Direct Access
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Designing inclusive retail and shopping spaces for accessibility
It is no secret that the rise of E-commerce, quickly accelerated by changes in people’s spending habits and the realities of our world economy, has resulted in physical retail spaces suffering losses in both consumer and business interest. However, while shopping for our favourite brands has never been easier for
Read More...Tactile Objects and Models are the Future of Accessibility
Most disabled people from lived experience understand what segregation and exclusion feels like. But ask the average disabled person what accessibility means to them, you are pretty much guaranteed to get a different answer every time. To a wheelchair user, it might mean facilities offering automatic doors, wheelchair ramps, and
Read More...How cafés, pubs and restaurants can better serve disabled patrons
One of our team’s favourite subjects for blogs, (like this one), is using our combined knowledge of accessibility to make recommendations to business owners about how they can become more inclusive to current and (potentially future) disabled customers. Whether that’s by speaking about issues we regularly identify when we do
Read More...Direct Access’ Nathan Leese interviewed on International Wheelchair Day
International Wheelchair Day, observed annually on March 1st, is a global celebration of the profound impact wheelchairs have on the lives of millions around the world. To celebrate the occasion, we sat down to interview team member Nathan Leese about the positive impact his wheelchair has made in his life and
Read More...Why the parking area is the first indicator of your sites’ accessibility
As the point of entry for the majority of public facilities, the accessibility of a site’s parking area has the capacity to shape the perception of an entire facility in the eyes of disabled visitors. In this blog, we will explain some of the ways you can make your car
Read More...The benefit to providing accessibility and sensory guides for site visitors
Whether you are a site owner providing an attraction to the public or are the custodian of a heritage site/museum, Accessibility and Sensory Guides are fast-becoming a standard of the overall visitor experience in public recreation, entertainment, and educational settings. Working very much in the same way as a traditional
Read More...The Direct Access team weighs in on the UK Government’s new Disability Action Plan
The UK Government has recently declared plans to engage with disability-related issues and make the United Kingdom the most “accessible place in the world for disabled people to live, work, and thrive” with the announcement of their 2024 Disability Action Plan. This highly publicised document, which was published last week, details
Read More...Direct Access’ Steven Mifsud MBE to speak at 2024 Heritage Day Conference
Direct Access founder Steven Mifsud MBE will speak at the annual Heritage Day Conference this year. The hybrid conference will take place on 7th March, in-person at St John’s Church Waterloo, London, and will also be streamed live to virtual delegates. Heritage Day is a leading heritage conference for all
Read More...The Direct Access Guide to Accessible Wayfinding
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,
Read More...The public restrooms that set the world standard for accessibility
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
Read More...New academic journal highlights accessibility at Expo 2020 Dubai
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
Read More...A guide to curating inclusive exhibitions and museums
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
Read More...How inclusive and accessible design leads to future-proof housing developments
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
Read More...The health, environmental, and social benefits of Biophilic design
Biophilic design (from the Greek, ‘philia’ meaning ‘love of life’) is an environmental design choice which is being adopted by architects and decorators around the world for modern office spaces and desk-based work environments. Office spaces, though largely safe and unassuming compared to workplaces of past centuries still provide potential
Read More...Direct Access appoints new Managing Director and bid team for UK as international growth accelerates
Direct Access is excited to announce the appointment of Peter Brassington to the new role of Managing Director for Direct Access Consultancy in the UK. With full responsibility for the leadership and development of Direct Access’ UK business, Peter will take Direct Access to the next stage of success. Established
Read More...HS2 quiet spaces: a new accessibility standard and technical specification designed to protect mental health
HS2 Ltd has proposed an innovative and exciting new standard which it intends to implement across its upcoming railway systems called the “HS2 quiet spaces specification”. The specification, a health and safety design standard, sets out rules by which designers constructing railway stations must abide to fulfill HS2’s inclusive design
Read More...Why the Models of Disability matter when creating inclusive environments
As access consultants at Direct Access, we often get asked this question and when we do, we tend to give a rather dry and professional answer explaining legal requirements and building regulations. Whilst it is true that these legal boxes need to be ticked, it is hardly an inspirational, encouraging,
Read More...Direct Access in 2023 – A Year in Review
First, the challenges. Life working at a small business always presents its challenges. In 2023, Direct Access experienced more of these challenges than we possibly have ever felt in our nineteen-year existence. Even as we anticipate celebrating twenty years of Direct Access in 2024, our well-oiled machine providing accessibility expertise
Read More...How business owners stand to benefit from accessibility and inclusion
When we think of the built environments that make up our society, whether that’s bus stations, libraries, hospitals, supermarkets, or hotels, thought is rarely ever given to the potential of these spaces were they to be rebuilt, readjusted, and made inclusive. Indeed, when we think of accessibility and inclusion in
Read More...The difference between disability awareness and understanding
Much is often said about disability awareness, whether it’s businesses and organizations earnestly involving themselves in the various disability awareness days that happen each year, to huge corporations painting an image of inclusivity simply because they offer images of diversity in their branding – it is clear that in today’s
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Ireland
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Inclusive Guides
Explore our free guides on accessibility and inclusion, crafted by our experts. Click Here.