Barrier Free New Zealand Trust was incorporated as a charitable trust in 1993. The Trust team comprises individuals with experience in the design and construction industry, local government and the disability sector. The majority of Trustees have a lived experience of a disability.
The Mission Statement of the Trust
To encourage, promote and facilitate the creation of built environments that are accessible and usable by everyone in the community including people with disabilities. This encapsulates the concept of “Universal Access for All People”.
Through education and training, provision of technical advice, research and advocacy, the Trust aims to be recognised both within New Zealand and internationally as the leader of promoting the Accessible Journey.
We are not involved in the design of residential property or adaptions to suit the needs of individual users; rather, our focus is on the built environment as it is used by the general public.
Trust Expertise
In pursuit of this mission of Universal Accessibilty, the Trust has gained considerable technical expertise and established itself as the preferred advisor on matters of accessibility advice and information. A New Zealand wide network of Trust accredited Barrier Free Advisors (BFA's), operates nationally to assist in this work. The BFA's while independent consultants report regularly to the Trust on access matters and participate in ongoing training.
