4.5. > Access Facilities

The physical and technical environment for access should be appropriate to the nature of the records and the number and needs of users.

Facilities for access should enable easy and effective use of records, and provide sufficient capacity to meet access aims.

The required capacity for an access provider will vary according to the number of users. For onsite access, users' needs and expectations should be considered when determining levels of seating capacity and desk space, ports for equipment, retrieval times, and opening hours. For remote access, a site or service should have capacity to respond to demand as far as possible within resource limitations.

Design of facilities should be responsive to users' needs and as welcoming as possible while ensuring safe custody and preservation of records. For example, bilingual signage in Māori and English should be provided in public areas or on web sites. Where users require them, group workspaces should be provided for collaborative research. Onsite access facilities should be located where they are most accessible to the majority of potential users.

Facilities should suit the records held. For onsite access, sufficient physical and technical equipment should be available to enable easy and safe use of records, in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) guidelines. For example, if maps or large volumes are held, special facilities should be provided for viewing large formats. If film or electronic records are made available onsite, the necessary equipment should be available and maintained in good working order. Where equipment is not available, alternative means of access must be provided.

Physical access facilities should provide for the health and safety of the public, and meet standards for the special needs of disabled users such as NZS 4121:2001 Design for access and mobility: Buildings and associated facilities. Online access should be designed with user experience as a central consideration. Regard should also be given to conformity with State Services Commission web guidelines and also international guidelines such as the Web Standards promoted by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), including the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) specifically aimed at web users with disabilities.

Minimum Requirements

1. The capacity and design of access facilities is appropriate to users' needs.
2. Sufficient physical and technical equipment are available to enable easy and safe access to all types of records held.
3. Facilities comply with requirements for Occupational Safety and Health.
4. Disabled access for physical facilities and online services meet accepted standards.