Website accessibility law

Website accessibility law in New Zealand

New Zealand's Human Rights Act 1993 bans disability discrimination in providing goods and services. The government's web accessibility standard applies to public agencies, not private businesses.

Low exposure for private websites. Web standards bind government only; private businesses are covered by the general ban on discrimination.

Quick answers

Does website accessibility law apply to my business in New Zealand?
Human Rights Act 1993 (1993 No 82) applies to: Anyone providing goods or services.
What accessibility standard must a website meet in New Zealand?
None set for private websites.
How is website accessibility enforced in New Zealand?
Complaints to the Human Rights Commission, then the Human Rights Review Tribunal.
What are the penalties for an inaccessible website in New Zealand?
Remedies decided case by case.

The laws

Human Rights Act 1993

1993 No 82

Who is covered
Anyone providing goods or services.
Standard
None set for private websites.
Enforcement
Complaints to the Human Rights Commission, then the Human Rights Review Tribunal.
What it can cost
Remedies decided case by case.
Key dates
In force.
Impact on your website
Low legal risk for private sites today.

What it means for your website

  • Selling into the EU or US brings their rules into play.

How Jralo helps in New Zealand

  • Daily checks against WCAG 2.2 A and AA with axe-core. Automated testing finds many, not all, problems.
  • A dated, independently timestamped record of what was checked and fixed, so you can show what you did and when.
  • Website Mechanic fixes problems in your code and opens a pull request for you to review.
Start free

Sources

  1. Human Rights Act 1993, NZ Legislation

General information, checked 9 October 2026. Not legal advice. Laws, guidance and enforcement change; speak to a qualified lawyer about your situation.