Kia ora koutou and welcome to our November update.

October and early November have been huge for us here at Access Advisors. Its been packed with powerful storytelling, meaningful connections, major events, and a few proud moments for our team, even having breakfast at Parliament. We will be keeping the momentum going as we head into the tail end of November and then December, with a few more events to cram in yet.

So grab a cuppa and join us for a catch up on everything we have been up to and what we've got planned for the rest of the year. If you are in Auckland you could also come down to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Access Advisors exists because of the voices, stories, and experiences of our community. If you want to get involved, share your story, become an Access Panel member, or just want connect with us for digital accessibility support, we would love to hear from you.

Ngā mihi nui (thank you so much) for being part of our community and for helping us build a more accessible Aotearoa.

From Chandra and the team

A11yCamp 2025 – Insights from Melbourne

Chandra had an inspiring few days at A11yCamp in Melbourne – a leading event for accessibility professionals and advocates. The sessions explored practical strategies, future trends, and the growing role of AI in supporting best practice.

Highlights included the lamingtons, meeting Joe Devon, co-founder of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and hearing Bogdan Sikora’s powerful reminder: to make real progress, we need to meet developers where they are – in frameworks like React and Angular – not just in raw HTML.

It was also great to see strong kiwi representation, including the inclusive branding process for Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People, shared by Stephen Reid, meeting Mona Gabr for the first time in person and hanging out with Maia.

Events like A11yCamp show what’s possible when experts and organisations collaborate. At Access Advisors, we bring these insights home to help Aotearoa create accessible digital spaces. Ready to take your accessibility journey further? Reach out to our team – together we can make accessibility part of every digital experience.

A Special Morning at Parliament

Dr Chandra Harrison was recently invited by Blind Low Vision NZ to speak at their Parliamentary Breakfast hosted by Hon Louise Upston to celebrate Digitisation Week. Chandra spoke about the need for digital accessibility legislation and how it is vital as we push more services online.

It was a privilege to represent Access Advisors in such an important space. Julius also joined the festivities, as well as Dr Gillian McCarthy from Victoria University, Stew Sexton from Parliament and Pip Townsend from DPA. 

The energy in the room was thoughtful, hopeful, and there was a strong sense of the impact collective voices can have.

You can read Chandra's speech on our website.

Celebrating Ross's Four Years with us 

We are incredibly proud to celebrate our Operations Manager, Ross Harrison, who has now been part of the Access Advisors whānau for four years (obviously a bit longer in the Harrison whānau). 
Ross brings a wealth of experience across operations, logistics, and business management, and his steady leadership keeps our work flowing smoothly behind the scenes.
Outside of work, he is surrounded by his three dogs, who bring endless fun, chaos, and joy into his world.
Ross joined the team as part of a long term dream to work with Chandra, his younger sister, after they worked together on projects at university.
Ross, thank you for everything you bring to our team. We are lucky to have you. 

Access Advisors News

We are thrilled to be supporting a fabulous group of Masters of UX students from Victoria University with their project over the coming weeks. Ben, Imogen, Emma and Max will work with us to learn about accessibility reviews and creating design patterns.

Chandra has been appointed to the governance group for Enabling Technology Impact Collective (ETIC) following a few months on the steering committee. The governance group now includes additional experts to extend the work achieved by the steering group. 

Chandra has also been appointed as a specialist disability advisor to the University of Canterbury ethics committee. Chandra will provide advice to students and researchers about how best to include disabled people in research projects.

Upcoming Events

Action for impact: digital health shaping the future of care today

Digital Health Week - Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading digital health conference is next week and our team is looking forward to being part of the programme.

This year there are several accessibility themed talks big thanks to Alex Kemp and the HiNZ team for making this a priority. 

As well as loads of other wonderful speakers - our own Ross Harrison is speaking at 3.45pm on Tuesday 25th and is asking us to stop using pdf's, they are not patient friendly, and rethink document and form accessibility in digital health. Chandra will be speaking at 11.30am on Wednesday 26th on the topic of “Designed for All? Addressing Digital Accessibility Inequities in Aotearoa’s Health System”.

Check out the programme, come on down to Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and please come find us - we always love to chat about accessibility. 

Connecting Ōtautahi

Connecting Ōtautahi is a vibrant community for individuals, groups and organisations who work in or are passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion. It includes professionals, advocates, and learners who meet regularly to share ideas, foster collaborations, and inspire change. The generosity and sponsorship of the community, ensures that the events remain free and accessible to everyone. 

The next event hosted by Nadene Winchester at Dynamic Controls on 25 November is the last one for the year. Dr. Chandra Harrison, CEO of Access Advisors, is the speaker for the event.

She will explore how AI is improving the lives of people with disabilities and neurodiversity and shaping a more inclusive technological future. She’ll discuss ethical considerations, the importance of user-centred design, and share real examples of AI tools - like machine learning, image processing, and language understanding - enhancing accessibility in research, communication, and daily life. Attendees will gain insights into how AI can drive both social impact and business growth through meaningful, inclusive innovation.

Reach out to Connecting Ōtautahi to get more details.

Come Celebrate IDPD with us in Auckland

Join Access Advisors on Wednesday 3 December 2025 for a free networking event to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).

This event brings together digital accessibility, UX and design professionals to connect, share ideas, and explore how we can support each other to make the digital world more inclusive.This is a perfect opportunity to find out what’s happening and explore how we can support each other in our professional practice.

Network with like-minded UX, Design and Accessibility professionals
Discuss the state of digital accessibility - speaker details TBC
Kōrero about a professional practice in Aotearoa
Drinks and nibbles
Event details

Date: Wednesday 3 December 2025
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: ClearPoint Innovation Garage
Cost: Free
Spaces: 50 people max
Hosted by: Access Advisors

Reserve your free ticket now and be part of the conversation.

Big thanks to ClearPoint for providing the venue.

Top Tip of the Month – Make Your Links Meaningful

 This month’s accessibility tip is simple but powerful. When you add a link to your website or social media, choose words that clearly describe where the link goes. Screen reader users often hear links out of context, so meaningful wording makes navigation smoother.
Instead of “click here”, try “explore our accessibility services” or “read the full article”. These small changes make a big difference.

Explore all of our future and past News & Events. Contact us if you'd like us to speak at your event, or would like us to run a webinar.

Thank you for being part of our journey. Let’s keep working together to create a more accessible Aotearoa for everyone.

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