About Glen McMillan
Glen McMillan is a disability advocate, website developer, founder of Accessible Playgrounds NZ, and CEO of Children with Disability NZ. His work focuses on improving inclusion, accessibility, and opportunities for disabled children, families, whānau, schools, councils, and communities across New Zealand.
Glen’s advocacy is shaped by lived experience. He understands that accessibility is not just about equipment or design standards. It is about belonging, participation, dignity, friendship, and whether disabled children and families are truly considered in everyday community life.
Growing Up With Disability
Glen was a healthy and active child who enjoyed running, playing rugby at school, and taking part in everyday childhood activities. At the age of 10, his life changed suddenly after he fell from his pushbike, hit his head, and suffered a serious injury.
For several years after the accident, Glen was unable to attend school, and his breathing depended on tubes and respirators. Those years had a lasting impact and gave Glen firsthand experience of isolation, exclusion, resilience, and the importance of being able to participate in ordinary life.
At 14, Glen returned to normal schooling. By 16, he sat School Certificate, and at 17, he began an apprenticeship and trained in electronics. Despite being left disabled, he continued to build a strong and independent future.
Building a Career in Electronics
Glen later owned a successful electronics repair business that was featured in both print media and on television for its achievements. His technical background helped him develop strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the confidence to build practical solutions.
In 2013, Glen moved to Whangārei and entered semi-retirement. Over time, his focus shifted from commercial work towards disability advocacy, community projects, and using his technical skills to support inclusion.
Why Children with Disability NZ Was Created
In 2021, there was a knock at Glen’s door. Kylee, the mother of a disabled child, was searching for a wheelchair-accessible swing that had previously been located at the Whangārei Town Basin. The swing had been removed, and her child had lost access to something that brought enjoyment and inclusion.
Glen made enquiries and quickly found the swing, but unfortunately it was old and no longer suitable for reinstallation. What began as a search for one piece of playground equipment became something much larger.
Glen and Kylee felt it was unfair for a disabled child to lose access to a much-loved play experience without a replacement being provided. From that moment, Children with Disability NZ was established to advocate for disabled children and support practical inclusion projects.
Accessible Playground Advocacy
Having once been a disabled child himself, Glen knows that inaccessible playgrounds are often accepted as normal. Many disabled children grow up watching from the sidelines, unable to join their friends because the surface, layout, equipment, or access route has not been designed with them in mind.
Glen believes this should not be accepted. Play is not a luxury. It is part of childhood, learning, friendship, confidence, wellbeing, and community participation. When playgrounds exclude disabled children, they also exclude families, siblings, carers, and whānau.
Children with Disability NZ worked with Whangārei District Council to support a modern wheelchair-accessible swing for Waipū, Northland, which opened in 2023. The next project was an inclusive wheelchair-accessible seesaw in Whangārei, designed so disabled and non-disabled children could play together.
Using Technology to Create Change
Glen also has more than 20 years of experience in website design and search engine optimisation. After semi-retiring from commercial website work, he began using those skills to build online infrastructure for disability advocacy, inclusion projects, and public education.
This combination of lived experience, advocacy, and technical knowledge has helped create a growing online network focused on accessibility, inclusion, inclusive play, sensory awareness, disability education, and positive social change.
Building a Network of Inclusion
Glen is developing a connected network of six inclusion-focused websites designed to share knowledge, promote acceptance, and support disabled children and families in different ways.
Accessible Playgrounds NZ helps families discover accessible and inclusive playgrounds across New Zealand. Inclusive Playground Equipment NZ provides guidance around inclusive playground design, accessible surfacing, equipment, layout, and lived-experience advocacy.
Inclusive World NZ creates educational resources, children’s books, audiobooks, flipbooks, posters, and disability awareness content. Sensory Sensations NZ supports sensory learning and understanding, while Boundless Dreams NZ promotes inclusive storytelling and representation.
A Vision for the Future
Glen is driven to succeed at whatever he does. His focus is not only on building websites or completing individual projects, but on creating long-term change that helps disabled children feel seen, valued, respected, and included.
He believes accessibility and inclusion should be considered from the beginning, not added later as an afterthought. Whether designing playgrounds, websites, educational resources, or community spaces, disabled children and families should be included in planning and decision-making.
Through advocacy, accessible playground initiatives, inclusive resources, and a growing online network, Glen McMillan continues working towards a future where disabled children can play, learn, participate, and belong alongside everyone else.
