Inclusive Design

INCLUSIVE DESIGN

• The Equality Act
• BS8300 Code of Practice
• Building Regulations Approved Document M - Access to an Use of Buildings)

There are approximately 10 million people with disabilities in the UK: one person in five. Their total spending power is estimated at £50 billion.

When we think about disability, a lot of us think of a physical disability, e.g. someone in a wheelchair or an issue such as blindness. However, someone with a mental health issue or even someone with cancer can be classed as disabled.

Disability can also be a temporary state. So "inclusive design" should also appeal to "able people" as well.

What is inclusive design? The Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE) is the UK's leading authority on inclusive design and aims to help secure a built environment that us usable by everyone, inclusing disabled and older people. According to the CAE, "inclusive design aims to remove the barriers that create undue effort and separation. It enables everyone to participate equally, confidently and independently in everyday activities.

This means creating buildings, which are easy to use by anybody, and where there are no barriers to restrict access.

Non-inclusive design excludes disabled people and deters their family and friends. It is therefore not only questionable from an ethical point of view; it makes bad business sense.

It is also illegal. The introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in 1995, followed by the Equality Act in October 2010 and subsequent British Standards and other documentation has made it unlawful to discriminate against disabled people.

There are 3 relevant documents:

1. Equality Act 2010
   


2. British Standards - Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people
   - Associated with this is BS8493:2008 and A1 2010 - Light reflectance values of a surface - Methods of test


3. Building Regulations
   - Approved Document M (England and Wales) - Access to and use of buildings
   - Technical Handbook May 2005 (Scotland)

When specifying heating controls it is vital that we bear in mind the following factors: Visual clarity; ease of comprehension; ease of manipulation and ready access.

Back to top

EQUALITY ACT

The Equality Act brings together over 116 separate pieces of legislation into one simple Act, including the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995. The Act provides a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all.

The Act does not actually state that accesible environments should be provided for disabled people, either in their workplace or for access to goods, facilities or services. However, duties under the Act include the requirement to consider barriers created by physcial features of buildings and make adjustments in certain circumstances.

As with the DDA, it is a myth that a building or product can be 'Equality Act Compliant'. The Act places duties on employers and service providers to consider barriers that disabled people might face, so using a particular product can help someone meet their duties, but having an 'accessible' building in itself does not guarantee compliance.

View the Equality Act 2010 at http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/legal-and-policy/equality-act/what-is-the-equality-act/

Back to top

BS8300 Code of Practice

Officially known as BS 8300: 2009 - Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people, this British Standard gives detailed guidance on the design and specification requirements of buildings that can ensure that disabled people can make full use of them.

BS 8300 does not have the force of law itself but compliance should ensure that the legal obligations imposed by the Equality Act are met.

Originally published in October 2001 and amended in 2005, further amendments were subsequently published in February 2009.

The new code of practice also specifically identifies that it’s guidance does not apply to individual dwellings, residential buildings designed specifically for the needs of severely disabled people or temporary structures.

BS 8300 also considers the issue of Light Reflectance Values (LRV) which is primarily designed to assist visually impaired people to navigate their way safely through a building.

For example, you need to delineate clearly where a corridor stops and the stairs start or where the edges of the stair treads lie. People also need to be able to make out items such as heating control timers and thermostats against the door or wall background.

An intensive study was carried out to create a grading system for LRV, resulting in the creation of a new standard BS8493:2008 and A1:2010 - LRV of a surface - Methods of test.

More information on BS8300 is available at http://www.bsigroup.com
/Standards-and-Publications/Committee-Members/Construction-
committee-members-area/Overview-of-BS-8300/?id=158920

Back to top

Building Regulations, Approved Document M

Approved Document M (ADM) - Access to and use of buildings is part of the Building Regulations. It provides guidance and information complementary to the more detailed BS 8300.

ADM applies to new build and refurbished premises in England and Wales, including both non-domestic buildings and dwellings and buildings undergoing a change of use. The Technical Handbook (Scotland) and Part R of the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 contain similar guidance.

Part M applies not only to new developments and extensions but also to material alterations of existing buildings and changes of use to, for example, hotels, institutions, public buildings and shops.

Part M1 of the revised Regulations requires that “reasonable provision shall be made for people to (a) gain access to, and (b) use, the building and its facilities”. However, it is noted that this requirement does not apply to parts of a building whose primary use is to enable services or fittings to be inspected, repaired or maintained.

M2 provides for suitable independent access to extensions, where reasonably practicable, except where there is suitable access to the extension through the existing building.

M3 is concerned with sanitary accommodation. It ensures that, when a non-domestic building is extended, reasonable provision is made for sanitary accommodation for use by people both in the extension and the existing building.

M4 concerns sanitary accommodation in dwellings and is a repeat of M3 in the 1999 edition.

For further information on Approved Document Part M please go to http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/ approveddocuments/partm/

Back to top