Archives New Zealand

Introduction

Archives New Zealand 's two main roles are:

• to ensure Governments' activities are recorded and the records are kept permanently; and
• to provide access to these records.

Archives New Zealand is the official guardian of New Zealand 's heritage documents. We gather, store and protect an extremely wide range of material. Our holdings include the originals of the Treaty of Waitangi, government files and records, maps, paintings, photos and film.

Many different people and organisations use the materials held at Archives New Zealand. They document rights and entitlements and provide evidence of government activity. The materials also record history and document the relationship between Māori and the Crown. The archives are often used to research Treaty of Waitangi claims or trace whakapapa and ancestry.

The Disability Strategy relates directly to one of the key outcomes in the statement of intent - Appropriate Access to Government Archives (via physical and electronic access) and to the Government’s ongoing development goals for the State Services. The strategy also relates to the department’s development of staff capability and is specified in the Human Resources Business Plan for 2006/07.

Archives has approximately 120 staff working mainly at Head Office in Wellington as well as three smaller regional archives in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Level 1 Activities: Universal responsiveness to disability issues

Accessible government information		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Agency’s websites
	Meet e-government Web-Guidelines 2.1	Mostly compliant
	Tested for accessibility for disabled people	Rated highly in Government assessment 2004
	Adapted to increase accessibility to disabled people	Rated highly in Government assessment 2004
	Downloadable files available in HTML, not only PDF	Mostly compliant
Other publications and public information available in alternative formats. (e.g. key information available in easy-to-read English, Braille, NZSL video clips, captions on TV adverts, etc) (In your end of year report you will be asked to list the formats you have available)			Alternative formats to be scoped be scoped
Agency makes available alternative forms of contact (ie phone and fax numbers, email addresses, etc)		Achieved Provided via website and statement of intent etc

Accessible government buildings and sites		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
All agency’s buildings and sites meet statutory and regulatory access requirements (eg NZS 4121)		Achieved
Agency’s buildings and sites have Building Code compliance certification		Achieved
Agency’s buildings and sites audited for accessibility by Barrier Free NZ Trust			Audit to be scoped
Agency’s buildings and sites accessible.
	Frontline staff receive training in disability responsiveness		Planned for 2006/07 and 2007/08. To be included in new Induction programme
	Reception areas accessible	Achieved at HO and 3 regional offices	Additional improvements planned for Head Office ground floor reception
	Counters lowered for wheelchair users		Improvements planned for Head Office ground floor reception area
	Telephone staff familiar with using NZ Relay service1		To be scoped
	Other accommodations (please list) (eg signage, accessible lifts, hearing loops, etc)	Lifts are Accessible	New signage planned for Head Office, ensure appropriate heights

Accessible government services	Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Service policies and procedures include reference to disability issues (eg policies on the use of New Zealand Sign Language Interpreters)	No formal procedures but facilities exist to cater for some disabilities such as a meeting room for group work	Scope in review of Access Services
Information / data on services provided to disabled people is recorded		Scope information required
Service staff receive disability responsiveness training	Frontline staff at Head Office have been trained in general customer service skills	Specific training planned for 2006/07 and 2007/08. To be included in Induction programme
When contracting for new or up-graded IT applications and environments, contracts include a requirement to ensure accessibility by disabled users		To be scoped
Provide tours to groups on request including disabled visitors Wheelchair available at Head Office Reading Room for researcher use	Achieved

Responsive government employment practices		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Human Resource policies and procedures include EEO issues for disabled people		EEO policy drafted	Specify disability issues in draft EEO policy
Recruitment and selection of vacancies responsive to disabled people (eg vacancies advertised to the widest possible audience, vacancies list alternative forms of contact – phone, fax, email, etc)		Achieved recruitment policy and procedures based on merit	Add alternative means of contact to recruitment advertising
Human Resource staff familiar with EEO issues for disabled people (eg staff receive disability responsiveness training, staff familiar with the Disability Perspective Tool Kit2, etc)		Achieved in part	Planned for new HR staff to be recruited in 2006
Disabled staff are supported
	Individual assessments of workplace accommodations or support are provided (eg work station assessments)	Workstation assessments and /or tailored equipment are available
	Accommodations provided to disabled staff (eg work station adaptations, special equipment, New Zealand Sign Language interpreters, etc are provided)	Not required to date other than changes made for staff who have a relatively minor/ short-term impairment e.g. reduced shift times special computer equipment
	Disabled staff provided with opportunities for career advancement	HR policies reflect fair and open opportunities	EEO policy needs to be explicit on this
	Agency supports a disabled staff network group	Need not identified to date
	Internal agency newsletters promote the positive presence of disabled staff people		Integrate disability issues into staff communications (newsletters, email, meetings)
	Other support provided to disabled staff (please list)	Achieved- Car parking policy for Head Office specifies preferential car parking available for staff with short-term or permanent disabilities. Car parking also available in the 3 regional Archives

Information and data on disabled people is collected		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Information on agency’s responsiveness to disabled staff people
	Number of disabled people employed (we recommend you use the State Service Commission’s EEO disability information and definition of disability.)		To be identified formally
	Data on disability related accommodations, adaptive equipment, etc, provided by your agency		To be identified formally
	Number of disabled people employed under the State Service Commission’s ‘Mainstream programme’3.		Applications to be considered
Information on agency’s responsiveness to the disabled public
	Information and data on agency’s contact with the disabled public is recorded (eg consultation with disabled groups)	Kept informally	Scope best method and required data
	Information / data on agency’s disabled client group recorded		Scope best method and required

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1. For information on NZ Relay service
2. The Disability Perspective Tool Kit is available on the Office for Disability Issues’ website
3. Information on the State Service Commission’s Mainstream Programme.