Guest post by Kimberly Graham, disability advocate and founder of grabyourwheels.nz. This post follows on from an article we got posted in The Westerly
The vast majority of Aucklanders want all residents to live with dignity, and have the same access to critical services like transport, regardless of whether they have mobility needs. Recent updates to the Henderson train station lifts have brought accessibility issues into sharp focus.
At last we’re going to see long-overdue replacements for lifts that were constantly breaking down. But planners have made the perplexing decision to maintain the same outdated lift dimensions. Their decision highlights a significant gap between compliance and true accessibility.
New Zealand’s lift standards are defined in NZS 4121:2001, which specifies 1.4m x 1.4m dimensions for lift cars. Currently, the new lifts meet these minimum requirements. However, these standards are two decades old, having last been updated in 2001, and fall far short of modern Universal Design principles. Universal Design recommends internal lift dimensions of 1.8m x 1.8m to ensure adequate space for the diverse needs of contemporary users.
This gap is particularly concerning given the advancements in mobility devices, such as larger motorised wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and e-cargo bikes. As a parent of a young adult with high mobility needs, I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges of navigating Auckland’s infrastructure. For example, the inability to fit a trailer bike or a larger mobility aid into station lifts creates significant barriers for individuals like myself. Many of us rely on multi-modal transport to access essential services, such as frequent hospital appointments at Auckland and Greenlane Hospitals.
Moreover, the engineering design code for cycling infrastructure specifies that lifts should accommodate bikes, with minimum dimensions of 1.2m x 2.3m and a 1m door opening. Similarly, public transport rail infrastructure guidelines recommend lifts capable of meeting patronage demands and accommodating patient stretchers and mobility scooters. These specifications reflect the real-world needs of users. Sadly, these are not being met in this upgrade.
It’s vital that when existing infrastructure is upgraded, there is an opportunity to future-proof these spaces for a wider range of users, even if current legal requirements don’t mandate it. Accessibility isn’t just about meeting the bare minimum—it’s about empowering all members of our community to participate equally in public life.
This situation underscores the urgent need to update our NZ standard for building access and ensure our infrastructure meets modern standards, reflecting both current technology and the increasing diversity of mobility needs in our aging and disabled populations.
