Joint Submission Parliamentary Inquiry Into
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Joint Submission Parliamentary Inquiry into Mobility About us CCS Disability Action is a community organisation that has been advocating for disabled people to be included in the community since 1935. As of June 30 2015, we were providing support to 3,405 children, young people and adults through our 16 branches, which operate from Northland to Invercargill. Our support focuses on breaking down barriers to participation. We receive a mixture of government and private funding. CCS Disability Action have a national network of access coordinators, who work with local government and transport operators to create a more inclusive society. We also run the Mobility Parking scheme. As of June 30 2015, this scheme supported more than 122,000 people to more easily access their local towns and facilities. The Blind Foundation is the main provider of rehabilitative, support and advocacy services for blind and low vision New Zealanders. The Blind Foundation has approximately 12,000 clients throughout the country. Purpose To enable people who are blind or have low vision to be self-reliant and live the life they choose. Vision Life without limits Kahore e Mutunga ki te Ora Four Key Priorities 1 1. Independent living 2. Access for all 3. Reach more people 4. Building a Foundation for the future The Blind Foundation advises government, business and the community on inclusive standards to ensure that the people we represent can participate and contribute equally. We have four major contracts with government. We value our relationships with officials and Ministers. We seek to act as a trusted advisor and specialist on the blindness sector. We are a long serving and expert provider of services to the sector. 2 Contents Joint Submission Parliamentary Inquiry into Mobility ............................................................. 1 About us ................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 4 Objectives of the submission ............................................................................................... 4 Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 5 Number of people with access needs ...................................................................................... 6 Population growth and aging; we need to future proof transport ...................................... 7 Nature of the issues ............................................................................................................. 8 Income, employment and health outcomes of people with disabilities .............................. 9 Personal Income for visually impaired people ................................................................... 10 Government international obligations and statutory role ..................................................... 12 Human Rights Act 1993 ...................................................................................................... 14 Formal complaints concerning discrimination and transport ............................................ 15 Some overseas examples of new legislative and regulatory approaches to accessibility/mobility .......................................................................................................... 15 Local government ............................................................................................................... 16 Quiet vehicles ..................................................................................................................... 17 Public transport .................................................................................................................. 17 Shared spaces ..................................................................................................................... 18 Small passenger transport services .................................................................................... 18 Technology and transport .................................................................................................. 18 Collecting quality data on disabled people and transport ................................................. 19 Using universal design ........................................................................................................ 20 Summary of Findings .......................................................................................................... 21 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 22 3 Introduction The reason the Blind Foundation and CCS Disability Action are making a submission on the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Future of New Zealand’s Mobility is that mobility in all its forms is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of individual freedom, dignity and independence. Yet for many New Zealanders who have disabilities, including people who are blind or have low vision, "mobility" is a source of difficulty, expense, anxiety and sometimes danger. There has been some improvement in removing transport barriers for people with disabilities. However, consideration of accessibility still is not included in business-as-usual transport-planning and economic analysis. We need to be using transport-planning processes that treat all stakeholders, including disabled stakeholders, as equal. (Burdett, Locke, & Scrimgeour , 2016). Both the Blind Foundation and CCS Disability Action have been involved in developing new ways to adapt transport-planning and measurement processes to be inclusive of all stakeholders, including: • Ways to measure how well people with access needs are using transport infrastructure and public spaces (Traffic Design Group, 2013). • Inclusive economic modelling methods that count the benefits of transport improvements for people with access needs (Burdett, Locke, & Scrimgeour , 2016). • Better modelling of the number of people with access needs and their participation in the labour market. Going into the future, we need to do more to meet our obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. Moreover, improving the accessibility of transport options will enable more people with disabilities to participate in the economy and their communities thus reducing the government’s future welfare liability. Our overriding concern is that the deliberations of the select committee and the resulting reports and recommendations should recognise the strategic importance and value of providing full "mobility" on an equal basis to all people, including people with disabilities Objectives of the submission The objectives of the submission are: • Estimate the number of people who have access needs in relation to transport • Indicate the nature of the day-to-day issues with mobility that people with access needs face • Demonstrate the human rights, legal and economic case for barrier-free mobility • Look at ways to improve the regulatory regime to make it more nationally consistent. • Recommend regulatory changes that will benefit the mobility of New Zealanders who have disabilities, including people who are blind or have low vision. 4 Recommendations The Select Committee recommends that local and central government start planning for the impact of the aging population now, especially planning to meet the increasing need for accessible transport services and infrastructure. The Select Committee recommends that the government use transport-planning methods that include all stakeholders, including people with access needs. The Select Committee recommends that the government take action, when needed, to make sure new transport technology is accessible to all. The Select Committee recommends the government reviews and strengthens our legislation and regulatory systems to make sure transport is accessible for all, including looking at bringing in dedicated discrimination/accessibility legislation. 5 Number of people with access needs In the 2013 Disability Survey there were an estimated 1.1 million disabled New Zealanders, almost one in four of the population. Out of this number, an estimated 632,000 people had a physical impairment (14% of the total population) and an estimated 484,000 people had a sensory impairment (11% of the total population). An estimated 89,000 people had a learning disability (2% of the total population). All these types of impairment can create access needs; it is also important to note that 53% of disabled people have more than one impairment type (Statistics New Zealand, 2014). Research in the USA indicates that approximately 20% of the over 65 population have difficulty leaving their homes due to mobility related impairments. These people are "especially vulnerable to the physical conditions of the built environment creating barriers to mobility" (Health and Places Initiative, 2015, p. 6). It is clear that the broader group of disabled people who have access needs is a significant proportion of the population. The Blind Foundation has recently completed a research project to estimate the number of people in New Zealand who are blind or have low vision. The definition of low vision was a Snellen (standard eye chart) score of 6/12 or worse. The Ministry of Transport guidelines to doctors in certifying patients for driving