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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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