I was going up the road in Henderson, Auckland, in my wheelchair to buy milk. But I got stuck! And I couldn't cross the road safely.

Thankfully a guy jumped out of his car (he was waiting at the lights) and gave me a hand.

Embarrassment!! Humiliation!! I am too scared to cross the road there anymore.

I was also really frustrated when I later called the council to advise the state of the road, especially when their response was, "Well, we will fix it in the next few years."

I encounter access barriers like this all the time, with bad surfaces on the streets, and curbs that are too high or are damaged.

The footpaths in my area have been terrible for four years now: broken curbs, broken concrete and blocked footpaths. I have approached Auckland Council several times about it, but they just won't do anything.

I want accessibility legislation that will make local councils immediately address access issues on the roads or footpaths, as soon as they are reported.

This is a story about the barriers many face. We're sharing it because we want a law that puts accessibility at the heart of an inclusive Aotearoa New Zealand.

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