Digital Accessibility Community of Practice (DACoP)
The DACoP is a welcoming, inclusive space for people across Aotearoa New Zealand to connect, share, and learn about making digital experiences more accessible.
Future presentations
: Lightning talks
Lightning talks are short, 5-10 minute talks on a particular topic, in this case accessibility. In September we have 4 lightning talks:
- Maia Miller will share her top 3 audit checks explaining what to test first
- Benni Eustace will demonstrate Voice Control on IOS and Voice Assistant on Android
- Daniela Lopez will discuss becoming accessibility certified through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals
- Katherine Barcham will demonstrate using speech recognition software as an assistive technology
2026: Reframing accessibility: tools to change pushback into support
Daniela Lopez from AKQA will give a practical session about how to approach accessibility and inclusion especially when there is pushback from people who don't understand why it's important.
2026: A human-centred and practical approach to a website uplift
What does it take to uplift a large public sector website in a way that is human-centred and practical to deliver?
Sayydah Penn from NZTA will look at the NZTA Website Refresh Project, covering the end-to-end journey and the team’s customer-focused approach to discovery, design, accessibility, content, and usability testing that contributed to the project’s success.
Sayydah Penn (sai-eee-da) is the Design Chapter Lead at NZTA, where she leads a team of UX/UI Designers and Human-Centred Designers in the Digital Group. She started her career as a design graduate in the public sector and has spent nearly a decade working across government, embedding the value of human-centred design in digital delivery.
What DACoP is about
DACoP brings together people from the public and private sectors who care about digital accessibility. Each month there are presentations and discussions that explore practical solutions, share lessons learned, and highlight different approaches to accessibility.
It’s a place to:
- hear from others working in the field
- ask questions — technical, theoretical, or practical
- discover best practices and new resources
- connect with a supportive network of peers.
Whether you're just starting out or have years of experience, DACoP is here to support your journey.
Join DACoP
To join the Digital Accessibility Community of Practice, email web.standards@gdda.govt.nz. You will get a link to the monthly Teams meetings and you will be added to the mailing list.
Who can join
DACoP is open to anyone with an interest in digital accessibility. You do not need to work for government and you do not need to be an expert — just be curious and keen to learn. The community includes designers, developers, policy advisors, testers, content creators and more.
Who runs DACoP
DACoP is hosted by the Web Standards team at the Government Digital Delivery Agency (GDDA). The team supports the work of the Government Chief Digital Officer (GCDO) by maintaining the NZ Government Web Standards and helping government agencies to meet them.
DACoP mailing list
DACoP members will receive 1 email a month including things like:
- topics of interest from the community
- upcoming presentations
- recent accessibility guidance and resources
- news or invitations to accessibility-related events
- updates from the Web Standards team.
To opt out at any time, email web.standards@gdda.govt.nz. You’re still welcome to attend sessions even if you’re not on the mailing list.
Monthly sessions
DACoP meets online using Microsoft Teams on the last Thursday of each month, from 10am to 12pm. Attendance is free and you can come and go as you like, depending on your schedule.
To get the Teams link, email web.standards@gdda.govt.nz.
Session format
Each session typically includes 1 or 2 presentations, followed by open discussion. The format is informal and supportive — perfect for asking questions and sharing ideas.
Sessions are not recorded
To foster open conversation, sessions are not recorded. We only record the organisations represented and the topics discussed.
Utility links and page information
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