2026 July Newsletter
Kia ora and welcome to our winter newsletter.
We hope you are keeping warm and well? To help keep you informed and entertained, we've included links through to some of our blog posts for a bit of reading for those colder days.
It's so good to see things happening in making Aoteraoa more accessible. As well as a few of our own ventures, we're thrilled to see the introduction of an Accessibility Standards Bill from NZ First, and the draft Digital Accessibility Standard from GDDA is open for consultation. These are big changes and we encourage you to learn more and have your say.
And hot on the heels of the wonderful grant that helped us deliver accessibility training across the motu, InternetNZ have just opened another round of funding that is worth checking out. Of course we will be exploring some options as well.
The last couple of months have been busy in the office, but the team are going to have fun keeping track of me over the next month with multiple events in Wellington, Auckland and Sydney. So many places to be, people to meet and connections to be made. It's all about promoting awareness and contributing to the accessibility environment in a positive and meaningful way. Check out all the amazing events that are on in the coming few weeks and I hope to see some of you.
It might be cold outside but its good to see some forward movement in accessibility in Aotearoa. Happy reading and come say hi if you are attending any of these events.
From Chandra and the team
What's been happening
Draft Digital Accessibility Standard Consultation
The Standards team at GDDA have been busy and have the draft Digital Accessibility Standard available for consultation feedback open until 7 August. Take this opportunity to have a read and provide feedback. You can also read Our Thoughts: Draft Digital Accessibility Standard post on our blog.
Accessibility Standards Bill
We are also very excited to see the introduction of the Accessibility Standards Bill by Hon Jenny Marcroft MP which has taken another important step forward, with a Notice of Proposal lodged with Parliament for the Members’ Bills Ballot.
A Member’s bill can be selected through the ballot or introduced directly if it gains the required support from MPs. There is also the potential for accessibility legislation to be progressed on a cross-party basis, including as a multi-party bill where MPs from different political parties agree to work together to advance it.
The work that has gone on in the background by Access Matters is phenominal and we are looking forward to seeing what comes of this Bill. When it was first announced Chandra was invited to have a chat with Ms Marcroft to discuss the digital accessibility implications. You can find out more and read Our Thoughts: Accessibility Standards Bill post on our blog.
Podcast with IAAP
Chandra has been the NZ Country Advisor for IAAP and G3ICT for several years now, keeping connected to global trends and professional practice. Recently she was interviewed for the IAAP podcast. Have a listen to the podcast and let us know your thoughts.
Access Professionals Aotearoa
Following on from our successful meeting in Auckland in May, we are thrilled to announce that we have established the Access Professionals Aotearoa LinkedIn Group which you are welcome to join any time and an email list. We will be sending out invites to the email list in the next few days, once we have all the logistics sorted.
New InternetNZ Grant
The amazing folk at InternetNZ have $250,000 in pūtea tautoko (grant funding) available this year to support community-driven research into Internet-related topics and issues in Aotearoa.
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Open to individuals, organisations and communities focused on Internet-related research relevant to New Zealand.
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The area of research can be anything Internet-related: for example, technically focused topics such as cybersecurity or Internet resilience; or social and health focused topics such as digital access or social media harm.
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The proposed research should be able to demonstrate it has been driven by a community of Internet users, and will create or influence positive outcomes for that community online.
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They’re offering one-off grants of around $20,000–$30,000 to each project or initiative (guide only). The total funding available for this round is $250,000.
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The closing date for the first application is 20 August 2026.
Upcoming Events
It's not too late to get your tickets for NZ Disability Employer’s Network Annual Disability Inclusive Pathways Conference. This year's theme is The Missing Advantage - The performance case for human-centered organisations. Tickets from Humanitix
- 4-6 August 2026 - Disabilities Inclusive Pathways Conference - Chandra can be found at the Access Advisors stand
- 7 August 2026 - Consultation for the Digital Accessibility Standards closes
- 11 August 2026 - Digital Trust Hui Taumata - Chandra will be hosting a roundtable discussion
- 13 August 29026 - Well Able Transitions - Chandra will be visiting the What’s Outside The Box Transition Expo
- 13 August 2026 - UX Meetup Christchurch - Chandra is presenting a talk on Establishing a baseline for disabled travel through inclusive design research
- 20 August 2026 - closing date for the InternetNZ grant round
- 26 August 2026 - Design Research Conference - Chandra will be presenting
- 27 August 2026 - GDDA's Digital Accessibility Community of Practice - monthly event
- 14-20 September 2026 - Te Wiki o te Reo Māori - we will be exploring accessibility for te reo
- 17 September 2026 - Digital Health AI Summit - Chandra will be attending
If you know of other events you'd like listed here, email us.
From Our Blog
Meta Glasses are not a phone or a hearing aid. They are a bridge between the physical and digital worlds. Meta glasses can describe your surroundings, read text, recognise objects, and connect you with real-time assistance. For people with sensory loss, this is not just convenience or a gimmick. It is independence.
You will find this blog and more on our website
- Accessibility in Aotearoa - reposted from September 2021
- What events can teach us about digital accessibility - some hints and ideas to improve your next event
- Digital Accessibility and Canva - limitations to creating accessible documents
Top Tip - PDF Tags Matter
Tags are the hidden structure behind a PDF that help assistive technology understand the content. When a PDF is correctly tagged, screen readers can read it in the right order, allowing users to logically navigate headings, lists, tables, and images. This makes the PDF more accessible for people with disabilities and improves the PDF experience for everyone.
Tagged PDFs are easier to search, review, and reuse. Taking the time to tag PDFs correctly helps ensure your information is clear, accessible, and available to everyone.
If you need help to make your documents accessible, get in touch, we're here to help.
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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