Brush Off From NZ Minister of Transport
Back in February 2009, I wrote to the New Zealand Minister of Transport to complain about a couple of disability/accessibility related issues. I finally just received a "proper" response from the Minister, although I think the answer is a cop-out, and a brush-off.
I attended an event in Warkworth in mid-February. On my way back, I used the new Northern Gateway Toll Road and was unable to pay the toll because the manual toll station didn’t have a parking space I could use, there were no curb cuts, and even if the first two issues had been addressed, the touch screen on the payment machine is too high to reach from a wheelchair. This was a brand new facility, and these three aspects breached the NZ Building Code.
When I got home, I went to the website to pay for my toll, and discovered that the site required JavaScript to be usable. Never mind the e-government guidelines…
I wrote to Hon. Steven Joyce, our Minister of Transport to raise the issues with him, and ask him how such a gross oversight could happen, when things would be fixed, and how they would be fixed. The letter went out on 26 February, with a CC to the Minister for Disabilities Issues, to the Rodney District Council (who had to approve the plans), to the ICT Branch of State Services Commission (e-guidelines), to Tollroad NZ (in charge of the actual Toll Road), and to the Human Rights Commission.
I received a brief note from the Minister’s office saying the letter was in front of him. I also heard back from the Human Rights Commission wanting to know if I wished to file a complaint, which I didn’t at the time. As I hadn’t heard back from the Minister in early April, I sent a follow-up letter asking if there had been any news on these issues. At the end of April I received another letter from the Minister’s office saying the letter had "been blaced before the Minister for his consideration and you may expect a reply in due course".
In other words -"shut up, you’re not a priority, and he’ll get back to you when he gets to it". Which is fair enough, a Minister has many important issues to deal with. It does kind of irk though that disability access is seen as a low-priority item on the agenda.
Finally, early this week I received a response from the Minister. The letter is dated 2nd July 2009. Below is a copy of the letter. At the end of the blog is a re-typed version of the letter.
The payment station was not accessible because it wasn’t ready yet. It was opened early for a holiday. Hmmm. Ok. My memory of the site, along with the photos I took point to either very recent completion, or still some work to do. I’ll buy that it may not have been ready at the time, although it didn’t *look* like appropriate parking and curb cuts were planned.
](http://www.flickr.com/photos/vavroom/3283884172/in/set-72157613768563138/)
No parking, no curb cut on the right
](http://www.flickr.com/photos/vavroom/3283883916/in/set-72157613768563138/)
And no parking, no curb cut on the left
](http://www.flickr.com/photos/vavroom/3283063507/in/set-72157613768563138)
Can’t reach touch screen from wheelchair.
That still doesn’t explain why the accessibility of the payment kiosks wasn’t taken into account *before* installing them. It’s fine that the NZTA’s engineers are investigating, but it’s a little bit like closing the barn door after the horses have bolted. It’s too little, too late.
As for JavaScript use on the site… I’m not entirely convinced that it is an "inherent feature of internet banking". Even if I were to accept that, it seems odd to me that the entire process for payment of a toll relies on Javascript. Why not limit the use of JS to the "internet banking" step if that’s the case?
As for non-compliance with the e-government guidelines because the NZTA is a Crown entity, hence isn’t bound by them, I find this a poor response. It is technically correct, but it seems wrong. Right, that’s neither here nor there, changing the regulations isn’t the point here. But it seems a cop-out to me that they have been relying on Javascript because they don’t have to comply with the e-government guidelines. One would thik that as a Crown entity, they are working closely with the government and the spirit of complying with accessibility guidelines would cascade down from up top. There’s also the fact that it does reduce accessibility, which when done knowingly is discrimination. To say "yeah, we know, but didn’t do it because these guidelines don’t apply to us" is acknowledging awareness of the problem. Frankly, it strikes me more as a "We couldn’t be bothered" than anything else. Shame on them.
To sum it all up, this response, more than 4 months in the making, feels like a brush-off and isn’t particularly satisfying. I should be glad for small victories, such as the addition of an appropriate parking space and curb cuts. Still, it very much looks like #FAIL to me.
Letter from Minister
02 Jul 2009
Mr Nicolas Steenhout Address
Dear Nicolas
Thank you for your letter of 26 February 2009 about your experience on the Northen Gateway Toll Road. I note your comments about inadequate wheelchair access at the Titford’s Bridge manual payment point and the use of JavaScript on the toll payment website. Please accept my apologies for the delay in replying.
I also apologise for the difficulties you experienced when using the manual payment station and the toll payment website.
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is responsible for administering the toll collection system.
The NZTA advises that the Titford’s Bridge manual payment site was not ready when the toll road was opened early for the Auckland Anniversary weekend. Since then, the NZTA has installed a wide disability car park and ramps up to the footpath. The NZTA’s engineers are also investigating ways to solve the problem of kiosk touch screens being too high for people with disabilities.
Although the NZTA as a Crown entity is not bound by the e-government guidelines, it does adhere to them whenever practicable. In this case, JavaScript is an inherent feature of internet banking and is widely used by banks. Without the use of Javascript the NZTA would be unable to offer its customers the internet banking payment option (POLi).
I hopt this reply has answered your queries. If you have any more questions about the toll system, please contact Mr Ewart Barnsley, the NZTA’s Tolling Communications Manager, on (XX) XXX-XXXX.
Thank you again for raising this matter with me.
Yours sincerely
Signed
Steven Joyce Minister of Transport