{"id":83539,"date":"2020-10-07T07:00:37","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T06:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=83539"},"modified":"2021-03-04T13:12:48","modified_gmt":"2021-03-04T13:12:48","slug":"improving-accessibility-pan-disability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/building-control-news\/improving-accessibility-pan-disability\/83539\/","title":{"rendered":"Pan-disability approach is the priority in improving accessibility"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Ian Streets, managing director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aboutaccess.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">About Access<\/a>, calls for compromise to help make the built environment accessible to all<\/h2>\n<p>Consultation is key when it comes to planning a new development, a major refurbishment of an existing property or even just a review of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/building-control-news\/accessibility-authenticity\/75968\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">accessibility<\/a>, possibly as the first step towards a programme of improvements.<\/p>\n<p>But as important as including disabled people in that conversation is the need for all concerned to take a pan-disability approach. Failing to do that means you can only address some of the potential problems.<\/p>\n<p>When we audit a property, we don\u2019t just look for opportunities to install ramps as an alternative to steps. We examine how a project can meet the needs of a wide range of people who have different impairments and we identify those needs by carrying out detailed and varied consultations, and by building a bank of knowledge, experience and contacts.<\/p>\n<p>Inevitably, that involves consulting with disabled people. It\u2019s not essential for an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/planning-construction-news\/improve-access\/78761\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">accessibility professional<\/a> to have an impairment but it is vital for them to have an expert understanding of obstacles to access, of the impact a project may have on people with different impairments and of how any issues can be prevented, overcome or mitigated.<\/p>\n<h3>Consulting disabled people<\/h3>\n<p>The National Register of Access Consultants (NRAC) is the only accredited body for access consultants in the UK and includes a number of disabled people within its membership. I\u2019m not disabled but I\u2019ve worked successfully as an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/stakeholders\/disabled-access\/22331\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">access consultant<\/a> for many years because I\u2019ve endeavoured to identify the features which make the built environment disabling. I also recognise that a disabled person will have a much better idea than me of what it\u2019s like to encounter discrimination.<\/p>\n<p>There are many examples where designers, developers or organisations have consulted disabled people as part of their work on a construction or refurbishment project.<\/p>\n<p>We became aware of one example where the consultation led to the provision of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/building-control-news\/changing-places\/80417\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Changing Places facility<\/a> for use by visitors to a nice countryside walking area. But what the consultation didn\u2019t reveal was the need for a corner accessible WC. It\u2019s important to understand that a Changing Places isn\u2019t suitable for independent use \u2013 it can only be used by people who have assistance and it is therefore inaccessible to a lot of disabled people.<\/p>\n<p>The example indicates that the feedback was incomplete and that the people who provided it considered their own needs and their own situation, but they didn\u2019t take a pan-disability view.<\/p>\n<p>Where we have organised our own consultations, we have ensured that we take a pan-disability approach. A session that brought together people to consider options for improving accessibility in and around a collection of museums and galleries benefitted from the input of wheelchair users, blind and visually impaired people, some with hearing impairments and others with cognitive impairments and other hidden disabilities.<\/p>\n<p>A visually impaired delegate made some particularly important contributions and in doing so, reinforced the need to take a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/industry-insight\/accessibility-issues-sharing-expertise-to-create-a-more-inclusive-world\/63874\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pan-disability approach<\/a>. They completely accepted that some of the adjustments required to make exhibits and displays accessible to a visually impaired person could actually create additional difficulties for someone who has a hearing impairment. They also noted that although ramps are essential for wheelchair users, using them can become an ordeal for someone who has vertigo.<\/p>\n<p>We have been monitoring the situation at a city centre transport hub where, as part of a major redevelopment, it was proposed to relocate a taxi rank further away from the main entrance. The reasons are to improve security and to plan for the future by enabling better management of increasing footfall and traffic congestion.<\/p>\n<p>There has been opposition from some disabled people but there is plenty of evidence that the designers have taken a reasonable approach that is intended to meet the needs of a wide range of users. The taxi rank is only being moved a short distance, extra seating will be provided and there will be assistance to help people get from the taxis into the transport centre.<\/p>\n<p>Such hubs are used by different types of transport \u2013 taxis, buses, trains and pedestrians \u2013 and they need to be accessible to non-disabled people, wheelchair users and people with other mobility issues, visual impairments, hearing impairments, cognitive impairments.<\/p>\n<p>For example, blister paving at drop kerbs helps blind and partially sighted people identify where they are leaving the safe area of a pedestrian route and entering a traffic area \u2013 but it can also creates problems for wheelchair users and people who have arthritis in their feet or hips, also people who have to wear thin-soled shoes.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no \u201cone-size fits all\u201d and if you want to make the built environment as accessible as you possibly can then reasonable compromises have to be made.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ian Streets<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Managing director<\/p>\n<p>About Access<\/p>\n<p>Tel:\u00a0 +44 (0)1482 651101<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:ian@aboutaccess.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ian@aboutaccess.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aboutaccess.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">www.aboutaccess.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Please note: this is a commercial profile.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"mk-custom-module-container\">\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ian Streets, managing director of About Access, calls for compromise to help make the built environment accessible to all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[306],"tags":[580,277,464,70338,395],"stakeholder_rel_tag":[172362],"contributor_rel_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-83539","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-building-control-news","7":"tag-accessible-environments","8":"tag-built-environment","9":"tag-contributor-profile","10":"tag-pbc-today-november-2020","11":"tag-sh-about-access","12":"stakeholder_rel_tag-about-access"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.9 (Yoast SEO v26.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pan-disability approach is the priority in improving accessibility<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ian Streets, managing director of About Access, calls for compromise to help make the built environment accessible to all\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/building-control-news\/improving-accessibility-pan-disability\/83539\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pan-disability approach is the priority in improving accessibility\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ian Streets, managing director of About Access, calls for compromise to help make the built environment accessible to all\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/building-control-news\/improving-accessibility-pan-disability\/83539\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Planning, Building &amp; 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