Kiwi Property, New Zealand’s largest listed property company, is stepping forward as an accessibility leader, after its entire shopping centre portfolio received accessibility accreditations from Be. Lab. It’s the first time a New Zealand property company has achieved this milestone. 

Be. Lab is the New Zealand-based, globally networked centre for design and access innovation for the 21^st century. It emerged from Be. Accessible, the social change organisation founded in 2011 which has worked with private enterprise and the public sector on the mission to make New Zealand the most accessible nation in the world.

Of the company’s six shopping centres, two were awarded Platinum ratings, the highest tier possible, while a further four were rated Gold. The accreditations follow a significant environmental and cultural shift by the company and more than two years of dedicated work.

The accreditation of Kiwi Property’s entire shopping centre portfolio sets the company apart from its peers in the property sector. It started with Be. Welcome, a formal assessment of the accessibility status of the properties at the time. Key employees at Kiwi Property shopping centres went through accessibility training with the Be. Confident programme, which teaches people to be more understanding and confident when serving customers with access needs.

Kiwi Property General Manager, Asset Management, Linda Trainer says, “We’re incredibly proud that our shopping centres have been Be.Lab accredited. We believe strongly in the importance of making our properties highly accessible to all New Zealanders. Our next priority will be getting our office portfolio accredited and we are already talking to our communities about potential ideas and strategies to help us get there. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Be. Lab as we set a standard for ourselves that we hope other property owners will follow.”

Be. Lab founder and CEO Minnie Baragwanath says, “In engaging with Be. Lab and doing the work to achieve accreditation, Kiwi Property has raised the bar for New Zealand enterprise. Their work across their shopping centres represents a significant commitment to access and possibility thinking that will help them connect and sustain with their local and visitor community, with economic, social and cultural benefits both within their business and outside it.

“At Be. Lab we have been deeply impressed by the complete buy-in at every level – it has to start with management’s belief in the value of moving from disability through accessibility to possibility – and their willingness to make all the cultural and practical changes, from Be. Confident training for staff at every property to changes to respite seating, parking, signage and much more. Their commitment to having an ongoing innovation and development plan across all centres targeting beyond Platinum status deserves a huge congratulations – we can’t wait to do even more”, she said.

Kiwi Property achieves rating across entire portfolio including The Base (pictured)

Be.Lab uses a holistic research-based access assessment that follows the ‘Access Citizen’s Customer Journey’ to highlight barriers, opportunities and what is working well in each property.

The resulting development plan for each property focused on:

• Improvements to access information available online and in store;
• Review of public transport routes, drop-off points and access parking;
• Clear external signage and wayfinding;
• Safety and ease of access at key entrances and access routes;
• Confidence and knowledge of the Kiwi Property team;
• Internal signage, clarity of information and wayfinding;
• Lighting and floor treatments, high traffic entrance treatments;
• Suitability of rest areas and dwell spaces;
• Restrooms and changing areas; and
• Safety of exit and emergency procedures.

Each individual property focused on and made improvements across all these areas. They have also implemented individual plans to continue improving.

Be. Lab coach and Wellington relationship manager Genevieve McLachlan worked with The Plaza to help the Palmerston North shopping centre achieve a Platinum rating, the highest possible rating for accessibility in New Zealand. Genevieve herself uses a wheelchair and has a guide dog for visual aid, and says many people perceive access needs as chiefly being physical disabilities, but Be. Lab and the Be. Welcome and Be. Confident programmes take a comprehensive and holistic approach.

McLachlan says, “At The Plaza we started by asking the 12 people in the Be. Confident workshop, which we also call the Possibility workshop, what accessibility means to them. We encouraged them to think about all the other possibilities for the centre to help with hidden access needs, such as people with autism spectrum disorder or sensory disorders who might look like they’re having a meltdown but are in fact reacting to the hyperstimulating noise, lighting and busyness of the shopping centre environment.

“We also discussed, for example, people who don’t speak English and people who are managing babies in prams – how are they navigating the centre? How do visitors to Palmerston North find out about The Plaza and travel to it? We guide them through scenarios that are tailored to the centre and have them decide what they can do as management, customer service, security and cleaning teams who all engage with visitors and customers.” she said.

Be. Confident is a highly focused, case-specific workshop which runs with a maximum of 15 people over two hours, with more extensive sessions for management teams as required. McLachlan says, “Be. Confident gives people theconfidence to treat everyone with the same degree of respect and courtesy they would want to receive themselves, and teaches people how they can improve the centre in practical ways – from LED lighting to tactile indicators in elevators and at entrance – while helping people in one-on-one scenarios.

Kiwi Property has been accredited by Be. Lab for the following shopping centres in New Zealand:

• Platinum:
  • Northlands (shopping centre)
  • The Plaza (shopping centre)
• Gold:
  • LynnMall (shopping centre)
  • Sylvia Park (shopping centre)
  • Centre Place (shopping centre)
  • The Base (shopping centre)