As a team of disabled people, Direct Access is of the view that urban infrastructure throughout history has favoured the convenience of a wholly inaccurate and idealistic idea of what a society “should be”. Put simply, that most human settlements are largely discriminatory of people with disabilities, favouring the needs of the non-disabled individual in place of being inclusive to everyone.
More recently, however, we have noticed that urban planners have actually begun to prioritize inclusivity. We attribute many reasons as to why this is, but we believe that the primary one is necessity. As populations grow older and live for longer than ever, built environments and the parties responsible for their planning, construction, and management are now attempting to ensure that all places are fully inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities. Not just for individuals with mobility challenges, but for all people, regardless of their particular physical, sensory, or neurological capability.
On a macro-level, cities and major population centers across the world are gearing up for unprecedented capital spending exceeding $130 trillion by 2027 to meet this demand (according to the World Economic Forum). Furthermore, it is projected that by 2030, there will be around 1 billion living adults on Earth. And by 2060, this is anticipated to increase even further to a figure exceeding 1.6 billion.
Hypotheticals and statistics aside, the high frequency of people with disabilities alive today highlights an urgent need for cities to adapt to the challenges often faced by older adults and individuals with specific accessibility needs. A demand which urban planners are beginning to address as medical advancements result in a particularly high proportion of elderly and disabled adults.
We believe that the current surge in funding for infrastructure, coupled with a global shift towards assistive technology, presents us with an acute understanding of the urban development’s failure to accommodate people with disabilities and the elderly. Pulling from Direct Access’ client base alone, we have noticed increased demand for accessibility services and facilities for environments big and small, from Migration centers operated by the United Nations, to medical plants (such as Pfizer), and a multitude of museums, retail parks, schools, universities, restaurants, and heritage sites across the world that we work with.
So, how many people actually benefit from this increased investment in inclusion? Well, aside from the accommodations provided to our elders, this newfound approach to urban design is enriching the quality of life of individuals who develop disabilities earlier in their life, as well as 1.3 billion people who currently experience significant disability (that we are aware of!).
Inclusive environmental design also offers financial incentive to business owners, not purely from the increased pool of wealthy customers, but a significant population who can contribute to society and become part of the workforce. Overall, it is understood that the disability community commands a disposable income of over $8 trillion, making it a market larger than that of China and equivalent to the combined economies of the United States, Brazil, Pakistan, and Indonesia. This figure might sound like a generous assumption, but the reality is that this number is going to naturally increase the longer people live and develop disabilities.
By preparing for the inevitable now, business owners can get ahead of their competitors and accelerate the rate of inclusive facilities in society. Put simply, by investment in the short-term, the result in substantial rewards in the long-term, both from a financial perspective, but also sustainability – as Governments continue to publish new standards outlining mandatory accessibility policy every single day. If people’s needs are evolving, so too will the systems designed to support them.
It is important to note that inclusive urban development is frequently misaligned with the concept of the “smart city”. While the promise of “smart cities” is enticing, it often comes with a blind spot for the most vulnerable populations—those with disabilities and older adults. If we truly aspire to create urban environments that allow everyone to thrive, it is important to consult disabled people in the planning and design stages and listen to their feedback acutely. Smart city planners often fail to do this, which has an unfortunate knock-on effect on how truly inclusive the city ends up becoming. To be receptive to the feedback of people with disabilities (and adopt a clear understanding of enforced codes and practices like the ADA), has the potential to transform our urban environments and facilities for the better.
As highlighted previously, business owners play a critical role in this shift towards inclusion for all. By investing in barrier removal and going further than the mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act, business owners can protect their investment from the risk of breaking the law, while simultaneously allowing their site to remain effective and inclusive. By scrutinizing the design of our environments now; businesses, municipalities, and individuals, shape the future of their urban landscape and can ensure that our built environments truly include everyone.
So, what is the first step to becoming inclusive? The answer is enlisting an access consultant to carry out an access audit of your existing environment, or play a key role in the development of the new one.
An 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. Access audits help you to understand your obligations, identifying barriers to disabled access and a range of options to address these barriers. Implementing its recommendations will enable you to demonstrate that you have adopted a reasonable approach and you will be improving access for disabled people and many other users.
Direct Access audits look at all aspects of a disabled person’s journey to your site and through it. From the visitor journey to the entrance, reception, restroom facilities, communal and office spaces, and any other area that may be accessed on your site. Get in touch today, or click on “Consultancy” on the navigation bar at the top of the page to find out exactly how we can make your site inclusive to people of all walks of life.
68 Harrison Avenue,
6th Floor,
Boston,
MA 02111.
4600 140th Avenue North,
Suite 180,
Clearwater,
FL 33762.
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