OpenAccess logo, circles representing the letters OA in Braille

OpenAccess

Introducing OpenAccess

Callum McMenamin —

Meet OpenAccess — a new digital accessibility consultancy led by Callum McMenamin. Learn how it started, what OpenAccess stands for, and where it’s heading.

OpenAccess launched just a few days ago — and I’m excited to share what it’s all about. In this first post, I want to introduce the kaupapa behind my work, where I’ve come from, and where I’m heading.

Starting OpenAccess

I founded OpenAccess on 3 April 2025 to help build a more accessible world for disabled people. OpenAccess is a consultancy that partners with organisations to identify and remove accessibility barriers — especially within websites and apps.

I’m digital accessibility practitioner with lived experience of disability. I have vision impairment, and I’ve experienced significant accessibility barriers across school, university, and employment. Overcoming those barriers shaped how I see the world — and how I work.

These experiences are why I started this consultancy. I want to lead by example — and build something that truly reflects my values, without institutional inertia and internal (or national!) politics.

My background

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Canterbury and have spent the last decade working in tech, much of it in 3 New Zealand Government agencies. Most recently, I was a Web Standards Consultant at Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).

While there, I contributed to the NZ Government Web Accessibility Guide, led the development of large-scale automated accessibility testing techniques, and helped to shape the future of accessibility and usability standards.

Building CWAC: Scanning the web for inclusion

My proudest achievement at DIA was leading the Centralised Web Accessibility Checker (CWAC) project.

CWAC was a pilot to test whether every public-facing NZ Government website could be automatically scanned for accessibility issues — and to uncover what insights we could gain from the results.

The project was ambitious — and amazingly it’s open source.

CWAC’s source code is under the GPLv3 license and is available on GitHub. I’m proud to have championed an open source approach during my time in the public service — especially in a space where opaque, for-profit software reigns supreme. I genuinely believe open source technology is a fundamental need for modern democracy, particularly as algorithms and AI become responsible for increasing levels of governance and administration of the state.

Want to learn more about CWAC? Here are some links:

The OpenAccess Mission

At OpenAccess, the mission is simple: to help build a digital world that’s accessible for disabled people.

OpenAccess aims to be a trusted, values-led advisor in the accessibility space — one that delivers practical, expert guidance to drive real change. I want our clients to feel confident, supported, and challenged to do better.

Looking ahead

One of my longer-term goals is to help grow the accessibility workforce — by creating training and contracting opportunities for disabled people.

The current employment system has unfairly excluded disabled people for too long. It’s led to economic discrimination and unnecessary barriers to full participation in society.

I believe in doing something about that.

OpenAccess will work toward creating accessible, flexible, meaningful, and well-paid work for disabled people — whether that’s in-house or in partnership with others. I believe investing in a disabled-led accessibility workforce is one of the fastest ways improve inclusive design across Aotearoa and beyond.

Thanks for being here at the start of the OpenAccess journey.

— Callum

Need accessibility help?

If you want support with accessibility audits, automated testing, or building inclusive digital services — I’d love to help.

Get in touch

Changelog

Last updated on: 30 April 2025