IT’S BEEN three years since Trevor Mallard with his broken bones railed from his wheelchair about disability access in Parliament, and nothing much appears to have changed.
Access to the building and its services has recently been discussed in Parliament as an issue that needs looking in to, with the Disability Access Inquiry and recent law changes affecting how those with disabilities can participate in the political process.
Kezia Bennett is wheelchair-bound, and a keen watcher of political debate around disabilities, so she is an ideal person with whom to test Parliament.
Pushing Ms Bennett’s wheelchair up the steep path to get to Parliament itself is the first test. Then at the first security point, it becomes obvious we cannot go through the normal way to the debating chamber because of the stairs.
Security escorts us to the front MP entrance where journalists are waiting to grill politicians on the way to question time, and in the process we bypassed the first round of metal detectors.
Once up the lift, the metal detector at the entrance of the debating chamber is a tight squeeze for a wheelchair, requiring elbows and knuckles to be watched.
Despite setting off the alarm for obvious reasons, there was no need to step aside for a scan by the guards – it was pretty clear what made it beep.
We were then led to the invitation-only speakers box instead of the public gallery, because it would be incredibly difficult to get a wheelchair in there and not block everyone off.
Ms Bennett said although the staff were helpful and it was relatively easy to get to the chamber, she was not pleased about being taken on so many shortcuts where other members of the public could not go.
“I don’t like being treated differently to other people or given advantages others don’t have just because I’m in a wheelchair.”
Despite all the money spent on refurbishment in the past, it is clear that making Parliament, and Parliamentary process, accessible to everyone is not high on the priority list.
For example the latest fight for deaf Green MP Mojo Mathers (left) has been addressing the same issue highlighted by Ms Bennett about disabled having to be treated differently in the voting process.
It is not just wheelchair access which is difficult in Parliament. Accessibility to the hearing impaired has been tested since 2011 with the election of Ms Mathers, New Zealand’s first deaf MP.
Initially, Ms Mathers had to fight to get funding for note takers to assist her in Parliament, and had to argue that several other funded systems were in place that she could not use.
Even voters with disabilities are being legislated against when it comes time to vote, with another potential barrier put up against something that used to be relatively simple.
Last week, the Electoral Amendment Act was passed which brought with it new changes to the voting process after recommendations from the Electoral Committee.
The change that most affects people with disabilities was the removal of the EasyVote card’s ability to identify a voter – now it must be done verbally.
This caused significant debate in Parliament, with the opposition claiming it marginalised those with speaking difficulties, who would now need support.
Those in support of the changes argued that verbal communication was necessary to prevent voter fraud.
Minister of Justice Judith Collins said people with speaking difficulties could still confirm their identities through other means.
“This new requirement provides that if a person cannot verbally give or verbally confirm their name because they do not understand English or have a physical disability, they could use gestures or the assistance of a person accompanying them,” said Ms Collins.
Ms Mathers, who is also the Green Party’s spokesperson for Disability issues, said the changes are “disrespectful” to people with speaking difficulties.
She said people with disabilities strive is to be as independent as they possibly can, and if they needed a support person to help them vote is a step backwards.
“We don’t want to single out a whole group of people who are already disadvantaged,” said Ms Mathers.
In a tweet, Ms Collins expressed her confusion that opposition were even considering this an issue, saying “it’s so 
cute that Labour are upset that voters will need to know their own names before they vote. Apparently that’s a problem”.
Labour spokesperson for Disability Issues Ruth Dyson said “Labour strongly supports the retention of this card as being a smart and efficient way of supporting voting for everyone, and the arguments against it are nonsense”.
Despite this, disability access to Parliament and its resources are being considered for improvement after an inquiry into the issue, led by Ms Dyson, was concluded last year.
The inquiry recommended improving areas like access within Parliament and ease of access to the Parliamentary website among other things.
“Some of the submissions were out of scope, like independent voting, but rather than rejecting them as being out of scope, we will be referring this and other issues to relevant bodies,” said Ms Dyson.
After the next election, captioning on Parliament TV is expected to become available.
Ms Collins said the Government is also looking at other ways to enable easier voting for people with disabilities, such as phone dictation for those who are blind.
However, any MP elected in the near future in a wheelchair will have a harder task to deal with if they want to work efficiently in Parliament – something Trevor Mallard only got a taste of in the few weeks he was in a wheelchair. It’s an issue of not if, but when, according to Ms Mathers, and it would bring about it the need for serious changes within the building itself.
“If they elect someone in a wheelchair, they will have to redesign the debating chamber because you should be sitting with your party.”
In the future Ms Mathers said she would like to see New Zealand follow in the footsteps of the United Kingdom when it comes to making it easier for people with disabilities to become involved in Parliament.
“In the UK they have a fund to help people with a disability to run as a candidate. It creates a level playing field.”
Indeed, as Ms Mathers has proved, the best way to bring about change is to elect someone with disabilities who can really highlight the issues they face.
Here’s hoping when the time comes, Parliament will be ready to make those changes – and hopefully before Trevor Mallard falls off his bike again.
