Says building manager
alike, Lanauze said – and the issue was often compounded by a shortage of storage in apartment buildings.
Lifemark disability advocate Geoff Penrose said there were particular problems with threestorey apartments.
‘‘It’s called a three-storey walkup because, essentially, that’s the only way you can get to levels two and three – by walking up.’’
Lifts weren’t required in buildings below four levels, meaning walk-ups had become popular among developers.
‘‘They’re lazy developments,’’ Penrose said. ‘‘They’re easy to do, they’re cheap to do, they meet the code, but they don’t work for a wide range of people.’’
Huhana Hickey said disability advocates like herself had been fighting to reform building regulations for decades. Those regulations were ‘‘now 25 years out of date’’.
‘‘[Private developers] build to the absolute minimum of access, because they can,’’ Hickey said.
The Building Act required businesses and public facilities to be accessible for wheelchair users, but there were no access requirements for residential dwellings.
This meant just 2 per cent of New Zealand’s existing housing stock was accessible.
Even Ka¯ inga Ora had set its targets low in this regard, shooting for universal design standards in just 15 per cent of new builds in 2021/22.
Disabled people were being ‘‘ghettoised’’ away from new houses in nice neighbourhoods,
Hickey said. ‘‘Entire suburbs in Auckland are now completely devoid of accessible housing.’’
Disabled Persons Assembly chief executive Prudence Walker said accessibility was relegated even in conversation.
‘‘We talk about the housing crisis all the time; the accessible housing crisis is really dire.’’
Visitability standards, such as one no-step entrance, were a good start, she said. But there had to be requirements for ‘‘full universal design and accessibility as well’’. Universal design standards included things like wider doors and hallways, or lever handles for opening doors rather than knobs.
It remained to be seen whether alternative storage would be identified for McInnes’ pram.
‘‘You would need to speak to the building designers about those concerns,’’ Williams said.
Ockham Residential developed the Ko¯ kihi Apartments – three buildings, containing 97 flats – which opened in July 2021. Chief operating officer Fiona Towers said they no longer owned the building.
‘‘We just have to support the body corporate doing the right thing in terms of complying with fire regulations.’’
The two other buildings in the development included lifts,
Towers said. That showed there had ‘‘been consideration [given to accessibility]’’ in the development, generally.
However, she couldn’t comment on what accessible alternatives were considered at the third building, in the absence of a lift. Ockham’s accessibility targets ‘‘varied from development to development’’, she said.
The developer had earlier responded to criticism on social media with a pledge ‘‘to do better’’.
Williams believed the body corporate committee was ‘‘actively working’’ on a solution. A spokesperson for the committee could not be contacted.
McInnes was baffled by a lack of compassion shown throughout the process.
‘‘If the rules say I’m not allowed to [park my pram], what are they doing to find dedicated space for prams in my building? There isn’t room for any of the parents in our building to store a pram.
‘‘My life could be made just a bit more easier – and they could be protecting my back, and protecting my baby. All it would take is good, inclusive design for something like a pram, or a wheelchair, or any other kind of mobility device.’’