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A photo of a train arriving at an underground station. The photo is shot with a low shutter speed giving it a blurred effect.
News

The Financial and Social Case for Accessible & Inclusive Rail Networks

As the UK rail industry charts a course toward modernisation, one critical factor remains insufficiently addressed: true accessibility and inclusion for disabled passengers. For Direct Access, we believe this is not only a question of compliance or public image— but a strategic opportunity to lead the way in delivering a

A narrow focus wide shot of a football sat stationery on a stadium football pitch. In the background the stalls of the surrounding stadium and a goal.
News

Inclusion in Sport and Stadium Management – Accessible Formats

In the realm of stadium facilities management, accessibility for spectators, staff, and players is an area of increasing focus that aims to ensure equitable access for all. While modern stadiums are designed to facilitate physical access, disability is diverse, encompassing a range of needs. Direct Access has demonstrated a range of

A photo of a Direct Access Evacuation Chair hung up on a wall next to a wheelchair lift.
News

How Access Audits inform effective Evacuation Plans for Care Homes

Throughout history, buildings have generally been constructed to accommodate the needs of people without disabilities while ignoring those who do have them. As low as building standards can and have often been, however, the idea that care homes might not be truly accessible to residents is a worrying one for

A pretty young woman wearing dark glasses and headphones in a sensory room, which is lit up purple.
News

The Crucial Role of Sensory Accessibility in Environmental Design

Sensory accessibility is a crucial facet which we advocate to be embedded into every element of our built environment. It ensures that all individuals, regardless of their condition, can fully participate in their environment, whether that’s at school, college, the workplace, or in leisure settings. Yet within our particular line of

Two male engineers wearing hi-vis jackets and white hard hats have a discussion on a building site on a sunny day.
News

Direct Access celebrates World Engineering Day 2025

World Engineering Day 2025 is about celebrating the contributions of engineers in shaping a sustainable future. This year’s theme, “Shaping Our Sustainable Future Through Engineering,” highlights the essential role that engineering plays in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)   At Direct Access, our team of dedicated access

A young Caucasian man in a wheelchair takes cutlery items out of a split-height counter dishwasher in his home kitchen.
News

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

A blind middle-aged man with gray hair and beard wearing sunglasses holding cane and phone using text-to-speech function.
News

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

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.
News

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

A classic London Black Cab on a high-street city road during the daytime.
News

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

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.
News

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

A close up photograph of a large blue train.
News

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

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.
News

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

A photograph of a luxury apartment poolside area in a city featuring outdoor deck chair seating.
News

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

A photograph of an open book being flung open with various pages opened and flapping.
News

Approved Document M updated to include Changing Places and Sanitary Provisions

Approved Document M Volume 2: Buildings other than Dwellings, is one of the foundational documents in England for architectural accessibility and inclusion within built environments. So much so that it is one of the main documents our team of access auditors refer to when out on the job delivering our

A photo of a young smiling woman in a wheelchair being passed bags of clothing purchases from a shopkeeper in a retail store.
News

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

Empty primary school classroom
News

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

Shot of a mixed group of businesspeople sat on different rows of seats attending a class. Some are watching an out of shot person attentively, while others are writing information on their notebooks, laptops, and tablets.
News

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

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