Napier City Council adopts Disability Strategy

Councillor Graeme Taylor said working to a place where everyone can go through the same door would be a positive. Photo / File

Napier City Council has passed its first Disability Strategy, aimed at making sure Napier is a city for everyone.

The strategy, developed in collaboration with Napier's Disability Advisory Group, was passed unanimously by council at a meeting on Thursday. "It is about inclusion and equity, it is not about segregation or separation, or special treatment," community strategies manager Natasha Mackie said.

"Universal design practice means that everyone comes through the same door.

"Providing information in a range of formats means that everyone knows what is going on and supporting our staff to understand disability means that everyone can receive our services."

Councillor Maxine Boag said she felt the strategy was timely, particularly after Mayor Bill Dalton's stroke.

"It's a reminder to all of us that there but for the grace of God go I.

"We all do not know if we will be able to be fully able for the rest of our lives or not."

She said the proof would be in the pudding, as it always was for strategies, but she believed the document was a good basis for council to move forward.

Councillor Graeme Taylor said it is society that disables people.

"They are not born with a disability, they are disabled by the way that society treats them."

He recalled a story of a person who had short arm due to thalidomide, and struggled to open doors because of where the handles were.

"Where we place a door handle often disables a person."

He said if the city could work towards being a place where everybody could go through the same door, the strategy would be successful.

The strategy has six main aims; getting around, getting involved, being included, having fun, being safe and having work.

On a practical level, this includes ensuring enough mobility parks in the right places, accessible council facilities, including parks and reserves, and footpaths which are smooth, wide and unobstructed.

The strategy is a first for Napier, the disabled community making up 27 per cent of the community, slightly higher than the national average of 24 per cent.