Our disabled community | Hamilton City Council

What’s the best way to get around the central city with a disability?

Use the map below to find out how to get around Hamilton’s central city area when managing your disability. It details the locations of toilets, mobility parking spots, businesses, services, buildings, bus stops, river path accessways, stairs, shared pedestrian zones. It also notes steep areas in the central city.

Accessibility map

Accessibility map word version

Accessibility map text version

See our parking and transport pages to find out about mobility parking spaces and access in Hamilton, and view our central city parking map. You can also get information on buses and accessibility needs at busit.co.nz

Which event venues are accessible?

H3 is the division of Hamilton City Council responsible for managing our event venues – FMG Stadium Waikato, Claudelands Globox Arena and Seddon Park. We make sure people with disabilities have easy access to these venues. Click on the links below or phone 07 929 3000 to get more accessibility information for each venue.

FMG Stadium Waikato has designated areas for wheelchair users and their caregivers.
Claudelands Globox Arena has several features to enhance the experience for disabled patrons attending and enjoying events. These include accessible car parks, wheelchair user access, and a hearing loop.
Seddon Park is Hamilton's boutique international cricket ground near the central city. It has a special area set aside for wheelchair and mobility scooter users.

How can Council help?

We’re committed to supporting our disabled community and ensuring people with impairments are catered for at our sites and in our services. Our training video below shows how we can meet the needs of disabled customers and ensure they feel cared for.

Don’t hesitate to give our team a call if you have any other ideas about how we can make visiting Council and communicating with our staff easier for you.

A community snapshot

Our disabled community includes people who are blind, deaf, have limited mobility or those who may have a mental impairment. According to the New Zealand Disability Survey 2013, one in four people in Hamilton’s community identify as disabled. (Note: a new 2023 survey is currently being developed – find out more and contribute your views.)

Resources for our disabled community

Whether you’re new to Hamilton or not, you’ll find some useful information for people and their families, including people with disabilities, in our 2023 Your Guide to Hamilton. It includes a list of schools and community groups in Hamilton, as well as information and contact details for community, health, and social services organisations.

Your Guide to Hamilton Kirikiriroa

pdf 18 MB

View our data and statistics to further help you understand our communities.

Your city’s future

Planning and strategy

Many older people in our city have age-related disabilities. Our Disability Policy provides high level guidelines for us to use to ensure people with disabilities have equity and access, enabling them to participate fully in the life of Hamilton. It has been developed and refreshed regularly in collaboration with key disability sector representatives.

Our Disability Action Plan has also been developed in collaboration with the disability sector. It outlines specific actions that Council units will undertake to fulfil the objectives of the policy. Our partners included the Disabled Persons Assembly, Enabling Good Lives, CCS Disability Waikato, Blind and Low Vision Foundation, Deaf Aotearoa, Enrich Plus, Life Unlimited.

Waikato Wellbeing Project

Our Council is part of the Waikato Wellbeing Project (WWP). This is a community-led initiative that is developing wellbeing targets for the Waikato, based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its 10 goals include a focus on health, housing and hardship - three areas which can become more challenging to deal with for those growing older.

Age-Friendly Plan 2021-2024

Our new Age-Friendly Plan 2021-2024 is also relevant to those with age-related disabilities. The Plan's implementation is being overseen by a group of experts in older people's issues. This group reports to Council every six months, and there are also twice-yearly updates on the Plan’s implementation provided to the Council's Community Committee. See our page for older people to get an overview of the plan.

Other planning and strategy initiatives

Our Community and Social Development Strategy 2021-2026 (He Rautaki Whakawhanake Hapori) encompasses the needs of our diverse communities. One of its outcomes is high community use of our places and services because they are accessible, safe and welcoming.
Our Welcoming Plan has aged-focused support as part of its overarching goal of ensuring all Hamiltonians get the most out of their community and the opportunities Hamilton can offer. You can also contribute to updates in the Plan – see information on the Plan in welcoming communities.
Council’s He Pou Manawa Ora – Pillars of Wellbeing strategy, sets out how Council will work with others using the pillars (pou) of History, Unity, Prosperity and Restoration to build a proud and inclusive city for the wellbeing of all its people, including those with disabilities.

Council decision-making - have your say

As a significant part of Hamilton’s community, we also want to make sure people with disabilities – and the organisations that support them – have a voice in Council decision-making.

See share your voice for more details.

You might like to join Hamilton’s Age-Friendly Group and/or our Access Advisory Group. Contact our Community Advisors (Older People and/or Disability) on 07 838 6699.

Get involved in your community

Council supports a variety of events and provides venues and facilities where all Hamiltonians can connect and/or collaborate as individuals or groups.

Getting out and about

Our city has some great public spaces and places everyone can enjoy. Some of these have specific features that are aimed at making it easier to bring Hamilton’s disability community together for a variety of educational, work-related, community group-related or just plain fun-related activities!

See above for our central city access map and information on accessing our H3 venues, to help you get the most out of your city and make it easier for you to access these opportunities.

Find out how Council’s information, services, funding and resources are helping Hamiltonians to use our public spaces and places more – and how your group can use them.

Council’s community meetings

Find out about Hamilton’s regular community network meetings. These are for all residents including those who have recently moved to the city.

Community groups

Use the links below to connect to your community’s groups and networks. You’ll also find a comprehensive contact list of community groups across Hamilton, in our 2022 Your Guide to Hamilton.

Age Concern Hamilton – enhances quality of life for older people, through services, support and information.
CCS Disability Action – Hamilton – supports and advocates for disabled people and positively shapes others’ attitudes towards those with disabilities.
Disabled Persons Assembly (NZ) – works with the disability community, the Government, the wider community, media, and disability service providers, so disabled people’s views and needs are heard by decision-makers.
Enabling Good Lives (NZ) – ensures disabled people have more choice, control and support in their lives.
Blind and Low Vision Foundation (NZ) – provides practical and emotional support to people who are blind or have low vision, advocates for inclusive communities, and leads the way in vision rehabilitation.
Deaf Aotearoa (NZ) – provides a range of services for the deaf community, from employment support to assistance with equipment.
Enrich Plus (Waikato) – provides programmes and works alongside those living with disabilities, autism or neurodiversity, their whaanau and community.
Life Unlimited (NZ) – provides health and disability services, advice and equipment to people with disabilities to achieve Living Independence For Everyone (LIFE).
Sport Waikato – sport and keep fit activities for older adults.
Volunteering Waikato – matches volunteers with people and organisations.

These links could be useful if you are Maaori or Pasifika (of any age), or have a disability, or if you are caring for these people.

Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust – a Kaumaatua-governed and led organisation servicing the needs of Kaumaatua (aged 55+) within Hamilton Kirikiriroa.
K’aute Pasifika Services – supports those with disabilities in the Pasifika community.
Progress to Health – supports people with mental and physical disabilities throughout Waikato, Taranaki and Taupō.
Parent to Parent Waikato – supports parents, caregivers and whanau of children with disabilities.