Locked Out of Essential Services: When Accessibility Fails Blind and Low Vision New Zealanders

Image description: A locked gate and secured with a silver padlock, symbolic of the barriers still faced by blind and low vision Kiwis when it comes to accessing essential services.

The way sighted people access information can be a very different experience for blind and low vision people. What is quick and convenient for one person can become complex, stressful and disempowering for another.

Recently, a Blind Low Vision NZ client shared their experience of being asked to provide updated personal circumstances to the Ministry of Social Development. The client was shocked to discover that New Zealand’s largest government agency, responsible for delivering financial support to some of our most vulnerable citizens, was relying on a process that was entirely inaccessible.

The request arrived through My MSD with the option to download a PDF form. When the client opened the document, it was not compatible with their screen reader and could not be navigated independently. An 0800 support number was provided as an alternative. The client attempted to call seven times. On every occasion, they received an automated message stating that calls could not be answered due to high demand. There was no option to request a call back, and each call was automatically disconnected.

With no accessible digital option and no phone support available, the client was forced to print the form and ask a trusted person to read the questions and write the answers on their behalf. This removed the client’s ability to complete the task independently, and required the sharing of sensitive personal and financial information, creating an unnecessary loss of privacy and dignity.

Once the form was completed, another barrier emerged. There was no secure online option to submit the information. Instead, the client was instructed to either post the form or deliver it in person to a local WINZ office. The nearest office was more than five kilometres away and its opening hours did not align with the client’s availability. Attending in person would have required arranging assistance or paying for transport.

Posting the form was equally problematic. New Zealand Post now operates limited delivery days, post boxes are less accessible than they once were, stamps had to be purchased – and the envelope address had to be written by someone else. Once again, the client was forced to rely on others to complete a basic administrative task.

What should have been a simple ten-minute online process took more than ninety minutes to complete. It required support from four different people to read the form, write the responses, transport the paperwork and post it. The experience left the client feeling frustrated, diminished and less confident in their ability to manage everyday responsibilities independently.

In 2026, when most government services are delivered digitally, this level of inaccessibility is unacceptable. MSD must do better. Blind and low vision people deserve systems that are inclusive, accessible and designed to protect independence, privacy and dignity. Accessibility is not a luxury. It is a fundamental right.