Accessibility
Guidance

Building a Better Future: The Importance of Accessible Housing for All
Ever since the pandemic occurred half a decade ago, the way we use our homes has shifted significantly. That is to say, in addition to being our nest, the global shift in attitude towards working from home has transformed our personal sanctuaries into workplaces. For disabled people across the country, this
Read More...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The Accidental Accessibility of Luxury Residential Developments
In the luxury residential sector, developers often focus on creating spaces that exude elegance and exclusivity. However, many of the high-end features marketed to appeal to the desire for convenience—such as seamless flooring transitions, wide corridors, and automated systems—are, in fact, cornerstones of accessible design. While accessibility isn’t always the
Read More...
Why Accessibility Needs to Be Part of Your Branding Strategy
Let’s talk about something that often gets overlooked when it comes to branding: accessibility. Sure, we all know it’s important to have an inclusive brand, but how many of us really think about making sure our brand names, product categories, and even the way we organise our stores are accessible
Read More...
Back to school: How to ensure access and inclusion for education environments
As students return to school across the UK, it is vital to ensure that our educational settings are accessible and inclusive. By paying attention to this, schools can support quality learning experiences and ensure all aspects of education are equally available to students of all abilities. It is no secret
Read More...
How your organisation could benefit from training staff in disability awareness
Providing disability awareness training for staff is as vital to any successful public-facing business as its management or marketing teams, yet for some reason, whether from ignorance or laziness, very few organisations will put in the required effort to reap the rewards that come from training staff in how to
Read More...
The right to play: creating accessible playgrounds for all children
When we consider the thought of what accessibility in the built environment looks like, it would be fair to say that inclusive children’s play areas do not normally come to mind first. Typically, accessibility in the mind of the average person is thought about in contexts of more menial and
Read More...
How to create accessible and inclusive social media content
On a global scale, social media is the dominant means of communication. Practically everyone everywhere makes use of it, whether to keep up with friends and family, entertain ourselves, read news articles/opinion pieces, or even find jobs. For disabled people (particularly those who face challenges navigating the physical world), social
Read More...
Why architects need accessibility consultants for New Build design projects
It is generally understood that there are five different phases for New Build construction projects. Across these five stages, accessibility consultants play a key role in the delivery of at least three of them to ensure that site owners and architects (the Project Management Team) are meeting their legal obligations
Read More...
How to make your theatre inclusive and disability-friendly
The live event market is currently booming, making a huge resurgence within the wider entertainment industry. With the pandemic becoming something of a distant memory, the general public is becoming much more comfortable in crowded spaces again, with live performances and concerts generating billions of pounds a year. The joy of
Read More...
How providing tote bags with small objects can increase accessibility on your premises
Adopted widely from education and play settings to workspaces, sensory bags are an inclusive, inexpensive method of signifying to visitors that your premises actively consider accessibility and comfort. The tools and resources available within the bag can ease or lessen situations of sensory overload, as well as aid in the
Read More...
Steven Mifsud MBE interviewed at MENA Construction Summit
Answering questions on-stage, Steven spoke at the MENA Construction Summit this week on multiple topics effecting the future of the construction industry, ranging from Saudisation, to diversifying the workforce, to improving the local school curriculum. Accessibility and inclusion play key roles in how attraction providers can contribute to the sustainable
Read More...
Developing Accessible and Inclusive Theme Parks
From improving the emotional well-being of disabled people to generating more wholly positive perceptions of accessibility in the public consciousness, creating accessible and sustainable leisure facilities not only creates positive social awareness of disability issues (particularly among non-disabled children) but also allows disabled people from all walks of life the
Read More...
Designing inclusive retail and shopping spaces for accessibility
It is no secret that the rise of E-commerce, quickly accelerated by changes in people’s spending habits and the realities of our world economy, has resulted in physical retail spaces suffering losses in both consumer and business interest. However, while shopping for our favourite brands has never been easier for
Read More...
Tactile Objects and Models are the Future of Accessibility
Most disabled people from lived experience understand what segregation and exclusion feels like. But ask the average disabled person what accessibility means to them, you are pretty much guaranteed to get a different answer every time. To a wheelchair user, it might mean facilities offering automatic doors, wheelchair ramps, and
Read More...
How cafés, pubs and restaurants can better serve disabled patrons
One of our team’s favourite subjects for blogs, (like this one), is using our combined knowledge of accessibility to make recommendations to business owners about how they can become more inclusive to current and (potentially future) disabled customers. Whether that’s by speaking about issues we regularly identify when we do
Read More...
Why the parking area is the first indicator of your sites’ accessibility
As the point of entry for the majority of public facilities, the accessibility of a site’s parking area has the capacity to shape the perception of an entire facility in the eyes of disabled visitors. In this blog, we will explain some of the ways you can make your car
Read More...
United Kingdom
Suite GB,
Pepper House,
Market Street,
Nantwich,
Cheshire,
CW5 5DQ.
Ireland
77 Camden Street Lower,
Dublin,
D02 XE80.
Inclusive Guides
Explore our free guides on accessibility and inclusion, crafted by our experts. Click Here.