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Do I need a DDA Access Audit? An Access Audit (also known as a DDA audit, Disability Discrimination Act Audit, or Disabled Access Audit) is an assessment of a building or facility, an environment, or a service compared to best practice standards to benchmark its accessibility to disabled people. The
Direct Access to consult on the Science Museum Medicine Gallery Direct Access will shortly begin an exciting new project with the Science Museum Group, as we are currently recruiting disabled people to be involved in an accessibility evaluation of the Medicine Gallery at Science Museum London. This builds on our
Assistive Technology Venture Announced by Policy Connect A new joint venture between a thinktank, a university, and a charity could help ensure that future public policies on assistive technology are able to transform the lives of disabled and older people. The Assistive and Accessible Technology (ATech) Policy Lab is a
Locomotion Museum opens Consultation on new building Last year, Direct Access worked with the National Railway Museum (now called ‘Locomotion’), making a series of accessibility recommendations that are part of the established infrastructure of the site. We are thrilled to announce that these recommendations will now feed into their new
Most British websites fail to meet best practice standards of accessibility The UK Government recently published a report detailing the findings of a study that explored website accessibility standards on several UK sites managed mostly by large public sector organisations in the health and public service sector as well as
Hearing Loops for public facilities Imagine not being able to hear the speaker across the roar of a crowd, the bank cashier, or a bus driver over the noise of an engine. For many of the one in six of the UK population with some form of hearing loss, this
Government publish new tactile paving guidance Last month, the UK Government’s Department for Transport published new Tactile Paving guidance to boost mobility independence for people with vision impairments. The use of tactile paving surfaces is important because these surfaces convey vital information to vision impaired and other people about their
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE recently issued Law No. 3 of 2022 on the rights of people with disabilities in the emirate of Dubai. In addition, the ruler of Dubai issued Executive Council Resolution No. 1 of 2022 pertaining
Direct Access joins Franco-British Chamber Direct Access has formally joined the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Created in 1873, it is the oldest international chamber of commerce in Europe. Becoming a member supports our partnerships that create inclusive environments for disabled people in France. In 2021, Direct Access won
Since 2019, World Braille Day has been celebrated to create awareness of the importance of Braille; an access and communication tool that has played a key role in the realization of human rights for blind and partially sighted people. Braille is the system of raised dots used for reading and
Direct Access has won two prestigious export awards for exporting British expertise in accessibility: the Franco British & Trade Investment Awards and the Insider North West International Trade Award. Both awards were won on the same night in different countries and followed on from our founder Steven Mifsud’s MBE in
Christmas gifts for people with sensory disabilities Deciding on a gift to get your loved ones, friends, and colleagues at Christmas can be a difficult and strenuous task. For many, gift-giving is an annual minefield where we worry ourselves about everything from settling on a socially acceptable price, whether a
It’s the start of Tolerance and Inclusivity Week at Expo 2020 Dubai and the Direct Access team could not be more pleased with the efforts being made by the event’s key organisers to promote inclusivity and equality across the interlocking characteristics of gender, race, disability, religion, and culture. While our
The National Model Design Code Back in July, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities announced the National Model Design Code, new legislation to provide detailed guidance on the production of design codes, guides, and policies to promote successful design. It expands on the ten characteristics of good design
Disabled people faced discrimination during Covid-19 A story that has caught the attention of the Direct Access team recently is that a judicial review case was filed against the work and pensions Secretary Therese Coffey based on the accusation that the government treats claimants of universal credit more favourably than