Blog

For those of use with access needs, Tauranga's beaches might just be worth a visit.  Did you know that in Tauranga, 28 percent of people identify as living with a disability?  Council strives to make the city accessible to everyone so that people are able to move about easily and safely without being limited by the environment.  Accessible Beach Mat The beac...

I was sent a link to this interesting devise by a colleague so thought I'd share. The LockAid Product was designed and developed in Holland by M5 Solutions in 2015.  It was developed with an important mission, to assist people who are restricted by neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, MS, tremor or musculoskeletal disorders (rheumatism) due to...

As a business owner, saying "no" can be difficult as we want to please everyone, but we can't be all things to all people, so we need to learn to say "no" sometimes. It's called boundaries.   When I read this article, I thought, hm... I need to take notice of this as I have a lot going on in my life, running my Adaptive Technology Solutions business, buildin...

Has anyone ever discouraged you from pursuing a dream? Told you it’s too far-fetched, unrealistic, or you aren’t good enough to make it happen? Even an offhand remark from a friend can sting, but direct disapproval from someone you admire? That can truly be crushing! As someone with access needs, this resonates with me as, like Marisa Hamamoto, I too have be...

In this interesting article, Lyneen Allen, DeafBlind Coordinator at Blind Low Vision NZ, tells us about the significance of sign language for her and the history behind it. Read Lyneen's story.

We all play an important part in making our communities more accessible, but engineers play a special role as the designers and creators of our spaces and places. This recent article from Engineering NZ explores the role of engineers and how important it is for them to design access into their projects. Bridget Burdett, vice-Chair of the Engineering New Zeal...

Thanks to the Ministry of Social Development, Blind Low Vision NZ has 3500 Alexa smart speakers to give to their members. If you aren’t familiar with the Alexa smart speaker – there are many benefits. It is easily activated by voice and you can ask Alexa the time, set reminders, listen to the news or music, get Covid-19 updates, and access public transport i...

Welcome to my new website! Trusted and experienced I provide a wide variety of flexible technology solutions for people who struggle to use their computer, read print, or who may prefer dictating rather than typing by offering assessments, training, and support.  I am an accredited trainer of Dragon Speech Recognition software and can provide training in oth...

There are over one million New Zealanders currently living with an access need in our communities today and for many, access to essential services and public activities and events is limited. This results not only in a lack of equity but also represents a huge amount of wasted talent, ideas, potential customers, and economic contributions that New Zealand is...

I was born with both of my disabilities, cerebral palsy, and low vision. Being the second to youngest of six children, I wasn’t treated any differently, so it wasn’t until I started school that I realized I was different to other kids. I couldn’t keep up with them or participate in their games, so I spent a lot of time on my own. Although I was mainstreamed,...

Be. Lab  is delighted to be working with Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) on the 36th America’s Cup to ensure events in Auckland are inclusive and inviting to people of all ages and access needs. I am privileged to be one of the team working on this project. We’ve shared some top tips for Auckland businesses on ATEED’s recently laun...

As part of the interview I did for Access Advisors Tech Week webinars I talked about how my access needs impact my use of technology.

Recently I was interviewed by Access Advisors for their Tech Week series of webinars designed to highlight the impact various access needs have on technology use, Here's what I had to say about what I would change about technology if I had a magic wand.

One day, Coronavirus will subside. It could be eradicated. But even then, life will not simply return to the way it was before Covid-19. Spurred on by the coronavirus crisis, architects have been rethinking the buildings we inhabit. Check out the full article

This is an example of how stairs and a ramp can be successfully integrated. In a world where universal design is essential to living a full amp; happy life, it's great to see how Canadian landscape architect Cornelia Oberlander has designed stairs around a ramp,

How many of us would be prepared to wait 25 years to get our computer fixed? For a largely silent underclass in our society, being stuck with inoperable or insufficient technology for their needs is a shocking reality. Minnie Baragwanath, Chief Possibility Officer at the Global Cente of Possibility @ AUT shines a light on some of the shortcomings of the di...

Minnie Baragwanath, Chief Possibility Officer at the Global Centre of Possibility @ AUT recently wrote in the latest opinion piece for Management magazine. Those businesses fortunate enough to be in a position to retain and recruit staff post-COVID must be highly skills-focused. Valuable employees will be adaptable, agile, and persistent problem-solvers, a...

As my Guide Dog Pedro is nearing retirement, I found this article by my friend Judy Small very interesting. I agree, there will never be a replacement for a Guide Dog. Judy Small got her first guide dog 40 years ago, and she says there will always be a place for a guide dog, no matter the technology advancements. Read Judy's story here

The design of spaces for people with visual disabilities is an important issue when it comes to talking about accessibility. Architects who adopt the principles of universal design understand that the needs of a blind client are the same as those of all people. Read the full article

Last year I spoke at the first HerStory Global Women's Empowerment Conference in Wellington. This year I will be speaking at the first HerStory Global Women's Empowerment Online Summit in November. I'm excited about this opportunity as it's helping me work towards my goal of becoming a recognized public speaker. What is the HerStory Global Women’s Empowermen...