Access
for Everybody
Award-winning Universal Design and Accessibility experts. Led by disabled people.
Direct Access has led the accessibility and inclusion field since our inception in 2004. We are a DOBEâ„¢ certified Disability Owned and Operated Business Enterprise providing accessibility consultancy based on our real lived experience of disability.
With consultants across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland – we enable organisations to create inclusive environments that meet and exceed accessibility standards and building regulations across the UK and mainland Europe.Â
We work with clients, architects and design teams working on everything from small community venues, to UNESCO heritage sites, to world famous museums.
A Selection of
Our Work
![A close up photograph of an open gate leading to a walkway surrounded by a lush green garden. On the gate is a square sign displaying a white capital T, representing the Tullie Museum and Art Gallery.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-01-092726.png)
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery
Direct Access are the Accessibility Consultants for the Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, helping Cumbria become a thriving place for everyone through the development and implementation of an accessibility Read More
![A proof of concept photograph of the proposed new design of Chichester Street in Belfast showing a bustling street front with new modern buildings.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/5Cs-ChichesterStreet-1280x720.png)
The 5 C’s Public Realms Project – Belfast
Direct Access were the accessibility consultants for the 5 C’s Project in Belfast, providing a review of 5 proposed street refurbishments for The Department for Communities (DfC) Belfast Regeneration Directorate. Read More
![A photograph of an exterior pathway at the Sewerby Halls & Gardens on a sunny afternoon, to either side a mixture of white, pink, and purple flowers are scattered from one end to the next, with larger plans and trees further back on each side. At the furthest end of the path, there is a sheltered garden gazebo with two trees adjacent to the left and right.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/shutterstock_1316534681-1280x720.jpg)
East Riding Museums
Direct Access provided accessibility audits to the East Riding Museums Group to ensure that its sites are fully accessible and inclusive to disabled visitors and staff. The initial site audits Read More
![A proof of concept photo of the V and A East museum, showing a large, baige building that looks like an upside down crown. A large V and A sits on the top. Outside crowds of people commute on the open plan path space. At the forefront, a set of stairs lead down to a nearby canal with a red, white, and blue coloured boat passing by.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/External-render-960x720.jpg)
V & A East
Image © O’Donnell + Tuomey / Ninety90, 2018. The Victoria and Albert Museum, more commonly known as the V&A is the world’s largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and Read More
![A render of the upcoming United Nations International Center for Migration, a building with large glass windows that is generally see-through. On the street front is a black car, a flagpole with a blue UN glad and people dressed in suits walking along the pavement.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/OIM_JUNON_A0_planche1_3-1280x720.jpg)
United Nations International Organization for Migration (Geneva)
Direct Access has provided Universal Design and accessibility consultancy services for the new International Organization for Migration Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Working with the Architectural and design teams at each Read More
![A drone shot of the proposed build of one part of the Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine; a modern cuboid shaped building.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/12414-Expo-Drone-51-scaled-2-1280x720.jpg)
Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine
The Ellison Institute is an interdisciplinary, patient-centered research center that provides cutting-edge cancer care and wellness services, undertaking research initiatives that span the scientific spectrum to change how cancer and Read More
Latest
News
![](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/shutterstock_1891619755-1200x480.jpg)
Driving Inclusion – How Greater Manchester’s Bus Network is Leading the Way in Accessible Transport
As of 6 January 2025, Greater Manchester has fully returned its bus services to public control, representing a major change in the region’s transport strategy and the first time in 40 years that a major transit system in England will operate in such a way. And with this change, increased
Read More...![A blind middle-aged man with gray hair and beard wearing sunglasses holding cane and phone using text-to-speech function.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/AdobeStock_540827503-1200x480.jpeg)
How Accessible Technology investment is transforming the lives of disabled people
Accessible technology is a growing trend among businesses that are helping to change the lives of disabled people for the better. Whether adapting their premises with an evolved understanding of individual access requirements, to the adoption of inclusive policies, to greater diversity levels among the workforce, perhaps the most influential
Read More...![](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/pexels-maitree-rimthong-444156-1602726-1200x480.jpg)
Barclays Bank backfire: Why Businesses should commission authentic Mystery Shoppers with Disabilities
Barclays Bank is currently facing scrutiny for its recent advertisements promoting paid “mystery shoppers” to feign blindness in order to identify accessibility issues at their walk-in branches. Shoppers were invited to tell staff members that their eyesight was “becoming increasingly blurry and/or spotty and the situation is not going to
Read More...![An office desk has two cardboard cubes (the top is red, the bottom is green) stacked on top of each other. These are to represent the question of what makes something accessible. The red one has an image of a question mark on it, while the green one features the international symbol of access.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/AdobeStock_1099689137-1200x480.jpeg)
Unlocking Inclusive Design: Mastering the Key Principles of Accessibility
Offering accessibility as a service has been a cornerstone of our work for nearly two decades. Our philosophy is straightforward: we help organisations—whether public or private—move away from exclusive design practices and become more inclusive for people with disabilities. But the real challenge lies in recognising that accessibility is not
Read More...![A classic London Black Cab on a high-street city road during the daytime.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pexels-daria-agafonova-2147746189-29817325-1200x480.jpg)
Decades of Delay – Why North Yorkshire’s Accessible Taxi Debate Demands Real Solutions
Opinion: Decades of Delay – Why North Yorkshire’s Accessible Taxi Debate Demands Real SolutionsNorth Yorkshire’s proposed changes to taxi licensing rules have sparked a heated debate. The council aims to increase the number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs) to comply with equality legislation, but the plan has drawn sharp criticism from
Read More...![An unhappy young Black Woman in a wheelchair looking fed up in front of a staircase with no ramp access. She is holding her head in her hand.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/shutterstock_2130370499-scaled-1-1200x480.jpg)
Why the inevitability of disability means we should demand more from built environments
As a team of disabled people, Direct Access is of the view that urban infrastructure throughout history has favored the convenience of a wholly inaccurate and idealistic idea of what a society “should be”. Put simply, most human settlements are largely discriminatory toward people with disabilities, favoring the needs of
Read More...![An elderly Caucasian woman in a stroller holding flowers is being pushed by a younger man, presumably a son or grandson. They are walking along the canal side in Amsterdam.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/pexels-rollz-20074040-1200x480.jpg)
How accessible tourism invigorates community engagement and boosts business
Irrespective of the financial and social benefits the travel and tourism industry can provide to businesses who facilitate these experiences, the ability to travel and enjoy products, services, and environments is a fundamental right for every disabled person. As such, it is the responsibility of these same businesses and attraction
Read More...![A close up photograph of a large blue train.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/pexels-anthony-parkes-2814658-13215160-1200x480.jpg)
Disabled Peoples Organisations Sign Open Letter To PM Calling For Accessible Transport
This month, Stephen Brookes, Transport Policy Adviser at Disability Rights UK, took part in a vital collaboration with various Disabled Peoples Organisations, sending a letter to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Transport. This joint effort, which expressed critiques of the UK’s public transport systems, emphasised the importance
Read More...![A black electric vehicle as seen from behind with its fuel cap open. The vehicle is plugged into an Electric Vehicle charging point in a parking lot. Behind the car are palm trees.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/pexels-kindelmedia-9800006-1200x480.jpg)
How to facilitate inclusive Electric Vehicle Charging Points
With the end of new petrol, diesel, and hybrid vehicle sales set for 2035, the importance of accessibility in the transition to electric vehicles cannot be overstated. The forecast of 2.7 million disabled drivers and passengers in the UK highlights the need for inclusive solutions in our transportation systems. Electric
Read More...Get In Touch
How can we help you today?
A member of our award-winning accessibility team will be in contact. If you would like to communicate in a specific way, please let us know.
Address
United Kingdom
Pepper House, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DQ. | Old Town Hall, 30 Tweedy Rd, Bromley, BR1 3FE.          |
Ireland
77 Camden Street Lower, Dublin, D02 XE80. |
Phone & Email
info@directaccess.group
Phone
United Kingdom: +44 1270 626222
Ireland: +353 (0)15079081
![The Direct Access logo.](https://directaccessgp.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/White-Logo-Transparent-Background-1-1024x198.png)
United Kingdom
Pepper House, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DQ. | Old Town Hall, 30 Tweedy Rd, Bromley, BR1 3FE.          |
Ireland
77 Camden Street Lower, Dublin, D02 XE80. |
Inclusive Guides
Explore our free guides on accessibility and inclusion, crafted by our experts. Click Here.