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The Direct Access Guide to Accessible Wayfinding

A Refuge Point sign on a grey wall with the international symbol of access printed on it next to an emergency two-way intercom within a non-specific building interior. In the background, a floor to ceiling window reveals a church and several houses being battered by the rain on a cloudy day.

When we hear the phrase “wayfinding”, what most frequently comes to mind is the application and availability of signage in a particular environment, which is normally used to signify elements of a space that requires visitor attention, or offer directional guidance in complex environments, such as shopping centres, hospitals, museums, theatres, apartment buildings, public parks etc. […]

East Riding Museums – Accessibility Audits

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.

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 included coverage of all six sites, including Sewerby Hall & Gardens, Beverley Guildhall, Beverley Art Gallery, Skidby Mill, Hessle Mill, and Goole Museum respectively. Each of […]

The public restrooms that set the world standard for accessibility

A public toilet exterior in Shibuya Ward Tokyo. Three green doors with different symbols representing genders and disability are imprinted on each. in front of the restroom, which is a small, rectangular, white building are a variety of thin trees and plants. Text overlayed on the image reads "public restrooms should be accessible to all". A public toilet exterior in Shibuya Ward Tokyo. Three green doors with different symbols representing genders and disability are imprinted on each. in front of the restroom, which is a small, rectangular, white building are a variety of thin trees and plants. Text overlayed on the image reads "public restrooms should be accessible to all".

Depending on where you live, the accessibility, frequency, and sanitary quality of local public restrooms wildly vary. In the United Kingdom, it speaks to a specific lack of both care and understanding, that local authorities do not invest in accessible and clean public WCs, where not only are public toilets perceived as a symbol of […]

New academic journal highlights accessibility at Expo 2020 Dubai

Under the Sea - Terra The Sustainability pavilion

A new academic journal released by the Springer Publishing Company this week has detailed feedback by disabled people (or People of Determination) on the accessibility of Expo 2020 Dubai. Expo 2020, which was held in the United Arab Emirates between October 2021 and March 2022, was a client of Direct Access for the entire duration […]

A guide to curating inclusive exhibitions and museums

A photograph of the exterior of the Science and Industry museum in Manchester.

When we think about accessibility in the context of most built environments, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is whether wheelchair users can directly access the building via ramps, sufficiently wide doors, and elevators. But accessibility is, as we all know, is much more than mobility access. True inclusion and accessibility […]

How inclusive and accessible design leads to future-proof housing developments

A modern living room space with artificial plants decorating a space which includes a coffee table and red armchairs.

What is Inclusive Design? In construction, inclusive design is a sustainable, inclusive, and cost-effective design practice, yet is also massively underutilised. For firms that do use inclusive design when approaching new builds, it presents an opportunity for site owners to create built environments that are massively beneficial to every individual in society who wants to […]