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Accessibility
Purpose
Accessibility exists to ensure equitable participation for all people, regardless of disability, language, literacy level, or cognitive ability. In the context of information and communication, it is the organising principle that makes alternate formats — including Easy Read — a necessity rather than an optional enhancement.
Scope
Accessibility applies across physical environments, digital platforms, written communications, and public services. In the context of this ontology, the term refers specifically to information accessibility: the obligation and practice of making written communications available in formats that can be understood by all intended recipients.
Components
Physical accessibility: ramps, lifts, tactile surfaces, sensory environments
Digital accessibility: screen reader compatibility, captions, keyboard navigation
Information accessibility: alternate formats including Easy Read, Plain Language, large print, audio, New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), and braille
Communication accessibility: plain language, visual communication, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Outputs
Environments, content, and services that can be used without modification, or with reasonable accommodation, by people with a range of abilities and circumstances.
Relationships
Accessibility encompasses Easy Read, Alternate Formats, and Plain Language as component practices
Accessibility is operationalised by DIY Easy Read and AI Powered Translation
Accessibility is grounded in Article 9 Human Rights
The Accessibility Charter governs information accessibility in New Zealand government
Reviewing Easy Read is a practice that operationalises accessibility
The Affordability of Easy Read is a constraint on Accessibility in practice
Authority and Intellectual Property
Accessibility as a concept and obligation is grounded in international human rights law, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). No entity holds intellectual property over the principle. New Zealand obligations are administered by Whaikaha and the Human Rights Commission.
Version control
First published:
17 June 2026 at 12:44:48 pm
Last reviewed:
27 June 2026 at 9:38:29 am