Making NZ more accessible make average Kiwi $500 a year better off,

Making New Zealand more accessible to people with disabilities could boost average Kiwi incomes by about $500 a year, a new group says.

The Access Alliance, a group of nine disability advocacy agencies, says a law requiring accessibility could enable 14,000 more disabled people to work, save taxpayers $270 million in welfare benefits, and boost economic output by at least $2.3 billion, or about $500 a year for every Kiwi.

The alliance wants all political parties to support an “Accessibility for New Zealanders Act” to set access standards for customer service, employment, information and communications, public transport and public spaces.