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Accessibility Advisory Group
Revision of New Zealand Standard 4121:2001
Access Activator

Revision of New Zealand Standard 4121:2001

NZS 4121:2001 is New Zealand's main standard for access and mobility in buildings and associated facilities, such as entrances, paths and parking areas.

The standard provides guidance on designing buildings and spaces that are accessible and usable for disabled people. It supports accessibility requirements within New Zealand's building regulatory framework.

Why the standard is being reviewed

Standards New Zealand is reviewing NZS 4121:2001 to update the 25-year-old standard and reflect changes in accessibility expectations, technology and international good practice.

The updated standard will help buildings and associated facilities better meet the access needs of disabled people, while improving access and usability for everyone.

The review is funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha and Building System Performance (BSP), a regulator within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

Building System Performance external URL

What happens next

A revision committee appointed by the New Zealand Standards Approval Board will revise NZS 4121:2001, using the current standard as a base and drawing on good practice from overseas standards.

The revision is expected to:

modernise the standard to reflect current accessibility expectations, technology and international good practice
broaden the focus beyond physical mobility impairments to better address sensory, cognitive, learning, communication and neurodivergent access needs
promote inclusive and universal design principles so buildings and associated facilities are usable and safe for more people
improve alignment with the Building Act and Building Code
provide up-to-date requirements and clearer guidance for designers, building owners, regulators and consent authorities.

This work will take time and input from across the sector. It will involve further research, development and engagement before a revised standard is finalised.

Standards New Zealand expects the review to take about 2 and a half years.

Key findings from the environmental scan

Standards New Zealand commissioned an environmental scan to compare NZS 4121:2001 with accessibility standards used overseas, including in:

Canada
the European Union
the United States
the United Kingdom
Australia.

The scan found NZS 4121:2001 has long served as New Zealand’s foundational accessibility standard, but it is now outdated and narrower in scope than overseas standards and current sector needs.

International standards use broader definitions of disability, apply universal design, and provide more detailed guidance across a wider range of areas.

These include:

emergency evacuation
sensory accessibility
cultural considerations
air quality
the use of smart technology in buildings
cognitive and functional access needs.

In many cases, international standards provide clearer and more practical detail in these areas. This reflects changes in how buildings are designed and used, and a better understanding of different access needs.

The scan identified the Canadian CSA/ASC B651:23 and European Union EN 17210:2021 standards as the most comprehensive:

the Canadian standard provides strong technical detail
the European Union standard covers the widest range of accessibility topics.

In comparison, NZS 4121:2001:

has a narrower scope than comparable international standards
lacks detail in key areas
relies on concepts that are now out of date
does not cover some areas now expected in accessibility standards.

At the same time, people still value the current standard for its clear structure and practical requirements.

What people told us

We held scoping workshops in late 2025 with more than 50 people from the disability sector, academia and the building industry.

Participants said the current standard is widely used and easy to follow, but it no longer keeps up with how people design and use buildings today.

door widths and circulation space
tactile ground surface indicators
bathroom design
lift usability
emergency egress
accessible parking.

Participants also raised wider system issues beyond the standard, including:

gaps between the standard and the Building Code
how people apply and enforce the standard
the need for clearer national guidance
training and capability across the sector.

There was strong support for making sure any update reflects current practice and is shaped by input from disabled people.

Findings and recommendations report

This report outlines the main findings and recommendations from the environmental scan on disability standards, and subsequent scoping workshops with key stakeholders held in late 2025.

NZS 4121 Environmental Scan and Scoping Exercise Report (DOCX 1.5MB)

NZS 4121 Environmental Scan and Scoping Exercise Report (PDF 889KB)