DDA, Access and Inclusive Environments

An inclusive environment is one that is equally accessible and enjoyable for everyone to use, including elderly people and people with physical, sensory, cognitive or learning disabilities.

There are over 10 million disabled people in the UK, in addition to which many others are elderly or have minor impairments. This represents around 10% of people from 16-25 years, and rises to 30% in workers aged over 50. At the present time, some 40% of our population is over 45 years of age - this is the age at which the incidence of disability begins to increase significantly. In order to achieve an inclusive environment, a holistic approach to accessibility is required, this needs to embrace:

1. Management Policies, Practices and Procedures
2. Staff Attitudes and Awareness
3. Communication
4. Design and Management of the Built Environment

Jean Hewitt Consulting provides strategic and operational support to clients in all of these areas in the following ways:

1. Management Policies, Practices and Procedures

• Helping clients to develop and revise existing management policies and procedures and assisting in the communication and understanding of practices to support these
• Contributing and reviewing of Disability Equality Schemes, required from December 2006 under the Public Sector Duty (DDA 2005)
• Structure, development and ongoing maintenance of the Access Statement as a living document
• Creation of Accessibility Manuals
• Personal Emergency Egress Planning for Disabled staff and visitors
• Workplace Risk Assessments for Disabled Staff

2. Staff Attitudes and Awareness

• Providing staff training in accessibility and disability awareness
• Preparation of induction handbooks and training programmes
• Generating and reviewing staff manuals and guides on disability issues
• Delivering workshops for front-of-house staff
• Auditing of management policies in practice

3. Communication

• Undertaking literature and document reviews for style, alternative formats, suitability for purpose
• Advising on the types of technology which should be readily available, and maintenance, storage and testing arrangements
• Conducting website accessibility audits using standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium
• Generation of audio guides

4. Design and Management of the Built Environment

• Assisting clients in rationalising their portfolio to analyse accessibility
• Design appraisal of new buildings and refurbishment plans
• Assisting clients in developing their accessibility standards - eg. Colour palettes, corporate signage, meeting room standards etc
• Auditing of existing buildings (see Auditing methodology)
• Generating handbooks on inclusive practices for Facilities teams
• Training of facilities and personnel staff in inclusive environment principles
• Contributing to the Access Statement and Accessibility Manual for the building

Jean Hewitt is a Chartered Facilities Management Surveyor by background, specialising in safe and inclusive environments for over seven years. She is an RICS-accredited Inclusive Environment Consultant and a registered Access Consultant with the National Register of Access Consultants and has studied Inclusive Environments and Accessibility at post graduate level.