Auckland street accessibility for wheelchair users research – invite to take part

What is this project?
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency would like to learn more about disabled people’s experiences in moving around Auckland using wheelchairs. This includes manual, electric-assist and fully powered wheelchairs. Waka Kotahi would like to know what makes some streets more accessible than others.

How will this happen?
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency engaged a contractor to meet with and interview a sample of up to 20 disabled people. There will be one interview per participant, either face to face, or online. For face to face interviews, the contractor will visit each person where they live or at a location to suit the person being interviewed. The project includes funding for the disabled person’s time, and for the time of any translator, or other support staff needed.

During the interview they will discuss different streets in Auckland city centre. The contractor will show you photos of different streets and you will rate how easy they are to navigate and why. This requires some familiarity with Auckland city centre.

Who is the contractor?
The contractor is Bridget Doran, a researcher from consultancy MRCagney. Bridget Doran has worked with disabled people on transport accessibility for the last ten years. [Including the collaborative research project with DPA on disabled people’s experiences of transport in Aotearoa New Zealand.]

What will happen with the feedback?
The interviews will provide feedback to improve the guidance that transport engineers and planners use to design footpaths throughout Auckland.

Nobody’s names will be used in any of the dissemination of the interviews. Everything an interviewee says will be confidential. Interviewees can request a summary of the engagement report at the end of the project (estimated to be end of April 2023).

What is the pay?
People selected to be interviewed will be compensated with a $100 supermarket voucher for one hour of their time.

What are the next steps if I’m interested?
If you would like to participate in this research, please email Jo Gascoigne at jgascoigne@mrcagney.com describing:
1) Your experiences as a wheelchair user
2) what type of wheelchair you use
3) how familiar you are with Auckland city centre
4) if you have any access needs to make the interview work well for you.

Access assistance provided on request, for example a sign language interpreter.
If you have any questions about the interview process, you can contact Bridget Doran:
Email bdoran@mrcagney.com
Phone 022 077 3831