Find out how our Onsite Assessment has given Greater Wellington a blueprint for action.
Be. Lab have been supporting Greater Wellington (Greater Wellington Regional Council) on their accessibility journey since 2019. We met with Josh Naus, Kaitohutohu | Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Advisor, to learn how the Be. Lab Onsite Assessment of their Cuba Street office has provided Greater Wellington the next steps on their journey.
Part of Greater Wellington’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion was the creation of the DEI advisor role, and Josh says the Be. Lab Onsite Assessment has proved invaluable in his work. We sat down with him to discuss some of the learnings from our Onsite Assessment and their future plans.
Josh says one of his biggest learnings from the Onsite Assessment was that even with a state-of-the-art building, there were still changes that could be made to improve accessibility. These improvements weren’t necessarily big or costly - sometimes small changes can make a big difference.
Diagonal slanted beams are an architectural feature of the office. During the Onsite Assessment, Greater Wellington learned that these beams could be a hazard for visitors or staff with a guide dog. A guide dog could walk under the lower end of these beams, causing a person with a visual-impairment to hit their head. A simple fix was to place indoor plants under the offending beam, allowing dogs to recognise the barrier and take an alternative route. This is a great example of how tweaking the details can make a difference.
The Onsite Assessment also reinforced Greater Wellington’s understanding of accessible evacuation procedures. Evacuation chairs help people with mobility impairments evacuate quickly and easily, and their evacuation plan has been strengthened by introducing a buddy system and having several wardens trained to help in an emergency.
Another area that is addressed in the Onsite Assessment is communications. Accessible communication needs to be a priority for any organisation, Josh says. "Digital accessibility and communications are so important. At Greater Wellington, we need to communicate to the region in a way that works for all our communities.”
The website is often the first port of call for visitors, and Greater Wellington’s digital team do a fantastic job of ensuring everyone can access information and documents with the help of assistive technology.
The Be. Lab assessment found the accessibility of Greater Wellington’s digital communications was already doing well, but recommendations were made to take accessible information to the next level.
When thinking about creating accessible environments businesses often think about the physical space, but we know that a welcoming culture is equally important for accessibility. Our assessment provides advice for businesses on how to ensure workplaces are welcoming for all.
Josh observed how valuable it is to have everyone involved in the process – such as involving team leads from all areas of the organisation in the Be. Lab Onsite Assessment feedback session to achieve cross-organisational understanding. Josh notices how motivated the leadership team is to find accessible solutions and advocate for their team members - it’s a real source of pride.
Josh says internal accessibility improvements not only make staff feel welcome and cared for, but it also creates an environment that people want to be part of.
“The inside reflects the outside – when we have diversity, equity and inclusion in our culture and hiring practices, we will deliver better results for our region and attract the right people. We are still on that journey, but it’s exciting to even be able to say that we are working on it! And the reaction from staff has been overwhelmingly positive”
We asked Josh what was on the horizon for Greater Wellington, and he says slowly working through Be. Lab’s recommendations with a focus on accessible communications.
Greater Wellington has demonstrated a dynamic approach – it’s not about doing everything at once, it’s about thinking of the future and being committed to continuous improvement.
Josh says he would absolutely recommend the Be. Lab accessibility assessment to other organisations.
“The onsite report has given our organisation a foundation to build on, and it will be an asset to the business months, years down the track. By doing an assessment, your business demonstrates to your customers and communities that you are committed to accessibility, and they will respond positively to the effort you’re putting in in this space.”
With Josh’s passion (and his Be. Lab report in hand) we’re excited to see what the future holds for Greater Wellington.
We can support your organisation at any stage of its accessibility journey. Get in touch with our friendly team of experts today to find out how an Onsite Accessibility Assessment can support you to grow better business through accessibility.