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 development arrives from the tech […]
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 improve, so you are wondering […]
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 just a set of standards […]
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 Solutions North 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 taxi drivers. By limiting […]
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 the non-disabled individual instead of […]
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 providers to ensure that their […]