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The University of Brighton has awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts to Steven Mifsud MBE in recognition of his exceptional contributions to accessibility and inclusive design through his leadership of Direct Access, the award-winning consultancy he founded in 2004. He was formerly a student at the University thirty prior, where he studied Architecture.
Direct Access was established with a mission to ensure inclusion is integral to the built environment, not an afterthought. Under Mifsud’s leadership, the firm has expanded from its UK base to deliver transformative projects across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, reshaping how accessibility is understood and implemented globally.
Direct Access has also been instrumental in introducing innovative solutions, including the use of QR codes for sign language narration in museums, enabling members of the Deaf community to engage with exhibits independently.
The firm’s approach has set new benchmarks in accessibility, ensuring that public spaces, cultural institutions, and transport networks are designed to welcome all users from the outset.
Mifsud’s expertise has been sought globally, contributing to the accessibility framework for the United Nations COP28 conference and leading municipal accessibility plans across the United States to improve services for disabled communities. In the UK, Direct Access has collaborated with leading architectural to embed accessibility in the earliest stages of design.
As a disability-owned and disability-inclusive employer, Direct Access has built a business model aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on economic empowerment and social impact within the accessibility sector. The firm’s work demonstrates that prioritising inclusion not only benefits disabled people but also strengthens organisations and communities.
Mifsud’s contributions to the field have been widely recognised. He has been named multiple times on the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list of the UK’s most influential disabled people, received the Salt of the Earth Award in 2019, and was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2021 for services to international trade and inclusive design.
Drawing on his lived experience of being profoundly deaf, Mifsud has dedicated his career to dismantling barriers and challenging assumptions about disability, advocating that accessibility is a fundamental human right and a source of innovation. Through Direct Access, his work has made a tangible difference to countless lives worldwide, reinforcing a vision of a world where everyone has the right to participate fully and equally.
The consultancy’s portfolio includes work on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Science Museum Group, and the delivery of step-free access for Transport for London ahead of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. At Expo 2020 Dubai, Mifsud served first as Project Director for Universal Design and then as Director of Accessibility, pioneering initiatives such as sensory rating cards, sensory rooms, and Changing Places toilets to enhance inclusion at scale.
The University of Brighton recognised that Mifsud’s achievements align closely with the institution’s core values of creativity, sustainability, partnership, and inclusivity, and his influence continues to shape global accessibility standards.
In awarding Steven Mifsud MBE with an Honorary Doctor of Arts, the University acknowledges his outstanding leadership in advancing accessibility, and his ongoing commitment to creating spaces and services that leave no one behind.
Mr Mifsud MBE took the stage to accept the doctorate on Thursday 31st July.
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