Who Are We
Access All Areas (AAA) is a youth-led initiative that empowers disabled young people
and those with learning, access, or support needs to improve inclusion and accessibility
across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Founded by disabled youth, for disabled youth, AAA draws on lived experience to help
organisations understand barriers, co-design solutions, and create services that work
better for everyone.
Vision Statement
We envision an Aotearoa where disabled youth are confident leaders, deeply connected to their communities, and empowered to shape a more inclusive future.
Mission Statement
AAA empowers disabled young people to lead, connect, and drive meaningful change by using their lived experience to improve inclusion, accessibility, and service design across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Unlock insights your organisation cannot see on its own.
Access Lab brings disabled young people and decision-makers together to uncover accessibility, customer experience, workforce and service-design opportunities.
One organisation that had already spent years investing in disability inclusion identified 19 additional opportunities for improvement through an Access Lab.
Impact
Capability impact
The Access Lab improved employees' ability to:
- Engage confidently with disabled people — high-confidence ratings doubled from 40% to 80%.
- Recognise accessibility barriers and their impacts — high-confidence ratings increased from 20% to 80%.
- Understand disabled people's lived experiences — high-awareness ratings increased from 40% to 100%.
Volunteers often described the experience as "inspiring," "totally unexpected," and
"something I will remember for the rest of my life."
The result is lasting culture change, stronger disability confidence, and employees
who become champions for accessibility within their organisation.
Disabled community impact
Disabled participants reported stronger inclusion, confidence and engagement:
- Participants felt more heard — average rating increased from 3.8 to 4.0 out of 5.
- Participants felt more confident — average rating increased from 3.9 to 4.5 out of 5.
- Participants improved perception of host — average rating increased from 3.65 to 4.2 out of 5.
The Access Lab
The Access Lab helps organisations uncover accessibility, inclusion, and customer
experience opportunities they cannot see on their own. Through a youth-led co-design
process, disabled young people work alongside decision-makers to identify barriers,
generate solutions, and create meaningful change.
Participants are not simply consulted on problems. They work collaboratively with
organisations to develop practical solutions, test ideas, and present recommendations
directly to decision-makers. The result is deeper insight, stronger organisational
capability, and better outcomes for everyone involved.
Who Is It For?
Access Lab works particularly well for organisations looking to improve:
- Customer experience
- Service accessibility
- Digital products and services
- Recruitment and talent pathways
- Workplace inclusion
- Community engagement
- Staff capability and disability confidence
- Policy, programme, and service design
What Your Organisation Gains
Practical Insights
Access disabled young people who are current service users, future customers, and future employees.
- A comprehensive insights report
- Practical recommendations informed by lived experience
- Increased staff capability and confidence
- Stronger relationships with disabled communities
- Exposure to future talent and leadership
- Positive social impact and community visibility
- Evidence to support accessibility and inclusion initiatives
- A meaningful demonstration of commitment to disability inclusion
Why It Works
Most organisations rarely have the opportunity to work directly alongside disabled
young people as partners in problem-solving. Access Lab combines lived experience,
relationship building, co-design, and organisational learning.
Rather than simply identifying problems, participants develop solutions and present
them directly to decision-makers. This creates deeper insights, stronger organisational
buy-in, and recommendations grounded in real-world experience.
Lasting Value
The greatest value of the Access Lab is not simply the recommendations it generates. It is what happens when disabled young people are trusted to lead the conversation.
Organisations Leave With
- Practical solutions
- Stronger internal capability
- Better understanding of customers and communities
- More accessible and inclusive services
- Greater confidence to drive change
Young People Leave With
- Greater confidence
- Leadership experience
- Stronger peer connections
- New relationships with employers and decision-makers
- Greater understanding of how organisations operate
- Proof that their voices can influence real-world decisions and create meaningful change
Better services.
Stronger organisations.
More inclusive communities.
Meet Sean Prenter
I started AAA because I've experienced both the barriers and opportunities that shape the lives of disabled young people. Living with a traumatic brain injury, I've navigated challenges in education, employment, communication, and social participation, while also experiencing the transformative impact of the right support, opportunities, and community.
My background spans disability advocacy, youth leadership, governance, and public policy. I've represented Aotearoa New Zealand internationally at the United Nations, APEC, and the Global Disability Summit, and have held leadership and governance roles across the disability sector. Professionally, I hold a Master's degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and work in public policy.
Through both my lived and professional experience, I've seen how often disabled young people are excluded from decisions that affect their lives. I've also seen the incredible talent, insight, and leadership that emerges when young people are given genuine opportunities to participate.
That's why I created Access All Areas. Through the Access Lab and our wider programmes, we help disabled young people build confidence, develop leadership skills, create meaningful connections, and influence real-world decisions. At the same time, we help organisations benefit from the perspectives and expertise that disabled young people bring.
Sean's Vision for Access All Areas
I believe disabled young people should not simply be consulted, they should help shape the decisions that affect their lives. When disabled young people are trusted as leaders, innovators, and decision-makers, everyone benefits.
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