Progress report - 2008
Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service
| Agency | Project | Project Aim | Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office for Disability Issues (Ministry of Social Development) www.odi.govt.nz |
Accessible services | To make government agencies accessible to deaf people. | The Office for Disability Issues is facilitating a project aimed at achieving the outcome of accessible government information and services for Deaf people in New Zealand. The Office has contracted the Sign Language Interpreters Association of New Zealand to develop guidelines for the use of interpreters by government departments. The guidelines will contain information on how to book and how to work with interpreters. |
| Accessible information | To provide information in alternative formats. | As part of Children’s Day Action Packs, the Office made available a Braille and audio version of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. | |
| Ministry of Justice www.justice.govt.nz |
Accessible services | Service delivery to users of Ministry services will aim to reduce barriers to participation by disabled people. | The Ministry has developed an Interpreters’ Strategy. It includes: • sign language interpreters will be available in courts as part of a broader approach to deliver interpreting services in courts • a service charter for jurors on what they can expect for jury service which will include the provision of interpreters • a review of Ministry communications materials, covering jury service for potential jurors, summonsed jurors and the media, which will include information for disabled jurors • collections call centres to accept New Zealand Relay calls to meet the telephone communication needs of deaf, hearing impaired and speech impaired people. |
| Department of Labour www.dol.govt.nz |
Accessible building | To ensure the Department’s leased buildings are accessible for disabled people. To promote accessible venues checklist and Barrier Free Checklist. |
A full audit was carried out by a Barrier Free consultant. Owners commissioned a design for a ramp and other accessibility enhancements that would provide acceptable access to the building. An Accessible Venues Checklist and Barrier Free Checklist are being promoted and a Barrier Free audit has identified shortfalls to be addressed next year. |
| Ministry of Fisheries www.fish.govt.nz |
Accessible information | To ensure online information is accessible. | Hot keys have been added to the website and image alt tags were added across the site and table headers coded for accessibility for all new pages. 95% of files are available in HTML. All main corporate documents are converted to HTML. Other documents (mainly scientific) have an HTML summary and a downloadable pdf. All documents are available in other formats, on request. All information is produced in easy to read English – the aim is for a 12 year old reading level. |
| ACC www.acc.co.nz |
Accessible information | To make ACC’s communications accessible for all in New Zealand. | The Communication Access Policy was implemented, setting a minimum font size, a readable font type, and encouraging the use of images, pictorial references, and plain English. |
| Inland Revenue www.ird.govt.nz |
Accessible services | To consult with the Deaf community on the use of New Zealand Sign Language for provision of information and service delivery. | Work is progressing to consult with the Deaf community to produce recommendations and an implementation plan by 31 December 2008. |
| Department of Building and Housing www.dbh.govt.nz |
Accessible services and information | To develop accessible tools for landlords and options that makes Tenancy Tribunal applications more accessible. | An information pack, including a CD-ROM, for new landlords on managing properties effectively and giving tenants value for money, was developed and distributed to landlords during 2008. The CD-ROM included subtitles for people with hearing impairments. Tenancy Tribunal applications can now be lodged online, making the process more accessible. An Access Advisory Panel provides advice to the Department on accessibility issues and trends in the building sector. |
| National Library of New Zealand www.natlib.govt.nz |
Accessible buildings and information | To redevelop the main building in Wellington and provide optimal benefits for disabled people’s access to and use of library facilities. | The redevelopment of the Wellington building was approved in May 2008. In order to comply with all access requirements in the Building Code its features include: • assigned public PCs have text enlargement software • facilities to enlarge print material on screen and/or read text • adjustable desks to suit wheelchair users • publicising the facilities available for disabled people on the website and in printed material. The National Library website won the best New Zealand Plain English website award at the 2007 WriteMark New Zealand Plain English Awards. |
| Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry www.maf.govt.nz |
Accessible information | To improve usability of the website and information across the Ministry. | Work has been completed on the redesign of the Biosecurity New Zealand site. An Internet site review, refresh and rebuild is scheduled for 2009-2010. |
| Archives New Zealand www.archives.govt.nz |
Accessible services | To revise customer services processes to include disability responsiveness. | Completed a customer training for new frontline staff that included awareness of the needs of people with disabilities. |
| Accessible employment | To promote equal employment opportunities. | Participation in the Mainstream Programme which provides equal employment opportunities. Subscription to the Relay Service for reading room visitors at Head Office which facilitates communication for people with hearing or speech impairments. |
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| Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet www.dpmc.govt.nz |
Accessible buildings | To include improvements for disabled access and facilities in the major renovations to Government House. | Renovations have been approved and are about to begin. They will be compliant with New Zealand Standard NZS 4121:2001. |
| State Services Commission (SSC) www.ssc.govt.nz |
Accessible Employer | To develop a policy to integrate equality and diversity into the strategic planning and performance of Public Service departments. | Equality and Diversity: New Zealand Public service Equal Employment Opportunities Policy was launched in April 2008, and the SSC is actively promoting the policy and assisting departments to implement the policy. |
| Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MORST) www.morst.govt.nz |
Accessible information | To meet Web Standards version 1.0 for accessibility and ensure fire safety and evacuation procedures specify the needs of disabled people. | The Ministry’s website was one of only 28 government sites out of the 502 tested that had no major barriers to accessibility. Registers of all visitors at reception specify the needs of any disabled person. |
| Ministry for the Environment www.mfe.govt.nz |
Accessible information | To use Plain English and make information accessible. | Training for staff and managers is ongoing and written materials are being produced. Website can be scaled to a larger font making it easier to read, without losing the overall format. |
| New Zealand Police www.police.govt.nz |
Accessible employment | To promote the visibility of disabled staff. | Police has a Disability Network for staff. Network members across Police districts plan their own initiatives, such as Disability Awareness Days. Disability is a standing agenda item at the monthly Equity and Diversity Network video conferences. Police has 11 people employed under the Mainstream Programme. |
| Accessible services | To be able to interact with Deaf people. | Currently 61 staff are trained in Sign Language. People available with this skill are searchable on the Police staff information system. Police are supporting a West Auckland officer to learn New Zealand Sign Language because of the large Deaf community in the area (largely due to the Van Asch Deaf school). | |
| Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) www.linz.govt.nz |
Accessible services | To use Deaf Association communication training. | Training has been provided for customer services staff and it is also planned for managers. |
| Accessible information | To make sure contracts for IT applications require accessibility for staff and/or public users. | The LINZ procurement team requires all new software purchased to document features within their software that enables and enhances the use by disabled users. | |
| Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) www.sparc.org.nz |
Accessible information | To ensure that wherever possible SPARC web guidelines are accessible. | SPARC has maintained accessibility to its main website in accordance with the e-government web guidelines, has provided function keys for users without a mouse, and code and text-only alternatives have also been provided. |
| Accessible services | To use teletext captions in the 2007/2008 year for the promotion of the national Push Play campaign. | The 2007 and 2008 Push Play Nation and Push Play Parents campaigns included teletext captions. | |
| Department of Conservation (DOC) www.doc.govt.nz |
Accessible information | To have accessible on-line information. | The DOC website was a finalist in the 2008 Writemark Plain English Awards, achieved a Government Web Standards and Recommendations Weighted Rating in the top quartile, and was rated above average in SSC‘s accessibility assessment. |
| Accessible services | To have accessible services. | Accessibility for all DOC visitor centres are included in the Visitor Centre Service Standard which is in draft format and will be published next year. | |
| Ministry of Education www.minedu.govt.nz |
Accessible information | To comply with State Services Commission accessibility targets. | A workshop on government accessibility standards has been held with the communications team. |
| Accessible employment | To promote the visibility of disabled staff as part of a diverse workforce in the internal agency communications. | Internal communications promoted disability awareness and inclusion as part of a diverse workforce through staff magazine Hoetahi, email updates, and the intranet. | |
| Statistics New Zealand (StatsNZ) www.stats.govt.nz |
Accessible information | To ensure all 2006 Census products are designed to meet web guidelines and use Plain English to improve the clarity and ease of understanding by users including disabled people. | Met about 80 percent of the e-government web standards version 1 2007. The upgrade of the Statistics New Zealand website to be fully compliant is in progress. The structure of the website is being changed to make it more user friendly and accessible. A staff training initiative that focuses on Plain English for Business writing skills has started. This training programme will continue and expand in 2008/09. |
| Accessible services | To promote staff understanding of New Zealand Sign Language. | Two successful courses of New Zealand Sign Language training for staff in the Wellington Head Office were organised by staff members. New Zealand Sign Language interpreters were used when deaf providers were surveyed as part of the 2007/08 Respondent Load Strategy work programme. |
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| Te Puni Kōkiri www.tpk.govt.nz |
Accessible information | Upgrade Te Puni Kōkiri’s (TPK) website to: • use Plain English and Te Reo Māori • comply with Web Standards • be accessible for disabled people. |
TPK website is compliant and has been user tested for accessibility. |
| Department of Corrections www.corrections.govt.nz |
Accessible services | To ensure staff are familiar with New Zealand Relay service. To increase the accessible car parking available near entrances at public car parks by 73%. To increase fire alarms having flashing lights to alert hearing impaired/deaf people, by 11%. To include procedures that specifically recognise disabled people and do not discriminate against them. To ensure staff have knowledge of the New Zealand Relay Service, and how to place and receive calls. To ensure disabled people can visit, work and move about independently in public prisons and carry on ordinary activities there, on the same basis as others. |
Details of the Relay Service are available on the intranet site and staff are able to access the website to obtain further information. Achieved 72% Achieved 10% The Human Resource Manual has a specific appendix on People with Disabilities in the Workplace. Details of the Relay Service and a link to their website are on the intranet site which all staff have access to. Prisons built since 1999 are assessed with the aim to be 100% compliant. A large number of the prison buildings are pre 1991 and a gradual programme of upgrading is being followed as funding permits. The target of 64% of all buildings and sites meeting regulatory access requirements planned for 2007-2008, was achieved. |
| Ministry of Social Development www.msd.govt.nz |
Accessible information | To provide information in alternative formats. |
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| To have staff dealing with service users who are trained to understand and be responsive to disabled people’s needs. | Work and Income has provided an overarching disability awareness / awareness of others programme based on core values and the New Zealand Disability Strategy. The programme uses material developed by the Auckland Disability Provider Network. The programme was developed in consultation with the NGO sector. Disability awareness training was provided for all Child, Youth and Family staff. Local NGO groups were invited to participate in the training sessions. |
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| Accessible buildings | To ensure buildings and sites are audited for accessibility and passed by accredited accessibility advisors. | Universal access is a key consideration for all MSD sites. All 220 Ministry buildings and sites are regularly audited and are compliant with accessibility requirements. | |
| The Treasury www.treasury.govt.nz |
Accessible buildings | To investigate the cost and feasibility of elevator buttons with Braille labels. | Treasury is a tenant of the building and has negotiated with the building owners to include the installation of Braille buttons as part of the current lift refurbishment due for completion October 2008. |
| New Zealand Customs Service www.customs.govt.nz |
Accessible information | To ensure downloadable files are made available in both PDF and HTML formats for people who access the New Zealand Customs Service website. | Files can be accessed as HTML and not PDF only. Progressively working to convert existing PDF files to HTML format. |