Accessibility and inclusion

We believe accessibility and inclusion should be built into every part of working life, not added as an afterthought.

Doing the work we do to support disabled people of all ages, and their families, we have a unique advantage over many other organisations and businesses, because we know the impact that living in a disabling society has on the lives of people with impairments. We hear every day personal stories about the effects of social and economic exclusion on our clients and their families.

For disabled people who work, it is hard to participate productively when workplaces are not accessible.

More than 75% of disabled people* who are not currently employed say they want to work. Yet disabled New Zealanders continue to face significant barriers to finding and keeping employment. Labour market data shows disabled people are employed at less than half the rate of non-disabled people, while unemployment rates remain nearly three times higher.

These inequities have remained largely unchanged for years. Which is why organisations must move beyond intention and take practical action to create workplaces where disabled people can participate, contribute and thrive.

That’s the work we are committed to doing.

We are proud to be the first disability organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand to receive the Accessibility Tick.

The Accessibility Tick is awarded following a comprehensive review completed alongside NZ Disability Employers’ Network, custodians of the Accessibility Tick programme. Following this, reviews are completed annually to support ongoing improvement and accountability.

The Accessibility Tick recognises organisations that are actively embedding accessibility and inclusion across their workplaces, systems and services. For us, it reflects more than a certification. It reflects who we are, where we came from, and the future we want to help create.

“Inclusion and diversity are central values on which the organisation was founded, so receiving the Accessibility Tick is a recognition of where we came from,” says Sonia Hawea, CEO of Kaikaranga.

When our founding members established the organisation, they had a vision for an inclusive Aotearoa and created a governing partnership between disabled people, Mana Whenua and Pacific peoples. It set a new standard in the disability sector then, and it still sets us apart today.

“It’s also a reminder that bold thinking and action built this organisation, and bold thinking and action will continue to move us forward.”

At Kaikaranga, we want to contribute to greater economic independence for disabled people and their whānau because greater participation creates greater choice, opportunity and wellbeing.

Becoming an employer of choice for people with lived experience of disability is part of that vision.

We are proud to stand alongside some of Aotearoa’s largest corporations, public sector agencies and national organisations in holding the Accessibility Tick.

But this recognition is not the finish line.

It is part of an ongoing commitment to keep listening, learning and improving so disabled people can fully participate and thrive within our organisation and across Aotearoa.

* Data source: Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People, Labour market statistics for disabled people — June 2025 quarter.