Revision of New Zealand Standard 4121:2001
Whaikaha is working with Standards New Zealand to support a revision of a key standard in New Zealand’s building regulatory framework: ‘NZS 4121:2001 Design for Access and Mobility – Buildings and Associated Facilities’.
This standard provides advice and guidance to people responsible for making sure buildings and facilities are accessible and usable for disabled people.
Why a revision is needed
NZS 4121:2001 has not been reviewed for nearly 25 years. The standard does not reflect new technologies such as smart building systems, or modern building practices; and does not address the needs of New Zealand’s ageing population.
The standard mostly focuses on physical impairments, particularly wheelchair access. It offers limited guidance on designing buildings for people with sensory, cognitive, or neurodiverse access needs.
The built environment has a big impact on the quality of life of disabled people and the extent to which they can live independent lives, on an equal basis with non-disabled people.
What's happening
Whaikaha has funded Standards New Zealand to:
- carry out an international environmental scan of building accessibility standards
- run scoping workshops with the disability community, building regulators and other relevant stakeholders.
Environmental scan: full report and alternate formats
Global Research was commissioned to look at building access standards from other countries and compare them to NZS 4121:2001.
Full report
Environmental scan for the review of building standard NZS 4121 (DOCX 624KB)
Environmental scan for the review of building standard NZS 4121 (PDF 696KB)
Alternate formats
Audio: summary of environmental scan (MP3 4.4MB)
Braille: summary of environmental scan (BRF 10KB)
Easy Read: summary of environmental scan (PDF 3.8MB)
If you would like a Word version of the Easy Read summary, please email us: contact@whaikaha.govt.nz
Scoping workshops
The scoping workshops held in November 2025 helped inform options for updating NZS 4121:2001, which could include:
- fully revising the existing standard
- adopting relevant overseas standard(s), with no changes
- adopting relevant overseas standard(s), with some changes.
The scoping workshops provided opportunities for the disability community and building industry stakeholders to have their say on the future of the standard.
We expect this work to be complete by June 2026.
Adoption or adaptation of international standards and/or a full revision is likely to take around two years.