of barriers that make them very difficult to use.

"To ensure equity in our society and to address these barriers, we need better technology, we need technological innovation, we need stronger policies, and we also need consideration of ethical issues - cultural values underpinned by a commitment to making Aotearoa a place that is accessible for everyone."

Mills added that ableism could hinder the adoption of inclusive practices and make accessibility seem like something optional rather than a fundamental requirement.

While there were a lot of technologies coming out that supported inclusion, she said, such as AI-powered tools, speech-to-text apps, adaptive technology, voice control, eye tracking, and assistive devices. "I think platforms like virtual reality and augmented reality will hold a lot of promise for people to be able to learn, work, and connect."

Mills said there were still challenges, such as privacy concerns.

"Some of the assistive technologies collect a lot of personal data, which raises concerns around security, data privacy, and things like real consent. In fact, some of them mean that disabled people sometimes need to disclose sensitive information - much more information than people who are abled, and we need to sort of deal with that inequity.

"Digital tools need to be able to support and enhance accessibility, so they should never be something that's going to replace essential human services and personal interactions, and there's sometimes a danger of relying too much on technology.

"And then, of course, it can be expensive or difficult to access. In that case, it will increase the digital divide and create even more barriers than the issues that are sometimes being resolved."

Mills called for legislation, for organisations to ensure technology was inclusive and accessible from the start, for the government to make assistive technology and internet access more affordable, and for the design of systems that avoid discrimination and work for everyone.

She also called for educational institutions needed to provide alternative text formats, captioned videos, and screen reader-friendly platforms. "And then, of course, when it comes to the intersectionality of disability and Māori identity, digital solutions need to be co-designed with different communities in mind."

Dr Karaitiana Taiuru, a Māori technology ethicist, has spent 30 years promoting the inclusion of Māori in technology. He said it was essential to ensure technology was inclusive of everyone.

"When I first started out, Māori had no voice. We couldn't even write our own language on a computer. We couldn't use macrons, we couldn't use spell checkers. But now we have all of that technology. And that only happened because we were proactive."

The role of the government

Whaikaha - the Ministry of Disabled People - chief executive Paula Tesoriero said it was something that every government agency needed to work on.

"We're living in a rapidly changing digital world, and as all technologies weave their way into our lives, it's really important that everyone has equitable opportunity to participate in society using digital technologies. That is digital inclusion. For disabled people, the lack of inclusive digital systems often leads to exclusion, creating isolating environments. Unlocking that exclusion could really unleash the huge potential for disabled people to thrive."

Tesoriero said she would review the European standard EN 301 549 but agreed legislation was needed to enforce it.

She added the Accessibility Charter, which was formed before Whaikaha, also needed to be updated.

There were a number of things that the government were working on, such as an integrated all-of-government information service for people with disabilities, Tesoriero said. Whaikaha were now responsible for the all-of-government process for alternate formats too.

She said the government had emphasised the importance of making it easier for people to interact with the government, and Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston had made it clear to Whaikaha that it needed to be easier for people with disabilities.

There would also be an update to the Web Accessibility Standard and the Web Usability Standard this year, Tesoriero added.

Outside of Whaikaha, Tesoriero said the New Zealand Sign Language Board was considering options for enhancing the quality and quantity of the interpreter workforce, including trilingual interpreters as part of the New Zealand Sign Language Strategy refresh.

She said the guidelines for the use of AI in the public service released by Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins last month had a specific section on accessibility.

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage were also looking into legislation to ensure that captioning and audio description is provided on TV channels, Tesoriero said.

"Digital inclusion isn't just a goal, it's our collective responsibility. We need a culture of acceptance. We need everyone to embrace accessibility and see it as important as online security. People need to understand that anything else is exclusion."

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