Introducing
The Hāpai Access Card
The card aligns to the social model for disability and the UN's definition of disability. The 'Access Card' has been operating for 10 years in the UK and 2 years in Aotearoa New Zealand. It has seen tens of thousands of disabled people get better accessibility through participating businesses.
How does it work?
A disabled person applies for a card providing evidence of the barriers they face when engaging in the community. Based on the application a card is issued which shows the icons (pictures) that relate to the person's barriers. The card scheme has nine icons (go to webpage for descriptions) which cover the most frequent barriers. The card costs NZ$30 for 3 years. (Note the example below shows all the icons, but an issued card will only have a few).
Participating businesses have gone through the process of looking at the barriers and providing reasonable accommodations - the legal term for how they need to adapt their business to make it more accessible. In addition their staff go through some basic training so that they can respond appropriately when presented with the card. Information about each business can be found via our website.
