Case Study – Access Action Altogether

The ‘Why’

Whanganui reports a higher than average rate of people with
activity limitations (9.7% v. 6.5% nationally), and while there are
many agencies dedicated to serving our disabled community, it
was apparent from our own work in the space that the sector could
benefit from a citywide strategy and increased connection.

The Plan

Originally, the intention was to bring together sector stakeholders
to develop a disability strategy for sport and recreation. However
early feedback reflected a distrust of ‘big-picture’ strategies, which
have been developed in the past and not implemented. What the
sector wanted was action.
This insight shaped the workshop, which was designed to identify
opportunities actionable in both the short and medium term. The
1.5h workshop was called Access Action Altogether and brought
together 25 sector workers and people with disabilities. The
workshop outputs were analysed, shaped into an action plan and
fed back to participants within one week of the workshop, further
building trust in Sport Whanganui’s commitment to action for our
disabled community.

The Impact

The Action Plan was met with a positive response when fed back
to attendees, and has provided a strong, insight-based foundation
for Sport Whanganui’s work in advocacy and programme design.
The Whanganui District Council used the outputs from the
workshop to direct funding they had set aside for inclusive play
spaces, including the installation of a musical sensory garden at
Kowhai Park. From the workshop, a smaller Disability Advisory
Group has also been formed to provide in-depth feedback on
accessibility of local spaces and places.