The Hāpai Access Card was created as a means to communicate the access requirements for people living with disabilities.
The definition of disability in New Zealand used by the government is any “self-perceived limitation in activity resulting from a long-term condition or health problem lasting or expected to last 6 months or more and not completely eliminated by an assistive device.”
In order to cover a wide range of conditions and impairments Hāpai Foundation defines disability as: “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”
The Hāpai Access Card is designed to increase access in the community, increase participation by people with disabilities in the community, and to normalise access for people with disabilities. It is aimed at being a bridge between the business and disability community. It follows the Social Model of Disability in which the understanding is that people are only disabled by barriers in society not by their impairment or difference. For example barriers can be physical such as buildings not having ramps or accessible toilets or attitudes towards difference such as assuming that people with disabilities can’t do certain things.
The Hāpai Access Card provides an easy way for the card holder to show a business the barriers they face, and for the business to respond.
The card costs $30 for 3 years. To get the card a person has to show they have a disability and have their barriers assessed. This is done by a GP, or registered NGO.
The card can feature 9 icons representing the barriers that people face (difficulty queuing/standing, wheelchair, difficulty with distances, urgent toilet access, assistance dog, assistance person, visual information difficulty, audible information difficulty, other relevant needs.
This card is therefore a mechanism by which customers can alert business staff to the barriers they may face when purchasing a product or experiencing a service. This enables businesses to address and remove barriers for a more inclusive shopping experience.
Currently the businesses registered are largely in the Canterbury region, but the goal is to introduce Hāpai Access card nationwide.
For more information visit: https://www.hapaifoundation.org.nz/
