Guides, toolkits and more

The following list of and guides, publications, useful links, surveys, strategies and policies complement Ngā toi mō te katoa: Arts For All, published in 201o and then updated in 2014 and 2020 by Arts Access Aotearoa with support from Creative New Zealand and Wellington City Council. This guide provides practical and long-term ways to increase access to the arts, market your events to the disabled community and build new audiences.

Handbooks and guides

Ngā toi mō te katoa: Arts For All 

Arts For All (PDF)

 Arts For All accessible (WORD)

New Zealand Sign Language video about Arts For All

Arts For All is a 92-page book filled with practical information, examples and ideas about how to make the arts more accessible to Deaf people, disabled people, and people with lived experience of mental ill-health. Watch the NZSL video about Arts For All

Accessibility in Theatre: Workshop for Independent Artists

In September 2025, Arts Access Aotearoa partnered with the New Zealand Fringe Festival to deliver a workshop for independent performing artists about improving accessibility in theatre for both performers and audiences. The online session covers topics such as accessibility planning, low and no-cost solutions, budgeting, funding, and marketing. The recording is NZSL interpreted, captioned, and audio described, and is available alongside an NZSL-only version, audio-only file, and transcript. Watch the full recording.

Working Together: Accessibility in Aotearoa Theatre

In this Arts For All Network national Zoom hui, Henrietta Bollinger and Nathan Mudge talk about the new Playmarket resource they wrote. A best-practice guide for working with practitioners and communities with access needs, it covers programming, planning, policies, budgets, contracts, riders, remuneration, rehearsal rooms, schedules, warm-ups, intimacy, costumes and make up, and design. It has an extensive section on casting advice, discusses creating new work and finding funding, along with information on audio description, New Zealand Sign Language, relaxed performances and content warnings. Watch the video and buy a copy of the book for $6 from Playmarket.

Attitude is Everything's DIY access guide

Planning a gig? Setting up a tour? You have disabled fans missing out on your shows because of simple obstacles you’ve never realised are there: they can’t queue standing a long time for tickets; they need there to be an accessible toilet; they don’t want to sit at the back where they can’t see. Easy things can be done to break down these barriers, bring in more customers and share your music. A UK organisation, Attitude is Everything, has created a simple, free guide called DIY Access Guide to help you remove barriers and be accessible to all your fans. For more

Strategies, policies and the law

New Zealand Disability Strategy

The New Zealand Disability Strategy will guide the work of government agencies on disability issues from 2016 to 2026. It can also be used by any individual or organisation who wants to learn more about, and make the best decisions on, things that are important to disabled people. 
Find out more about the strategy and download it on the Office for Disability Issues' website. 

Building Act 2004 

The Building Act 2004 is the legislation that governs the building industry in New Zealand. Under the Act, access to facilities must be provided without exception in all new public buildings and, where reasonably practical, in any alterations to existing public buildings. Its specifications include width of doorways, height and shape of handrails, space to manoeuvre in bathrooms, gradient of ramps and provision of accessible car parking.
Read more or download a copy of the Building Act 2004

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

United Nations Enable's website is home to the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The website includes public information about topics related to disability, human rights and the United Nations' work for disabled people. Article 30 of the CPRD (Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport) is particularly relevant. New Zealand has ratified this Convention and reports to the UN on progress.  
View Article 30 of the CRPD 

Statistics and surveys

Arts For All survey: how accessible are New Zealand’s arts organisations and venues?

In 2011, Creative New Zealand provided one-off grants totalling $30,000 to 11 organisations for projects that would improve their accessibility. Arts Access Aotearoa administered the grants and monitored the projects.

At the same time, Creative New Zealand commissioned Arts Access Aotearoa to conduct an online survey and site visits to find out how accessible New Zealand’s key arts organisations and venues were. An online survey was completed by 41 arts organisations and Arts Access Aotearoa held in-depth interviews with 16 organisations around the country.

 Arts For All survey report 

Arts For All survey report

Accessible documents and websites

Blind Foundation guides on document accessibility

Two useful guideline resources for anyone interested in improving the accessibility of their digital documents (e.g.Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) for people who are blind or vision impaired.

 Download Blind Foundation's Accessible Information 

 Blind Foundation Accessible Information word doc file

Access for Deaf and hard of hearing people

New Zealand Sign Language online

This online NZSL dictionary is administered by Deaf Aotearoa. Users can search for NZSL vocabulary by English/te reo Māori words or through the visual features of the signs themselves. Each word entry includes a te reo Māori translation, making the dictionary accessible in three languages. A free NZSL dictionary app compatible with the iPhone and iPad dictionary is also available.
Access the NZSL online dictionary
Download the NZSL dictionary app here (version 2.1) 

Access for people with learning disability

Welcoming people with a learning disability to your venue

This report, published by UK charity MENCAP, looks at barriers for people with a learning disability going to the theatre, concerts and other arts events. It also offers solutions. Barriers such as lack of money, not feeling welcomed and transport can be overcome by providing concessions and good information, and following the policies and the procedures of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
Download this report