Be. Accessible Year in Review1 July 2013 – 30 June 2014

Leaders taking flight

(Image of a white bird sits in top of two yellow circles, one bigger than the other. Purple feathers sit on the left hand side of the large circle. Six curly, multicoloured lines sit on the bird’s wing. The Be. Accessible logo sits in the top right hand corner of the page.) 

Be. Accessible

(Large photo of Minnie Baragwanath)

At Be., our entire focus and reason for being is to enable New Zealand to become the most accessible society in the world!

Our small country at the bottom of the world is uniquely positioned to both lead and achieve this. Not only do we have an incredible history of having led social change movements in the past, but we also have some incredibly creative, enterprising and socially aware leaders sprinkled throughout New Zealand today who are deeply committed to advancing a truly accessible world. These leaders can be found in business, government, education and in communities throughout the country. The more we can recognise these leaders and enable them to take action, to connect with one another and share the message of great accessibility for all, the sooner New Zealand will become the most accessible country of all! We are incredibly proud to be celebrating the magnificent network of leaders who are alumni of the year-long Be. Leadership programme. By the end of 2014, there will be 63 Be. Leaders who have and will be playing critical roles in their families, workplaces and communities throughout New Zealand. Their achievements are testament to their leadership capacity; this year one of our alumni led the delegation to the United Nations to present the shadow report on the rights of disabled New Zealanders, and a current Be. Leadership programme participant was a finalist in the Westpac Women of Influence Awards.  There are also a number of outstanding businesses taking up the leadership mantel including a University that is positioning itself as the first Be. Accessible University in New Zealand, a nationwide chain of hotels that have embedded access as a core principle of their customer service philosophy, an events company that will only use venues that have had a Be. Welcome Silver rating or higher for their conferences (using the power of procurement to effect change), and an incredible commitment by visitor spaces in Wellington and Auckland committing to greater access.

One travel business we have worked with in Wellington has since changed their name to ‘Access the World’ after having undergone a Be. Welcome assessment, as they were so keen to ensure accessible travel experiences for their clients. To date 22% of visitor spaces in Auckland and 16% in Wellington have completed a Be. Welcome assessment.  A group of leading employers has also stepped up around the employment of access employees. Companies such as Spark, Gen-i, Fairfax and Progressive, Auckland and Wellington City Councils and AUT University have each committed to becoming a leading group of accessible employers. Collectively this group employs more than 100,000 people; imagine the

difference they could make by committing to employ more access employees. In order to bolster, extend and grow the accessibility leadership message, we have more recently seen the need to create a very special leaders network that will be formally launched at the 2014 Be. Leadership graduation ceremony in November 2014. Called the “Fab 50”, this group of highly influential New Zealanders is committing to playing an active role in enabling greater access for all.

On a final note, one very important leader that we would like to honour and acknowledge is Minister Tariana Turia who will be stepping down effective September 2014. As the Minister for Disability Issues, she has taken New Zealand forward and we are eternally grateful for what she has done for the advancement of accessibility in our country. Minister Turia, we know we are better for your vision, leadership and love. Thank you.

And thanks to every one of you who has supported New Zealand’s accessibility mission over the past 12 months. Leadership is taking flight and you each play a crucial role in leading and enabling this bold and beautiful vision.

Minnie b.

Meet the Board(Photos of each board member)

John Allen, Chairman CEO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Mary Jane Rivers Founder, Inspiring Communities

Ross Brereton Former CEO, Disabled Persons Assembly of NZ

Mark Bagshaw Managing Director, Innov8 Consulting Group

Ant HowardDirector, Howard & Company

Meet the Team(Photos of each team member)

Minnie BaragwanathChief Executive

Megan BarclayBe. Welcome Programme Director

Kylie ShirtliffBe. Welcome National Co-ordinator

Chris JonesExecutive Assistant to C.E. and Office Manager

Sarah MitchellBe. Employed Programme Director

Jake MillsBe. Employed Intern Co-ordinator

Iris RiddellCommunications Co-ordinator

Lesley SladeBe. Leadership Programme Director

Philip PatstonBe. Leadership Programme Director

Michelle JurgensBe. Leadership Programme Manager

“Everyday I see wonderful work taking place; new businesses see the value of imporved accessibility, interns are being places in meaningful employment, leaders are creating change and the social change message is spreading far and wide. The team is inspirational and I feel truly blessed to be part of an organisation that is creating positive change in the world.”- Chris Jones, Executive Assistant to C.E. and Office Manager

“Working with Be. Accessible has been a beneficial experience. Our Be. Coach was knowledgable, approachable, and provided valuable information during her visit and in her report. We are using her feedback and recommendations to improve our accessibility for all visitors. We’re working towards achieving a Gold rating within the next year.”- Erika McClintock, Wellington City Gallery

Be. WelcomeOverview

Be. Welcome, a flagship programme offered by Be. Accessible offers a holistic accessibility accreditation service for businesses and organisations as well as a public online directory showcasing those committed to accessibility.

Over the past year, the Be. Welcome team have continued to focus on advancing access in the tourism and visitor sectors. One in four New Zealanders now identify as living with a disability, and with our aging population, the opportunity for access tourism is more powerful than ever.

Since its inception, Be. has worked with hundreds of organisations and over the past year alone, more than one hundred small to medium organisations have completed a Be. Welcome assessment. Larger companies are also recognising the benefits of accessibility improvements, with many entering their second and third years of the programme.

Hamilton City LibrarySince being assessed one year ago, Hamilton City Library has taken the Be. Welcome recommendations and drafted up a plan assigning the different tasks to various staff. The results of this include:

• Increased font of all communications to 12pt minimum.• Re-produced large print versions of their brochure.• Undergoing major renovations to install an accessible reception

counter, a hearing loop and lowering all shelving.

Sudima Hotel Group• The Auckland Hotel has made improvements to their website, printed

braille menus and provided an accessible shuttle service.• The Christchurch Hotel has renovations underway where they plan to

install an accessible reception counter, hearing loop and accessible signage throughout the hotel.

Spencer on ByronAfter receiving a Bronze rating in January, the team made a commitment to get to Silver by June 30. To achieve this they:

• Made all the information on their website accessible,• Improved signage throughout the hotel, and • Have completed an accessibility awareness workshop with their

frontline staff.

Over the last 12 months:• 243 businesses have been engaged in the programme, with 104 of

those completing a full holistic assessment.

Since joining Be. Welcome:o 55 businesses have made 1-5 improvements, o 11 have made 6-25 changes, and o 2 (Auckland Zoo, CQ Hotels Wellington) have made 26-50

changes.

(Image of Be. Lite website home page on a laptop, with the Be. Lite logo above laptop)

To make the programme more accessible for small companies, Be, introduced the Be. Welcome Lite self assessment tool in December 2013. This is a fun, quick, easy and free way to find out how accessible a business is for its customers and staff. In as little as 15 minutes, businesses have a snapshot of their access features and are then displayed on the Be. directory. This tool has been evaluated and will be relaunched this summer with a fresh approach.

Case Studies

Auckland Zoo(Photo of an elephant at the Auckland Zoo)

The Auckland Zoo is dedicated to inspiring as many people to take action, which means they need everybody to be able to connect with their educational tools. “Our overall mission is to make the Zoo absolutely accessible for all people,” says Margaret Dalziel, Manager of Visitor Services for the Auckland Zoo.

The Zoo received a Be. Welcome Gold rating for their Te Wao Nui exhibit in November 2012, and they consider this to be one of their greatest accessibility achievements so far. The challenge to reach Gold sparked the whole team’s enthusiasm and provided an opportunity for all the different groups at the Zoo to work together creatively.

The accessibility improvements the Zoo has made are certainly paying off, with a noticeable increase in the number of access citizens interacting with the Zoo, and it’s the simple changes making all the difference.

By making it clearer that there are pushchairs available, they’ve seen the pushchair use double over the past year. Their fleet of six mobility scooters, available free of charge, are also in such high demand that visitors are encouraged to book in advance. The Zoo has also implemented some really exciting changes recently, like allowing service and assistance dogs on site and allowing access citizens who require caregivers at all times to bring their caregivers to the Zoo for free.

The Zoo is beginning to notice regular access customers, some visiting several times a week, because of the simple changes the Zoo has made to become more accessible.  One Customer’s Feedback to the Auckland Zoo: “On behalf of everyone at Stewart centre @ EIT I would like to thank you for organising our visit to the Auckland Zoo on Monday 15th September during our trip to Auckland. Everyone had a great time at the Zoo. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.  I especially enjoyed how accessible it is. I use a mobility walker and I managed to walk around the whole zoo. I was absolutely thrilled.”

The Sudima Hotel Story(Photo of a Sudima Hotel shuttle van outside the entrance to Sudima Hotel)

All four Sudima Hotels are now on board with Be. Accessible, which has sparked some healthy competition to see who can get Gold first! “Being accessible is incredibly important for a hotel. It just means that we’re attractive to a wider range of people,” says Director of Operations, Les Morgan.

The Sudima Hotel range have included features such as a lower check-in desk, an accessible car park and ramp, accessible rooms, menus in braille and accessible bathrooms on both Ground and Conference Floors. “A lot of them are simple ideas. They don’t necessarily need to be large investments There just needs to be a commitment of energy,” says Les Morgan.

The Sudima Auckland Airport IS setting up a new website so that the access customer has an easy process to follow from booking stages right through to arriving at the hotel. They have also gone above and beyond, by creating a new role and employing a permanent member of staff to be their ‘Access Champion’.

“Being accessible and being able to communicate our accessibility can only be good for our country,” says Jan Thomson, Human Resources Adviser.

“The Be. Leadership group have held two retreats at the Sudima Auckland Airport Hotel this year. What I love about Sudima is that the concept of access isn't just an 'add-on' or a 'nice-to-have' for them. They have purposefully weaved the concept and practice into their work, which has translated into a seamless and enjoyable experience for our Be. Leadership group.  We've enjoyed excellent and consistent service from each member of their team - so, thank you Sudima Auckland Airport Hotel!” – Michelle Jurgens, Be. Leadersip Programme Manager

“As a participant of the 2014 Be. Leadership programme I was privileged to stay at the Sudima Auckland Airport Hotel and as a wheelchair user, access was of particular interest to me. From the moment I entered the hotel I was impressed with the light, and open spacious lobby. This sense of spaciousness extended through to the bar and restaurant making movement around on the polished floor tiles a breeze. Hotel staff were keen to offer any assistance required. All in all my experience was very pleasant and I would certainly expect anyone, with or without access needs to have an enjoyable stay.” – Robin Tinga, Be. Leader 2014

KiwiRail(Photo of passengers getting onto a KiwiRail train)

The train network recently started their journey to accessibility and have hit the ground running, having achieved Be. Welcome Silver ratings for their TransAlpine journey and Auckland and Wellington stations, as well as Bronze ratings for their older stations in Christchurch and Greymouth.

In 2011, when the business strategy moved toward experiential scenic journeys, they had the opportunity to build a new suite of carriages to cater for their tourism customers better. The team looked carefully into everything from seating configurations and width of aisles, to toilet facilities and even the ease with which people could get on board the train.

“I think we have a responsibility to make sure that everybody can actually sample and try out what it is we’re trying to offer,” says Paul Edensor, Customer Contact Manager at KiwiRail. But KiwiRail have realised that it’s not just about the customer, but pursuing accessibility can also build staff morale because staff recognise that accessibility increases the quality of their customer’s experience.

AUT University(Photo of the interior of AUT University)

AUT has always been receptive to the idea of accessibility, wishing to enable their students to fully participate in the pursuit of tertiary education. Wisely so, as AUT’s student body reflects the population almost perfectly, with exactly 17% of their students living with a disability. Attention is being paid to making their four separate websites more accessible, and they kicked off 2014 with a new accessible bus service, making accessing both campuses much easier for all their students.

Be. is currently in the process of working with the specially created Equity Committee at AUT to work through the complexities of bringing an entire University up to a gold standard and the best approach to achieve that. Be. has worked with them to assess four of their City Campus buildings already, but there’s plenty more buildings to go.

Auckland Botanic Gardens

(Photo of the exterior of Auckland Botanic Gardens)

Accessibility is something that the Auckland Botanic Gardens had been aware of for a long time. They receive around 1 million visitors a year from a large cross section of the community – many of whom are elderly, living with a temporary or permanent disability or parents with small children and push chairs.

The Gardens began their Be. Welcome assessment process in September 2013 and have made great progress. “We were really keen to tick off the easy wins”, says Jack Hobbs, Manager at Auckland Botanic Gardens, “like adding some markings to walkways and allocating more car parks as access parks.”

With the guidance of Be., the Botanic Gardens have put in place large-scale plans for future improvements. The organisation will also be doing a revamp of its website, making more information available in more languages and with particular emphasis placed on creating a totally accessible online experience for their blind or sight impaired customers.

Christchurch International Airport(Photo of the Domestic Departures sign at Christchurch International Airport)

The Christchurch International Airport was one of the earliest Be. Welcome organisations, receiving the first and only Gold Be. Welcome Rating for Christchurch City, in time for the Rugby World Cup 2011.

The Christchurch International Airport recognises that they’re part of a wider conversation and ecosystem of accessibility. “We have an opportunity to create the newest city in the world, and so we should be driving towards a more accessible city for everyone,” says Andy Lester, Chief Operating Officer at Christchurch International Airport.

As an organisation, they fully understand and embrace accessibility as a staple in their culture. Though the economic benefits are obvious, it’s more than that. “Everybody is equal, that’s how we run our business,” says Lester, “the social benefits alone are enormous”.

That’s why, when designing the new terminal, accessibility was a key success factor for them and their commitment to accessibility continues well after the Be. Welcome assessment is complete, with staff training continuing throughout.

Spotlight on Christchurch Be.coming an accessible city(Photo of Christchurch CBD)

“It’s fundamentally important that we maximise accessibility in our city. If we’re more accessible we can accommodate the whole spectrum of our population,” Peter Townsend, CEO Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce

The Christchurch Central Recovery Plan aims to not just restore pre-quake Christchurch, but to create an even better city. This includes improving the social, economic, cultural and environmental wellbeing of greater Christchurch and its communities for people with access needs and creating 100% accessible New Zealand businesses and organisations.

Over 100,000 people in Canterbury live with a disability, so the incentive to create an accessible city is huge. “It’s fundamentally important that we maximise accessibility in our city. If we’re more accessible we can accommodate the whole spectrum of our population,” says Peter Townsend, CEO Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce

Christchurch International Airport alone is like a small town, with over 5,000 people working in the airport community and around one million access customers travelling through each year.

Cantabrians living with a disability have resources to spend during the rebuild and on going development of Christchurch. They will choose to put their resources where they can access, move around and be employed.

Christchurch businesses are turning on an impressive accessibility movement, and Be. walks alongside a number of businesses as they go on their journey to accessibility.

Though these businesses have all started their accessibility journeys independently of each other, what they've created is a hub of complementary accessible services that dovetail into each other. To a visiting access tourist, that means an easy arrival to the city, a place to stay that knows how to cater to their access requirements, a restaurant to have a delicious meal at and a couple of great attractions that they can get around seamlessly. Overall, a great visitor experience! Imagine the economic impact of an estimated 1 million great access tourist experiences in Christchurch.

Accessible Tourism in Christchurch

(Illustration showing accessible tourism in Christchurch, including illustrations of Christchurch International Airport, Sudima Hotel, Air Force Museum, Dux Dine, KiwiRail Scenic Journeys and Eliza’s Manor Boutique Hotel with arrows in between each.)

Businesses Be. is already working with in Christchurch

Air Force Museum Has a Silver Be. Welcome rating Has accessible car parks, ramps, lifts, toilets, no entry fee, larger fonts

“Being accessible to the wider community, we’ve increased our overall visitation by 150 odd per cent and the good thing now is the word of mouth is a positive endorsement for us.” – Dave Clearwater, Business Manager, Air Force Museum

Christchurch International Airport One of the earliest Be. Welcome organisations, receiving the first and

only Gold Be. Welcome Rating for Christchurch City, in time for the Rugby World Cup

Receives 1 million access customers a year

Dux Dine restaurant Has a silver Be. Welcome rating Great example of a heritage building working towards becoming

accessible Has accessible car parks, ramps, main entrance, customer service,

toilets and designated accessible areas Their outdoor furniture is made by access citizens

Eliza's Manor Boutique Hotel Has just recently started their accessibility journey with Be. Welcome,

but are showing a lot of potential

They have fixed accessible ramps, accessible toilets and designated accessible areas

Sudima Hotel

Redevelopment currently underway where they plan to install an accessible reception counter, hearing loop and accessible signage throughout.

Sudesh Jhunjhunwala, owner of Sudima Hotels commented recently "Sudima Hotel is delighted to play its role in contributing to the growth and rebuild phase of this wonderful city, the gateway to the South Island, by investing close to $25 million in the re-development of Sudima Christchurch Airport which, at completion, will provide first class quality accommodation and conference facilities, servicing all segments of the market both domestically and internationally".

KiwiRail Achieved Be. Welcome Silver ratings for their TransAlpine journey, and

Auckland and Wellington stations, and Bronze ratings for their older stations in Christchurch and Greymouth

Specific initiatives when improving or constructing infrastructure include ensuring pedestrian mazes and ramps are wheelchair-access compliant, the installation of bells and signs for those who are hearing and visually impaired at higher-risk crossings, and the installation of tactile ground surface indicators. KiwiRail has an established track record of engaging with representatives of the disabled community when new and upgraded infrastructure is planned, and investing in improvements to help the disabled community

Other organisations that Be. has worked with or that have done a Be. Welcome Lite self-assessment

• Antarctic Centre (Sliver)

• Activate Design Limited (Be. Welcome Lite)

• Kimmie Kare (Be. Welcome Lite)

• Face Value Cosmetic Medical Clinic (Be. Welcome Lite)

• Halswell Butchery (Be. Welcome Lite)

• Mercato (Be. Welcome Lite)

“Being a part of Be. Leadership in 2014 has opened my eyes to a variety of leadership styles. I’ve learnt that a leader can lead from all directions – backwards, forwards, and sideways.”

- Lucy Croft, Be. Leader 2014

Be. Leadership

Overview

In 2014, the Be. Leadership programme began its fourth year and is continuing to strengthen and promote a cohesive and significant leadership community to improve accessibility.

The programme allows participants to develop new frames of thinking around leadership, to develop self-awareness and personal leadership skills, to build long-term relationships that will continue to develop learning and to develop skills and networks to promote career paths and civic engagement.

It provides one year (21 programme days) of learning about the issues of importance to New Zealand and New Zealanders through a series of conversations and discussions with established leaders.

Fifteen leaders from across New Zealand completed Be. Leadership during 2013 and another 15 leaders are currently participating in the 2014 programme. By November 2014, 63 Be. Leaders will have completed the programme.

The roles our 2013 and 2014 Be. Leaders have in the communities across New Zealand demonstrates a wide range of influence. They include:

Accessibility AssistantAdministration ManagerAssessor; AdministratorBusiness Partnership AdvisorCustomer Service LibrarianExecutive AssistantFacilitatorInformation Consultant Management Intern, Project Co-ordinatorManaging Director PA / Board LiaisonResearch AssistantResponse CoordinatorSelf-employedService Co-ordinatorSports Development OfficerStudentSupport WorkerTeam LeaderYouth Worker

As Be. Leadership ends its fourth year, we feel uniquely positioned to significantly broaden NZ’s leadership conversations about the potential of

accessibility as a vehicle to wider social and economic change. The current participants will bring the alumni to more than sixty leaders impacting society, one person at a time. We strongly believe we are getting close to a tipping point that will see this change increase momentum.

Like those of previous years, participants of the 2014 programme have told us that their perspective on leadership and being a leader has evolved exponentially during the year. They have told us that a deeper insight into who they are and what is most important to them has increased their confidence to create change.“Be. Leadership has taught me that part of my leadership journey involves being comfortable with myself. However, it is important to challenge myself, and throw myself into the unknown. I’ve begun to explore different avenues of leadership. I’m daring myself to lead creatively, be an entrepreneur, and be innovative. Be. Leadership is moving me out of my comfort zone.”-Lucy Croft, Be. Leader, 2014

Be. Leaders 2013

(Photos of each 2013 Be. Leadership participant, including Alison Fitzpatrick, Annie Inwood, Clara Choi, Gareth Tucker, Greg O’Donnell, Helen Capel, Jake Mills, John Marrable, Leechin Heng, Peter Barker, Prudence Walker, Sean Winterbottom, Sharon Davies, Vicki Terrell, Wayne Forrest)

Be. Leaders 2014

(Photos of each Be. Leadership 2014 participant, including Blake Leitch, Catherine Grace, Debra Bathgate, Erikka Helliwell, Gabrielle Hogg, Jan Eggleton, Joshua Anderson, Julie Cravino, Lisa Crawford, Lucy Croft, Richard Reid, Robin Tinga, Samantha Eddie, Sarah McCawe, Vanessa Creamer.)

In loving memory of Joyce…

(Photo of Joyce Scott)

The Be. Whanau lost a beautiful soul in June — Joyce Scott, a 2014 Be. Leadership participant. Joyce had been unwell for some time and, sadly, passed away during surgery on Tuesday 17 June, 2014.

Be. Leadership directors Lesley Slade and Philip Patston described Joyce as warm, astute and engaged. "Joyce was always prepared, intellectually curious and open to new ideas. We will miss her keen focus and this is a huge loss to the Be. Leadership and wider community."

Fellow participants expressed their grief over losing a friend and colleague."She was a beautiful and intelligent young woman," said one. "I'm still in shock and there aren't really the words to express the feelings we are all going through," another said.

Joyce loved to read; she loved books. She loved the concept of a little free library in one of the parks in her hometown, Palmerston North, where people could sit and read – take a book, give a book etc. She had a little library made, but sadly passed before her dream became reality. Her friend Alida Parker, and fiancé Brendon Wells, have spent the past few months liaising with Council to get the Little Free Library up and running, in Joyce’s memory… and it was officially opened late September 2014.

“My year with Be Leadership has had a profound positive impact on my leadership journey in multi-faceted ways. It has guided my definition of what positive leadership means, empowered my abilities as a leader and deepened my own self-awareness in relation to leadership.It created guidance towards blossoming into a more authentic, open and unique leadership style and encouraged my path towards further internal growth as a leader. – Lisa Crawford, Be. Leader 2014

Honouring leaders taking flight

Minnie Baragwanath appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit(Photo of Minnie Baragwanath being appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit by the New Zealand Governor General)

Minnie Baragwanath was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit by Her Majesty The Queen in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014.

The honour recognizes Minnie’s services to people with disabilities over the past 15 years, during which time she has played a leading role in effecting social change for disabled New Zealanders. Minnie has worked in the media and community and developed local government policy, and is the founder and CEO of the Be. Institute.

“Minnie Baragwanath (MNZM) has played a leading role in social change for disabled New Zealanders over the last two decades. As Chief Executive of the Be. Institute she has influenced employers, local government and the community to aspire towards a fully accessible New Zealand. Her charismatic personality and optimistic spirit has made a huge impact in shaping attitudes, including establishing an expectation during the Rugby World Cup of an accessible Auckland,” says Minister of Disability Issues, Tariana Turia.

Arts Access Accolade for Be. Leadership co-Director, Philip Patston

(Photo of Philip Patston receiving the Arts Access Accolade)

Philip Patston, co-Director of Be. Leadership, was recently presented with the inaugural Arts Access Accolade in Parliament by Dame Rosie Horton. The award recognised his lifetime achievements and commitment to working with Arts Access Aotearoa to achieve its vision of a society where all people in New Zealand can participate in the arts.

Richard Benge, Executive Director, says Philip was the unanimous choice for the inaugural Arts Access Accolade. “Philip is an exceptional leader. He has mentored this organisation, sharing his wisdom, generosity, life experiences and good humour. We salute you, Philip Patston.”

Sharon Davies (Be. Leader 2013), awarded Queen’s Service Medal

(Photo of Sharon Davies receiving Queen’s Service Medal)

Sharon Davies was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for services to the community in 2013. The honour recognizes her long-standing involvement in community initiatives in the Waitakere area such as leading successful negotiations to improve railway station accessibility.

She is a trustee of Ecomatters Environment Trust and the Keep Waitakere

Beautiful Trust as well as being the Chairwoman of the Swanson Railway Station Trust.

“I believe life is what you make it and you get out of life what you put in. If you want to make change, you need to be part of the change process,” says Sharon.

Stepping up to inspire young leaders across New Zealand

During 2013 and 2014, a number of our Be. Leaders were members of the Sir Peter Blake Trust Dream Team where they spoke at schools across New Zealand during Leadership Week. The leaders involved include:

2013: Peter Barker, Jake Mills, John Marrable, Wayne Forrest, Annie Inwood, Prudence Walker, Sharon Davies, Greg O’Donnell, Sonia Pivac

2014: Annie Inwood, Sharon Davies, Jake Mills, John Marrable, Wayne Forrest.

Catherine Grace (Be. Leader 2014), finalist in the 2014 Westpac Women of Influence Awards (Business Entrepreneur Category)

(Photo of Catherine Grace)

Cate Grace is the founder of Leap Fitness and Motivation and CateGrace.com. Cate has travelled a difficult road to become one of today’s elite trainers and motivators.

She battles chronic health conditions but hasn’t looked back since looking to the fitness world for help four years ago. She is a Registered Exercise Professional, certified personal trainer, and has won numerous industry and business awards and accolades. Cate works specifically with those who have chronic illness, or who have suffered from trauma, domestic violence or emotional abuse. She is committed to helping the 90 percent of the world who don’t like the traditional gym environment, but want to get up and move. She enables people to lead happier, healthier, fitter and stronger lives. In 2013, Cate was a Top 10 finalist in the 2013 Personal Trainers to Watch competition run by Life Fitness, a global leader in fitness equipment manufacturing. The international competition recognizes personal trainers who demonstrate exceptional leadership, client support, motivation and inspiration. The 2013 competition generated more than 1,500 entries from 43 countries.

"This nomination is a wonderful opportunity to connect and start new conversations around women celebrating their bodies and adversity”, says Cate.

Qiujing Wong, Co-founder, Borderless Productions. Finalist in the 2014 Women of Influence Awards (Social Enterprise Category) (Photo of Qiujing Wong)

Qiujing has been instrumental in shaping Be. Accessible from the beginning. She is the co-founder of Borderless Productions, an innovative company enabling social change through films and campaigns.

Highlights of Qiujing’s career include: creating a “A Grandmother’s Tribe”, a film and campaign that has raised funds and awareness for grandmothers of sub-Saharan Africa; producing “Harpooned Soul: the Jade Bell story”, a film and campaign in North America against drug-abuse; co-founding the Borderless Foundation; and leading the creation of the Telecom Foundation brand in New Zealand.

Recently Qiujing has been involved with the Auckland Council, consulting into a range of initiatives including, the Mayor’s Youth Employment Traction Hub, which aims to get more young people in Auckland employed; Kai Auckland – a food movement to create connection and nourishment through food; and is currently helping create a social movement in Auckland to prevent family and sexual violence.

Victoria Manning (Be. Leader 2011), leads delegation to present to the United Nations

(Photo of Victoria Manning)

Victoria Manning recently headed up a delegation to Geneva to present to the United Nations on New Zealand's treatment of people with disabilities. She has written a report to the UN on behalf of seven national DPOs which includes more than 50 recommendations for action and change.Ms Manning said the staggering thing was there was nothing new in the report as all the recommendations had been made before."We've said it again and again and again and things haven't changed. So we are saying progress is too slow and not enough and we are not accepting that anymore. We want you to put more pressure on our government to give us better lives like other New Zealanders have," says Victoria.

Be. Employed

Overview

(Photo of Jake Mills presenting at the Be. Employed launch at AUT University in 2013)

Be. Employed is the latest programme from the Be. Institute and dovetails seamlessly with partner programmes Be. Welcome, Be. Leadership and Be. Confident.

The launch of the programme was celebrated in November 2013 in a moving event hosted by AUT University in the Sir Paul Reeves Building where they made public their intention to become New Zealand’s most accessible University.

Be. Employed is a dynamic and accessible employment movement that invites leading organisations to find new ways to advance a more accessible employment landscape.

Over the decades, many attempts have been made all around the world to advance the employment of access citizens, though very few have really shifted the dial, leaving access citizens overrepresented in underemployment stats in nearly all OECD countries. In New Zealand, more than 60% of people with access needs are unemployed or underemployed.

The opportunity cost of this workforce exclusion is estimated at around $NZ11.7b. A truly accessible country, where all people have access to education opportunities, feel empowered and included in society, would go a long way to realising this NZ$11.7b opportunity.

Be. Employed aims to shift the dial by working with organisations that recognise the opportunity this presents and are ready to go the distance by making bold advances in their thinking, culture and ideas. They are courageous and ready to ask the question around what is possible in the employment arena when accessibility is embraced.

Two things we know for sure at Be. are that employers are the answer to this, and that disabled people make great employees. We also know it's not rocket science, but it does need our combined focus and energy.

Be. Employed works with businesses and organisations to enable them to tap into the amazing resource of people with access needs who make up 25% of our population, many of whom offer a unique set of skills and perspectives that bring value to our organisations, communities and economy when the opportunity presents, and most of who require little to no extra support or investment to fulfill their role.

Many of our most successful leaders in business, the arts, academia and sport are people who have some kind of impairment. They are evidence that disability is not the issue when it comes to working at the highest levels. So what is?

(Info-graphic with three stick figures in navy blue and two stick figures in light blue. Under that, text reads 60% of disabled people are unemployed, 75% don’t need extra support to work.)

Be. Employed Internship Programme

(Info-graphic with the text, ‘$11.7 Billion – the opportunity cost of workforce exclusion in New Zealand’)

The programme is dedicated to developing meaningful employment relationships between leading employers and young access citizens. 

Be. Accessible is facilitating paid employment for students within an organisation for a four to sixteen week placement.

Be. Accessible will act as the broker between tertiary institutions and employers to create opportunities for students, whilst providing a valuable and positive experience for the employer.

This fully-funded programme will empower students to find long-term, fulfilling jobs.

Applicants are invited to apply for the programme via their tertiary institute's Disability Student services, or directly to Be. Accessible.

Introducing Sarah Mitchell

Be. Employed Programme Director

(Photo of Sarah Mitchell)

Sarah Mitchell is the Programme Director for Be. Employed. She is responsible for managing this exciting pilot initiative, which focuses on getting tertiary students with access needs into meaningful work. Sarah is also responsible for the Be. Employed consultative model, which like the Be. Welcome programme (through an employment lens) enables and empowers businesses and organisations to create experiences and services that are accessible to every New Zealander.

Sarah has tertiary qualifications in Employment Relations and Human Resource Management. Her professional experience includes working for the Department of Labour as an Inspector. She has recently returned to New Zealand after more than a decade living and working in Hong Kong. Sarah initially worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in their Corporate Finance section where she undertook recruitment projects for graduates, together with Learning and Development programmes for the corporate finance staff. After a break to start her family, Sarah then worked as the Business Development Manager in Hong Kong for New Zealand’s leading sustainable vineyard - Yealands Estate Vineyard.

Sarah's public and private sector experience, along with her global roles, has helped her to develop a cross-section of knowledge and industry insight.

"I'm looking forward to providing hope and inspiration for people who already have the tenacity and drive to achieve and provide opportunities for their success," says Sarah.

Introducing Jake Mills

Be. Employed Intern Coordinator

(Photo of Jake Mills)Jake grew up in New Plymouth and attended New Plymouth Boys High School. He then studied at the University of Waikato where he completed a Bachelor of Sports and Leisure degree. He then returned home and worked for the regional sports trust Sport Taranaki. His role as the ParaFed Sport Development Officer was to create and develop sport and recreational opportunity for people with physical disabilities. This role led him towards the Be. Leadership programme, which he completed in 2013. He has recently moved to Auckland and is working for Be. Accessible as the Be. Employed Coordinator.Be. Employed is important to Jake because he believes that it’s time to lift and shift employers mind sets about what skills and attributes that access citizens can bring to the workspace. Jake wants to see employment statistics rise

within the access community. He is excited to be a part of this new initiative. As the Be. Employed Intern Co-ordinator, Jake’s role is to co-ordinate tertiary students through the Be. Employed Internship Programme and is enthusiastic about building confidence and helping students to showcase their full potential.

Be. Confident

(Photo of a mother and daughter at a counter, being handed a soft toy)

Be. Confident is a confidence development programme that helps employers and their staff create better relationships by increasing their confidence to engage with colleagues and customers with access needs.

AUT UniversityIn 2013, Be. Accessible took the internal communications team at AUT through the Be. Confident workshop, helping them to understand the nuances of accessibility and how good accessibility can be achieved through relatively simple measures. Since then, their Marketing Executive, Jeremy Raine has updated the Student Guide for 2014 according to the standards that Be. recommended.

This programme adds value to the ongoing development of any organisation’s culture. Using the Be. Lens, our Be. Coaches model a different way to be professional, subtle and natural in diverse relationships. Be. Coaches lead staff to ask the questions they have about serving a diversity of external and internal customer needs.

Be. Confident provides a unique method of confidence building that will create:• Improved customer loyalty • Enhanced customer culture and engagement • Increased staff morale and retention • Better recruitment choices • A stronger, more confident culture• Greater strategic capacity • More opportunities to build your brand and deliver on your brand promise • Innovative ways of being that create possibilities for your own 100% accessible service

Being confident engaging with different people requires being confident about human interaction.

It is about focusing on unique needs, conversations and engagements, and being self-aware.

Our Be. Coaches facilitate and mentor the team to become more aware of their individual and collective responses to the unique needs of every client interaction and the general public.

The Be. Confident principles go beyond typical customer service responses, encouraging a high performing service culture that is accessible and adaptive to any situation.

To date 23 Be. Confident Workshops have been delivered.

Reaching out to all New Zealanders

One of the goals of the Be. Accessible campaign is to reach New Zealanders in order to shift attitudes and behaviours so that we are able to collectively create a 100% accessible society for us all.

A strategy for Be. Accessible is to create regular communications that reframes disability to accessibility and ultimately poss-ability (and that we all have access needs at some point in our lives), that encourages people to think deeply about accessibility and to begin to value the contribution that disabled people make to New Zealand.

(Images of cellphones, iPads and a laptop are dotted on the page. On the screens, are pictures of Be. Accessible’s Facebook page, website, newsletter and Twitter page. In circles, next to each screen there are statistics. Next to the screen with the Facebook page, the text read 678 followers. Next to the screen with the Twitter page, the text read 734 tweets. Next to the screen with the newsletter, the text reads 4,000 newsletter subscribers. Next to the screen with the website, the text reads 1000+ regular monthly users.)

(Images of articles about Be. Accessible, Minnie Baragwanath presenting at conferences and a Be. Accessible youtube video are dotted on the page. Three circles with text inside them read ‘Wide media coverage’, ‘Youtube’ and ‘3,500 people have experienced a Be. Presentation’. One large circle reads ‘Over the past twelve months, the Be. Accessible campaign has tried to work as efficiteny and innovatively to reach as many people as possible through a diversified communications approach creating a network effect of conversations aimed to inspire and connect with New Zealanders.’)

Looking into the future

As one year comes to a close and we look with hope and excitement into the future, we are reminded of how much there is still to do. To help us achieve this, Be. has created a powerful group of influential New Zealanders called the “Fab 50”.

Members of the “Fab 50” are invited to join the Be. whanau to support its vision of creating a model accessible nation, to open doors, create new relationships and advise on the direction of the movement. They are a new network of access champions. We’re proud to be launching this network at the graduation of our Be. Leaders on 29th November 2014 and are excited to announce the first members that have committed to this effort:

Adrian Sole, Commercial Development Manager, Fairfax Media

Amanda Judd, Champion and Founder of Lovenotes

Andrew Hamilton, CEO, The Icehouse

Andrew Krukziener, Director, Krukziener Property Investments

Brett O’Riley, CEO, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development

Craig Fisher, Chairman and Audit Director at Hayes Knight New Zealand

Craig Richardson, CEO, Wynyard Group

David Rutherford, Human Rights Commissioner

Derek McCormack, Vice Chancellor, AUT University

Drew McGuire, Director of Capability Group Ltd.

Kathryn McPherson, Professor of Rehabilitation, AUT University

Laurence Sherriff, Director, Align

Martin Fenwick, Director, Altris

Mike Chunn, CEO, Play it Strange Trust

Naimh McMahon, Partner, McMahon Butterworth Thompson

Olivier Lacoua, General Manager at CQ Hotels Wellington

Paula Rebstock, Chair, Accident Compensation Corporation

Penny Hulse, Auckland Deputy Mayor

Peter Hughes, CE and Secretary for Education, Ministry of Education

Peter Kerridge, Partner, Kerridge and Partners

Peter Townsend, CEO, Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce

Phil O’Reilly, CE, Business New Zealand

Red Nicholson, Head of Media Studies, Onehunga High School

Robyn Scott, CEO, Age Concern National

Sam Johnson, Chair, Youth Beyond Disasters

Sarah Trotman, Director, Business Relations at AUT University

Scott Pickering, CEO, Accident Compensation Corporation

Sharon Hunter, Founder, New Zealand SME Business Network

Shelley Campbell, CEO, Sir Peter Blake Trust

Simon Power, GM, Business Bank, Private Bank, Wealth and Insurance at

Westpac

Sir Bob Harvey, Chairman, Waterfront Auckland

Stephen Town, CEO, Auckland Council

Steve Ellingford, Acting Centre Manager of Bayfair Shopping Centre

Sudesh Jhunjhunwala, CEO, Sudima Hotel Group

Tara Pradhan, Head of Vision Partners, World Vision New Zealand

Tenby Powell, Director, Greenlane Technologies

Tim Miles, CEO, Geni

Victoria Crone, CEO, Xero New Zealand

Vivien Bridgwater, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development

Wayne Besant, CEO of AIA New Zealand

Heading across the ditch

Over the past twelve months, Be. has been invited to attend and present at a number of international conferences and events.

(Image with Australia and New Zealand, with the Be. Accessible logo with a radar effect siiting in the middle of the two countries.)

This has led to a range of organisations inviting Be. to work with their teams to help advance their accessibility. As we look into the future, we expect that our friends across the ditch may well be interested in seeing Be. Accessible operating in Australia too.

International Events Attended

16/7/13 Sydney/Newcastle DPC Event Access8/8/13 Adelaide Disability Employment Australia2/11/13 Melbourne NAB Leadership Team9/6/14 Glasgow Community is the answer12/9/14 Sydney Disability Inclusion and Liveable Communities Forum

‘There are very few occasions in life where you meet a true leader of mana, courage and grace. Four years ago I had the great privilege of meeting one such leader, the gorgeous Minister Turia. On behalf of the Be. board, the Be. team and all of the thousands of people who come into contact with the Be. Accessible vision and mission for a 100% accessible New Zealand, I thank you for believing in us and our philiosophy of social change. Your unwavering commitment to our work, to our vision and to our people has and is enabling social change to occur on a scale that is truly remarkable! From the depths of my heart thank you always for Be.lieving!”

Minnie Baragwanath, Chief Executive

The Be. InstituteP: +64 9 309 8966I: 0800 be in touch (234 686)E: info@beaccessible.org.nzwww.beaccessible.org.nz