Access by Design 110 by Katie Dock

Spring 2007

Issue 110

The accessible future

Access

A difficult question of discrimination

Barrierfree museums Queen’s University Belfast

Design

New website delivers property choice

Access by Design

Issue 110 Spring 2007 The journal of the Centre for Accessible Environments®

Talking point by Paul Highman

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Newsdesk

Legislation A difficult question of discrimination by Michael Green and Johnny Kelly

Access to museums Barrierfree museums – the quest for inclusive design by Marcus Weisen

Centre forward New CEO The accessible future by Kevin Davis

Building study Queen’s University Belfast by Alan Beggs, Dawson Stelfox and Gerald C Mooney

Accessible housing New website delivers property choice by Conrad Hodgkinson

Accessible WCs Changing Places by Rachel Hughes

Review The Access Manual: auditing and managing inclusive built environments (second edition) by Ann Sawyer and Keith Bright

A favourite building The Sir Alexander Fleming Building at Imperial College London by WaiMei Chan Cover photo The Lanyon Building © Queen’s University Belfast

Editor: Paul Highman Subscriptions: Charlotte Lin Advertising: WaiMei Chan ISSN 09591591 Published four times a year: March, June, September, December Design by Steve Paveley 020 8940 7877 Typeset by Column Communications 020 8584 5255 The views expressed in Access by Design are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of the Centre for Accessible Environments. All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor. Subscriptions prepaid, including postage, for any four consecutive issues: £24 UK; £30 airmail; £16 additional copies posted to same address; £16 student subscriptions. Cheques made payable to Centre for Accessible Environments.

Talking point In this issue of Access by Design, Michael Green and Johnny Kelly, from the law firm Macfarlanes, discuss a case where a landlord refused a disabled tenant permission to install a stairlift, to be funded by a local authority grant, in her block of flats. The landlord refused consent after other tenants objected, due to aesthetic considerations and general inconvenience. The tenant brought proceedings against the landlord under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, however the Court of Appeal decided that the tenant had not suffered unlawful discrimination. This confirms that disabled people cannot insist on common parts of blocks of flats being adapted to meet their needs. A practical application of the inclusive design approach is successfully demonstrated in the building study of Queen’s University Belfast on page 14. With approximately 250 buildings, many of them listed for their architectural importance, access to Queen’s University demanded a considered and consistent approach. The Estates Department has admirably risen to this task, implementing an access strategy, which permeates throughout the University – from its key listed buildings to the services and accommodation offered to students. An appreciation of the history and context of buildings is key to their successful modernisation. Queen’s University was fortunate to engage an architect who was sensitive to these issues. The holistic approach adopted, and the level of commitment shown by both management and staff, offers an inspiring case study to match Belfast’s newfound exuberance and burgeoning prosperity. Also in this issue, CAE’s new Chief Executive, Kevin Davis FRSA, presents his vision for CAE in the coming years. Kevin rightly states that there is still much to do to embed the principles of inclusive design and that CAE continues to have a role in facilitating and brokering ‘the accessible future’. Paul Highman

© Centre for Accessible Environments ®, 70 South Lambeth Road London SW8 1RL. Tel/Textphone 020 7840 0125 email: info@cae.org.uk, website: www.cae.org.uk Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales No 3112684 Registered Charity No 1050820

Access by Design Issue 110

Newsdesk

DBA Challenge award winner announced

The DBA Inclusive Design Challenge is an annual collaboration between the Helen Hamlyn Centre, based at the Royal College of Art (RCA), and the Design Business Association (DBA). It invites member firms of the DBA to propose new ideas for products, services and communications that improve the quality of life of disabled and older people. This year’s DBA Inclusive Design Challenge 2007 focused on two briefs. The first, set by its sponsor the National Patient Safety Agency, focused on ways to reduce accidents caused by slips, trips and falls. The second brief was more general and less prescriptive.

the international disability symbol, a pictogram originally designed in 1969 by Danish designer Sussanne Koefoed.

Wolff Olins chose to address the issue of how to create a more mobility aware society and developed an awarenessraising communications campaign called Go Steady. It is based around a new logo to replace

Go Steady won the Challenge’s Inclusive Design Award, the four other DBA finalists were Seymourpowell, Rodd Industrial Design, Creactive and Uniform. The projects were presented at the Royal College of Art (RCA)

Go Steady – the new logo and communications campaign, winner of the DBA Inclusive Design Challenge 2007 in February chaired by Professor John Clarkson of the University of Cambridge and with keynote speeches from Anne McGuire, the Minister for Disabled People and David Godber, Director of Nissan Design Europe. For further information visit the Helen Hamlyn Centre’s website www.hhrc.rca.ac.uk

Disability Equality Schemes

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has published the names of more than 60 public authorities, which have failed to produce a Disability Equality Scheme, despite a deadline of December last year and subsequent warning letters from the Commission. The DRC wrote to a number of organisations including local councils, health trusts, colleges, universities, museums and fire departments at the beginning of March 2007, but 65 (as of 27 March 2007) still have not provided any evidence that the required scheme is in place. Sir Bert 2

Massie, Chairman of the DRC, said: ‘The Disability Equality Duty is a real opportunity to transform disabled people’s experiences of the society we live in. I’m really pleased that the public sector as a whole has done a great job in responding to the requirements of the duty, with more than 96 per cent of organisations producing a scheme. The question is: Why have a small minority failed to do so? We’ll now be considering issuing compliance notices to offending authorities, which could lead to court action.’ The exercise follows an audit carried out by Ipsos MORI for

the Government’s Office for Disability Issues (ODI) of 1,752 organisations in December 2006 to check whether Disability Equality Schemes had been published. The ODI passed on the audit findings to the DRC, which has respon sibility for enforcing the Duty. A follow up check by the DRC revealed 66, or 3.7 per cent, still do not have a scheme. The ODI’s report Public bodies response to the Disability Equality Duty: an audit of compliance with the require ment to publish a Disability Equality Scheme is available from the ODI website www.officefordisability.gov.uk Access by Design Issue 110

Newsdesk

Building Control: review planned by DCLG The Department for Commun ities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced that it will undertaking a compre hensive review of the principles and requirements for building

standards. The document The Future of Building Control outlines the DCLG’s suggestions on how the system can be revitalised. It is not a formal consultation document, but it

Access to rail stations to improve Rail Minister Tom Harris has announced plans to improve access at 161 stations in England and Wales. Over £6 million has been allocated in the third round of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Access for All Small Schemes funding. Access for All is a ringfenced fund of over £370 million through to 2015, directed at making stations easier for disabled

people to use. The Small Schemes funding is drawn from this, and will deliver enhance ments such as induction loops, improved flooring and disabled parking. This will be matched by funding from elsewhere in the industry, bringing the total level of investment to nearly £21.5 million. Further information about Railways for All, Access for All and progress are on the DfT website www.dft.gov.uk

£4,000 for disabled student through DDA

A disabled student, denied the right to access the stage to receive a symbolic handshake in his graduation ceremony, has been awarded £4,000 for injury to feelings against Canterbury Christ Church University. In one of the first higher education cases under the education provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to be decided in court, the landmark ruling was supported by the Disability Rights Commission. Craig Potter, 28, from Kent, and a wheelchair user, graduated in 2004 at a ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral. While other students were able to receive a handshake on the dais from Access by Design Issue 110

the Chairman of Governors, Craig had to be content with a mere greeting at the bottom of the steps instead because no ramp had been provided to allow access to the stage. Craig Potter said: ‘I was not treated on equal terms with my peers. I wanted to go up on that stage at Canterbury Cathedral like everyone else during my graduation and get my symbolic handshake from the Chair of Governors. ‘The judge agreed that this would have been possible and the University’s failure to provide temporary ramps meant they discriminated against me as a disabled person. I am very pleased and feel vindicated by this result.’

invites stakeholders to provide initial comments on these or other suggestions. For further information, visit the DCLG website www.communities.gov.uk

UN Convention adopted The UK has been one of the first countries to sign the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, signed the Convention on behalf of the UK at a ceremony held at the UN in New York in March. The Convention marks a step forward in ensuring disabled people across the world have the same human rights as every one else. It covers aspects such as disabled people’s rights to education, employment and participation in political and public life. The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has declared that the UK Government should use the occasion of ratifying the Convention as the staging post to bring pressure on the European Union to end human rights abuses against disabled people in member states. The UN Convention is the first human rights convention of the 21st century and the first ever human rights treaty on disability. However, the DRC has stated that for many disabled people, including children in much of Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, living conditions and life chances fall short of the standards set out in the new Convention. 3

Newsdesk

New publications

See it Right The Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) has launched the second edition of the See it Right guide. The new edition, entitled See it Right: Making information accessible for people with sight problems, is being published as a book, CD ROM and DVD and will be targeted at people working across the design process – from consultancies and commissioners to teachers and public relations agencies.

background), using type of at least 14 point and avoiding complicated typefaces. For further information on the guide visit the RNIB website www.rnib.org.uk New CABE guidance The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has recently published It’s our space: a guide for community groups working to improve public space.

Approved Document B The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced the publication of two revised Approved Documents – Approved Document B (Fire safety) 2006 Edition: Volume 1: Dwellinghouses and Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellinghouses.

The RNIB claims that businesses potentially exclude about two million people when their communications are not designed for the partially sighted. A 140page book offers guidelines for producing accessible design across print, audio, Braille, digital and signage. In terms of print design, it says that there are a number of basic factors designers should always consider. These include using suitable contrast (essentially dark print on a light

This guide is to help anyone involved in a public space project for the first time. It gives examples of great outdoor spaces led by community groups and highlights lessons from their experiences. It is neither a substitute for the need to employ an experienced design professional; nor does it provide a comprehensive guide to involving and consulting people. It seeks to inspire people to demand better places and in doing so challenges users of the guide to think carefully about leaving a legacy of excellence in the projects that emerge. For further information and to order a copy of the guide visit the CABE website www.cabe.org.uk

The changes come into force on 6 April 2007 and will affect future building work in Access by Design Issue 110

Newsdesk England and Wales, such as the erection, extension or material alteration of a building, and how fire safety is designed into a building. They also include amendments to the guidance on domestic loft conversions, the use of doorclosing devices in dwellings and the provision of sprinklers in tall blocks of flats. For nondomestic buildings, the key changes include the introduction of a maximum unsprinklered compartment size for single storey warehouses, new guidance on residential care homes (including on the use of sprinklers) and a new requirement to ensure occupiers are made aware of their building’s fire protection measures so as to assist with the preparation of fire risk assessments under the new Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order regime. A number of changes are specifically designed to make the guidance more accessible and easier to use (such as splitting the guidance into Approved Document B – Volume 1: Dwellinghouses and Approved Document B – Volume 2: Buildings other than Dwellinghouses), to provide further clarity and guidance, to introduce further design freedoms and flexibilities and/or to provide better regulation.

Centre forward

New faces The Centre is delighted to announce that WaiMei Chan has joined the CAE team, taking up the position of Access and Sustainability Adviser, with responsibility for the Access and Sustainability Service (ASAS). Upon graduation from Imperial College, where she gained a BSc in Biology with Management, Wai spent two years teaching English on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET). She returned to the UK via the TransSiberian Express and worked in foreign rights publishing, providing technical and contractual support to international publishers.

WaiMei Chan

ASAS offers community and voluntary sector organisations free advice on how to make their premises more accessible and sustainable. Funding for London based groups is available from the City Bridge Trust. ASAS provides full support with applications to the Trust’s Access to Buildings grant program. For further information visit the ASAS website www.cae.org.uk/asas or contact Wai Chan, email waimei.chan@cae.org.uk

For further information visit the Planning Portal website www.planningportal.gov.uk

Access by Design Issue 110

New CEO

The accessible future Kevin Davis, CAE’s new Chief Executive, introduces our plan for an accessible future.

To become the Chief Executive of a charity that has been going for nearly 40 years, and replacing a wonderful former Chief Executive, who with 27 years service was probably the longest serving in the charitable sector, is a somewhat daunting task. To then set about thinking what it is that you want this organisation to do and where you want it to go is equally a significant task. But what I have learnt from all my former senior roles is that the mapping of the future is always a combination of celebrating and expanding the old while looking for new opportunities. CAE is at that crossroads.

Take stock With the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) firmly on the mainstream agenda and the implementation of the Disability Equality Duty last year, it is time for CAE to take stock of what it has achieved in the past and look towards an accessible future. So where does the CAE journey go now? Our vision for the future of CAE remains the same. We want to create a society that values good design; that creates environments that everyone can use. The way places are designed affects our ability to move, see, hear and communicate effectively. We want to see inclusive design that aims to remove the barriers that create undue effort and separation. We want to see built environments that enable everyone to participate equally, confidently and independently in everyday activities. Our vision is of a society that: • places people and communities at the heart of the design process • responds to human diversity and difference • offers dignity, autonomy and choice • provides for flexibility in use Essentially, CAE has always had a number of roles, whether it is that of broker and 6

facilitator, information provider, think tank, deliverer of projects or trainer. When looked at strategically what one can see is two themes emerging. Firstly, that of the thinker – debating the future of accessibility and working with all sectors to bring about change and create leading edge thinking. Secondly, the deliverer – demonstrating that ‘thinking’ through practical projects, advice and guidance. I Kevin Davis FRSA once heard an American organisation that said it was a ‘think tank with muddy boots’, I think that is something you could apply equally to CAE – not just dreaming, but actually proving what it dreams can have real value and really challenges the orthodoxies that hold back really inclusive design.

Bespoke service We will continue to do our consultancy and training projects, but we will be focusing on offering a highly bespoke service to the clients rather than the more generalist approach favoured by our competitors. We will use our independent panel of consultants more fully, engaging them in the delivery of some exciting projects that will also deliver into the learning we use in our thinking. Our panel members will be part of our learning process as we use their practical experience delivering Access by Design Issue 110

New CEO

Holistic approach

In our thinking mode we will also be continuing with the Access Lab. We want to create a space in which disabled groups, access groups, manufacturers and designers can come together and share their experiences and inform the progress of accessible projects. Equally, the Lab will become home to what we believe will be the foremost archive of the accessible environments movement, detailing nearly 40 years of information and drawing from the experiences of those who have been at the forefront of the development of inclusive design. I am sure we will return to this theme in a future issue of Access by Design.

We are also starting to see a desire from clients for a more holistic approach to accessibility – an approach where the built environment is complimented by signage and furniture and how these work with buildings, and the public realm, in an accessible way. Over time we hope to become more of a ‘one stop shop’ for this type of client.

From time to time a charity needs to ask whether it has put itself out of business, this is what makes it different from a commercial business. CAE has asked that question and decided emphatically, no. There is still much to do to embed inclusive design and CAE continues to have a role in brokering ‘the accessible future’.

projects to contribute to our wider thinking about the future. But equally we want to see the whole arena of inclusive design being embraced by all sectors of the design movement, so that schools of architecture and businesses see inclusive design as the ‘best’ design and not as a component you add on. We have already started discussions with a number of clients who wish to see the embedding of this approach.

As one of the UK’s leading provider of Lifting Platforms and Evacuation Chairs, Level Access Lifts offer an unparalleled choice of high quality Public access equipment. The owners and many of the staff here at Level have been involved in the platform lift industry since its infancy over 20 years ago. As such our experience is unrivalled, as is our product portfolio. We are only too aware that every project presents a different set of criteria, whether it is a specific design requirement, budget or delivery (or a mixture of all these things) our mission is to provide the solution. Whether you know the type of lift you require or just know that there is an access issue that requires investigation, we are able to assess your project and present you with a quotation for your consideration. We can help you meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act and Part ‘M’ of the Building Regulations – please visit our website at www.levellifts.co.uk or call us on 0845 4662 999.

Level Access Lifts t: 0845 4662 999 f: 0845 4662 777 e: sales@levellifts.co.uk w: www.levellifts.co.uk

Access by Design Issue 110

Legislation

A difficult question of discrimination The Disability Discrimination Act did not allow a disabled tenant to install a stairlift in her block of flats. Michael Green and Johnny Kelly investigate.

Mrs Dorothy Williams lives on the third floor of a block of flats. She is aged 81 and has serious mobility problems. Her block has no lift. Three years ago, she asked the landlord for permission to install a stairlift to go all the way from the ground floor to her flat. The landlord would incur no capital cost as it was to be funded by a local authority grant. The landlord refused consent because of objections from the other tenants, aesthetics and general inconvenience, the need for future repairs and because the noise would exacerbate migraines suffered by another tenant. Surely the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 would come to Mrs Williams’ rescue? She brought proceedings against her landlord, but in December 2006 the Court of Appeal reluctantly decided, in Williams v Richmond Court (Swansea) Limited [2006] EWCA Civ 1719, that she had not suffered unlawful discrimination under the Act. In all the areas covered by the Act, there is a general duty not to discriminate against disabled people. However, there are differences when it comes to a positive duty to make changes to premises:

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (as amended by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005) (‘the Act’) The Act lays down separate sets of rules concerning discrimination in a number of different walks of life, including: • employment • the supply of goods and services • the letting and management of premises

Employment: a positive duty exists, requiring employers to make reasonable adjustments to work premises where a physical feature places a disabled employee at a substantial disadvantage. Supply of goods and services: again the Act imposes a positive duty – if a physical feature of premises makes it unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use the service provided there, then the provider must take reasonable steps to remove, alter or avoid the feature or provide the service in some other reasonable way. Letting and management of premises: there is no equivalent positive duty when it comes to letting and management. Instead, as well as the general duty not to discriminate:

• there are restrictions on withholding consent to disabilityrelated improvements within the demised premises • since December 2006, there is a duty to provide auxiliary aids or services – these include furnishings, door handles and entry systems, but the Act makes it clear the duty does not extend to removing or altering a ‘physical feature’ such as a staircase

The contrast between the legislative treatment of these different areas had a significant effect on the decision of the Court of Appeal.

Mrs Williams’ claim Mrs Williams brought her claim against her landlord under the general duty not to discriminate. Her lawyers argued that the refusal to allow a stairlift made it exceptionally difficult for Access by Design Issue 110

Legislation

Mrs Williams to enter and leave her property. This had a detrimental effect on her, but not on the ablebodied tenants. Therefore the landlord had treated her less favourably than the others. In other words, discrimination. The Court disagreed. They looked carefully at the definition of discrimination in the Act:

Disability Discrimination Act 1995, section 24(1) A person discriminates against a disabled person if:

(a) for a reason which relates to the disabled person’s disability, he treats [her] less favourably than he treats or would treat others to whom that reason does not or would not apply; and (b) he cannot show that the treatment in question is justified. (Justification was not an issue in this appeal.)

The Court said first one looks at the treatment – here, the refusal of consent for the stairlift. Then one must ask what was the reason for this treatment – here, the reasons were noise, repairs and inconvenience. Considering these reasons against the relevant ‘comparator’ (an ablebodied lessee), the Court found that Mrs Williams was not treated less favourably than any other lessees. The landlord’s reasons did not relate to the disabled person’s disability. Lord Justice Scott Baker added the following comments:

‘Mrs Williams wishes to install a stairlift; others do not. The defendants do not want anyone to install a stairlift. Everyone is in the same position as they were before. Mrs Williams has not been treated unequally or less favourably than anyone else. It is nature that has left her worse off than the other tenants.’

Perhaps more convincingly, the Court noted the sharp contrast between the positive duty on employers and service providers to alter physical features of their buildings, and the absence of any equivalent provision in the Act for landlords and managing agents. The Court was also influenced by a report published in 2005 by a group of disability experts and senior civil servants, who observed that the Act does not expressly provide for adjustments to residential common parts such as entrances and stairs. The group had suggested legislation requiring landlords to make adjustments to physical features where reasonable, and indeed amendments to that effect were tabled during the passage of the 2005 Act, but the Court noted that these amendments were rejected by Parliament. Mrs Williams’ case was brought under the earlier version of the Act, before the December 2006 amendments referred to above. However, as noted previously, the new duty to provide auxiliary aids and services does not extend to altering ‘physical features’ such as a staircase, so it is unlikely the outcome would be any different under the amended version of the Act.

Conclusion Disabled people cannot insist on the common parts of blocks of flats being adapted to meet their needs. Landlords and managing agents may be reassured that statute has not overstepped the line of interference in private lease arrangements. Disability campaigners will no doubt be seeking a change in the law. We wait to hear whether Mrs Williams’ case is to be appealed to the House of Lords.

Michael Green is a solicitor in the environment, health and safety group and Johnny Kelly is a professional support lawyer in the property department at Macfarlanes.

The Disability Rights Commission may find the tenor of these comments surprising. Access by Design Issue 110

Access to museums

Barrierfree museums – the

quest for inclusive design

Museums and Art Galleries: Making Existing Buildings Accessible, the new ground breaking publication by CAE and RIBA Publishing, highlights access to museums. Marcus Weisen, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council’s Policy Adviser: Inclusion and Communities, explores existing best practice and the ongoing challenges that need to be addressed on the way towards more inclusive museums.

Vibrant museum, library and archive design contributes to a new civility in contemporary architecture. Museums and Art Galleries: Making Existing Buildings Accessible, sponsored by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) shows the appearance of beautiful lifts, ramps and other features of inclusive design. The book is a testimony to the creative design solutions developed by architects as they engaged with the dual challenge of preserving unique historic environments, while widening access for all. The book originated from the Access with Elegance project MLA commissioned in 2003, where the architect and access consultant Adrian Cave and CAE studied successful access solutions in six museums and collections housed in listed buildings. Through this project, MLA challenged a widely held idea that physical access for disabled people is an imposition on architects that diminishes the beauty of heritage buildings. Highquality physical access improvements in museums are almost always a sign of serious commitment to access provision for disabled people. This article looks at existing good practice and the challenges that still need to be met on the way towards barrierfree museums.

Good practice in access to services: the policy context The cultural sector enjoys a good reputation for being creative in removing barriers to the enjoyment of services that disabled people face. Indeed, over the past ten years, the UK has witnessed an unprecedented growth of engagement by cultural organisations with 10

access and equality for disabled people. Signed videos for deaf people and websites with descriptions for visually impaired people are beginning to appear. Shape and Tate Modern developed training for deaf people to become guides at the gallery, a project that resulted in a British Sign Language (BSL) dictionary of the vocabulary of art. The printsize of labels, text panels and signage is becoming bigger and more userfriendly. More seating for older people is being made available. The hidden histories of Access by Design Issue 110

Access to museums

disabled people, their perspectives, cultures and contributions to society are beginning to feature in exhibition displays.

Virtual inclusion: focus on web accessibility

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), sometimes dubbed ‘the law that frees the creative spirit’ in the museum sector, has been a key driver. Without it, such extensive engagement would be inconceivable. Government social policy is another important driver. The publication of Libraries, Museums, Galleries and Archives for All: Cooperating across the sectors to tackle social exclusion in 2001, by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), requires that all cultural organisations become agents of social change.

The audit report Accessibility of museum, library and archive websites, published by the MLA in 2005, shows that about twice as many sector websites meet basic web accessibility standards than the national average. The inspiring quality of the winners of the annual Jodi Awards for excellence in accessible museum, library and archive technology has made us aware that the sector is an international leader in web accessibility.

The social responsibilities put on cultural organisations have farreaching, longterm consequences, as all cultural agencies directly funded by DCMS, such as the Arts Council, English Heritage and the MLA, must demonstrate in their strategies and plans how they will contribute to implement these policies.

The Jodi Awards are sustained and developed by MLA, the British Museum, 24 Hour Museum, the University of Leicester and Museums, Libraries and Archives Wales (CyMAL). Tate imap, www.tate.org.uk/imap, is a case study par excellence. A Jodi Award winner in 2006, the site does what seemed impossible to many people by making modern art and its key concepts accessible to blind and partially sighted people.

Steve Paveley, Jenny White, Adrian Cave and Marcus Weisen at the launch of Museums and Art Galleries: Making Existing Buildings Accessible Access by Design Issue 110

Access to museums

The Matisse and Picasso paintings are presented online in high colour contrast, making them easier to see for so many partiallysighted people. Colour contrast is being used as an integral part of the presentation and analysis of the works of art and their compositional elements stand out. The clever use of animation ingeniously breaks the ‘no flash’ dogma propagated during the early years of the World Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Little by little, the slow motion animations build up a compelling picture of the transformation of figurative into modern art, which enriches every viewer’s understanding. Within the first month of the website’s launch some 3,000 black on white outline drawings have been downloaded and fed into ‘tactile photocopiers’, demonstrating the demand for tactile images among blind people outside formal education.

Casestudy: inclusive planning at Colchester Museums Museums and Art Galleries: Making Existing Buildings Accessible features the award winning Hollytrees House of Colchester Museums, a Georgian Grade II listed building as an in depth casestudy. As the museum carried out research on physical access options, a side entrance which had been walled in the late 19th century had been rediscovered. A plan was drawn up to change the visitor entrance from the central door with steps at the front of the house to the newly rediscovered level entrance. English Heritage

granted permission to undertake alterations and all visitors use the same entrance. The adaptation came with aesthetic advantage. The reception area, previously located in the central hall, is now located close to the new main entrance, returning the central hall to its former glory. Inside the Museum there are handson interactive and sensory experiences throughout the displays, including various sound commentaries. The aim is to develop accessible and inclusive design solutions for displays. Where the displays include sound, there are transcripts available to make them accessible to visitors with hearing impairments. In the Childhood Gallery there is also a BSL interpreted video of the famous nursery rhyme Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, created as part of a project working with a local school for deaf children. Historic research revealed that the mother of the child authors of the nursery rhyme was profoundly hard of hearing, a fact which had a strong bearing on the children’s engagement with literature. They are a famous Colchester family and this is an example about how an image of the diversity of Colchester’s inhabitants is built. Disabled people are no longer invisible in the collections of Colchester Museums. Leadership and consultation with disabled people are essential for the successful management of the continuous development of accessible services. At the heart of Colchester Museum’s access work is PORTAL, the Museum’s Disability Access Group established in 2000. The Group ensures continuous improvement in terms of physical, sensory and intellectual access to the whole range of museum services. The museum service now incorporates access into all new projects, large or small. PORTAL is consulted from the beginning to the end of projects, and in so doing, the whole process becomes much easier. PORTAL members receive payment for their work, reflecting the value placed on their advice, skills and experience.

How accessible are museums today? MLA is the lead strategic agency for museums, libraries and archives and research is 12

Access by Design Issue 110

Access to museums

one of our most important roles. We are part of the wider MLA Partnership, working with nine regional agencies in England to improve people’s lives by building knowledge, supporting learning, inspiring creativity and celebrating identity. The Partnership acts collectively for the benefit of the sector and the public, leading the transformation of museums, libraries and archives for the future. While the MLA Webaccessibility Audit revealed that the sector performs comparatively well, it also provides a clear indication of the distance that separates us from a barrierfree internet. Less than half of the sites audited (42 per cent) met the most basic technical accessibility guidelines (Level A) and a User Panel did not find them particularly easy to use. However, 3.4 per cent had no automatically detectable violations for Level AA guidelines. MLA appears to be the only cultural agency to have undertaken two national surveys on access for disabled people. Twenty seven per cent of the respondents of MLA’s Disability Survey 2001 stated that they had an access plan, compared to 43 per cent of respondents in MLA’s Disability Survey 2005. In 2001, 67 per cent respondents had undertaken an access audit and 84 per cent in 2005. There are many examples in the Disability Surveys, which show that real change is taking place. The Disability Surveys shows encouraging evidence of a change in awareness and attitudes. In 2001, many respondents thought of disability access as wheelchair access, over 80 per cent stated in 2005 that it is about more than wheelchair access. Over 80 per cent stated in 2001 that they met, closely met or moderately well met a ‘barrierfree ideal’, while 80 per cent stated that disabled people still face many barriers. Nearly all respondents (98.8 per cent) stated that disabled people have the right to the same quality of services than nondisabled people. However, significant barriers remain. For example in 2001, 19 per cent of the respondents allocated revenue funding to disability access, with 30 per cent doing so in 2005. Inclusive budgeting is an inseparable part of an inclusive organisation – and unquestionably, there is room for progress. Deaf people are one of the groups for whom access provision remains sporadic, with ten per cent of the respondents providing BSL in 2001 and nearly 14 per cent in 2005. The findings highlighted, among other things, that the work force needs to be a more representative work force and that access to information needs to be improved for visually impaired people. Access by Design Issue 110

The way forward: systematic change At the heart of MLA’s advocacy for access and equality for disabled people is an understanding that cultural organisations will only become inclusive of all publics if they themselves are prepared to change. Access for disabled people can only be realised successfully if it becomes integral to everything a museum does. We emphasise a holistic approach, which sees physical access and accessible information as gateways to an enriching leisure and learning experience. We emphasise the need for a planned approach to change and the Disability Survey 2001 provides clear evidence that this effects change. Nine out of ten ‘high performers’ in MLA’s Disability Survey 2001 (scoring 85 or more out of 115 indicators) had carried out an access audit and provided disability training, compared with less than a third of ‘low performers’. They were also ten times more likely to consult users and nonusers. MLA supports the sector with guidance. MLA’s Disability Portfolio published in 2003 has been translated into five languages and won an award from the National Information Society. MLA’s easy to use Disability Checklist of 100 questions is widely used and helps assess audit and training needs. Looking at museums, which provide manifold and changing services, helps us understand that access is a sophisticated and multilayered reality. In a fast moving world, barriers are not static, they are shifting. As we begin to get a handle on existing barriers (for example through environmental access), new barriers are appearing (for example to virtual access). Access is an ongoing process and requires a systematic approach. While we can celebrate the many recent changes, we are under no illusion that there is a long a way to go. What Minister for Culture David Lammy writes about the cultural sector holds true for society as a whole: ‘There are many challenges remaining and we must maintain a sense of urgency as we continue to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities through enabling their fundamental right to have access to cultural activity.’

To order a copy of Museums and Art Galleries: Making Existing Buildings Accessible, email publications@cae.org.uk 13

Building study

Queen’s University Belfast

Queen’s University Belfast has demonstrated an admirable commitment to providing its students, staff and visitors with access to all its services and facilities. In this building study, innovative solutions to access issues surrounding both listed buildings and new accommodation are discussed and explored. Founded in 1845, Queen’s University Belfast opened in 1849 when the first 90 students entered the magnificent new Victorian Gothic college building designed by Sir Charles Lanyon. Since then the University estate has grown to 250 buildings – many of them listed for their architectural importance. Today there are some 24,000 students attending the University.

Client’s account by Alan Beggs Assistant Estates Manager Queen’s University Belfast Queen’s University is proactive in developing an environment, which is welcoming to disabled people. This is in line with its policies on the recruitment of disabled students, as well as encouraging applications to staff appointments from disabled people. The University currently employs approximately 3,500 staff and more than 24,000 full and part time students. Of these, 63 staff and 640 students have declared themselves to have a disability. Queen’s University’s estate comprises 250 buildings of which more than 100 are of special architectural interest. Such an array of buildings, as well as their disparate locations, presents considerable challenges in providing an environment, which is welcoming to all. Nonetheless, driven by this challenge, reinforced by the requirements of legislation, particularly the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) and, in the Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (SENDO), the University undertook an access audit in 2001. 14

Access improvements The audit identified a range of measures, which led to a rolling programme of major improvements to the value of £7.5 million. Adaptations have been completed on many University buildings and this work is ongoing. These changes include the provision of accessible toilets, wheelchair accessible ramps for access and egress, the automation of doors throughout circulation routes, the upgrading or construction of lifts, improved campuswide signage high lighting accessible routes and the upgrading of facilities as part of building refurbishment work. There are significant additional challenges associated with providing access to an estate, which includes many listed properties. Some of the buildings owned by the University are terracetype houses. This required a management solution, and where appropriate, Schools have relocated general offices and teaching rooms to ground floors.

Disability Services In 2000, the University established Disability Services to support and provide advice to students, the Estates Department and University Schools in relation to the needs of disabled students. Disability Services maintain a register of students with a wide range of disabilities while the Equal Opportunities Unit monitors data for staff with a disability. The service ensures that appropriate steps are taken and that arrangements are made to facilitate students’ full participation in all aspects of university life. Students’ needs are thoroughly assessed by Disability Officers within the service and recommendations of support are communicated to appropriate departments across the University. Equal Opportunities provides a similar service for disabled staff. Access by Design Issue 110

Building study Increase in applications The University’s approach to disability matters appears to have resulted in an increased number of applications from people with disabilities. From 2001 to 2005, the percentage of applications received from disabled students increased by 100 per cent. In the case of staff, in 1990, 0.3 per cent of University staff declared a disability, whereas, by 2004, the percentage of the University’s staff that had declared a disability had increased to 2.4 per cent. Queen’s acknowledges that the accommodation of the requirements of disabled people is an ongoing task. Based on its achievements to date, the University is confident it can meet this challenge.

Architect’s account by Dawson Stelfox Chairman and Director Consarc Design Group Queen’s University initiated an estatewide review of access and we were commissioned to advise them on how to achieve compliance with

the duties under DDA, while at the same time preserving the historic character of their large number of listed buildings.

Consultation process The process started with a round table discussion attended by Disability Action, special interest groups, Environment & Heritage Service (the statutory body responsible for listed buildings in Northern Ireland), Queen’s University Estates and Personnel Officers and consultant teams. This meeting agreed on the approach to balancing the potentially conflicting demands of accessibility and the need to protect historical fabric and set the principles by which we as architects would approach each of the issues. This approach is best illustrated through case studies.

The Whitla Hall The Sir William Whitla Hall was built in the 1940s in a neoclassical style with modernist influences. The architect John McGeagh was involved in all aspects of the design, right down to the door furniture and light fittings – making the interior just as important as the exterior. When we

The Lanyon Building, Queen’s University Belfast Access by Design Issue 110

Building study

started, the only previous alteration was a poor quality ramp added to the side, out of sight from the front entrance. We extended the front entrance area, lifting it up to the interior floor level and widening it to incorporate side ramps. The building has a distinct horizontality so flanking walls of the ramps have a horizontal coping with the ramp rising up behind, screening the sloping ramp from view. The stone was also carefully chosen to compliment the original building and the generous forecourt and broad steps enhance the setting of the building, as shown in the drawings and photographs. Ramped access at The Whitla Hall Inside, some changes recommended by the original access audit proved too contentious. The internal lobby doors to the auditorium were original, limed oak with porthole windows at high level. The access audit recommended the replacement of these with automatic doors with lower level vision panels, but this would have resulted in the loss of the original doors. The solution was to draft a management protocol. The Whitla Hall is always staffed when it is open for events so it was possible to have an agreement whereby Queen’s University staff ensure doors are open while audiences are coming in and going out, and manned throughout events for access. Such management protocols are a legitimate way of meeting DDA duties and in this case, formed the best solution. The best balance between conservation and accessibility issues lies in a mixture of physical works and management procedures.

University Square This fine listed terrace was originally built as a series of grand houses, but for many years has served as a number of University Departments and more recently includes the main entrance to the Queens Film Theatre. The ground floors are generally set well above street level, all on a sloping site, resulting in many different floor levels, some of which needed to be interconnected inside to meet departmental requirements. Early proposals to provide ramped access in the narrow front garden areas resulted in a multiplicity of railings obscuring the front 16

Access to terraced buildings at University Square

façades and the loss of gardens, many with distinctive magnolia trees. We were able to rationalise the access by grouping houses together with shared ramps straddling original property boundaries, but we retained all the party walls to keep the original character. The ramps and new steps were enclosed within low brick and stone plinth walls based on the design of the plinth wall of the original Lanyon Building across the road. The new railings were made by replicating a section of surviving original railings as most had been removed during World War II. This solution was possible because the University owned the entire terrace and so was able to ensure a considerable number of original front gardens could remain ‘green’ while at the same time ensuring that all the front doors were accessible. Access by Design Issue 110

Building study

Independent appraisal by Gerald C Mooney NRAC Consultant, Director, Inclusive Environments (NI) Limited On its website, Queen’s University declares its commitment to equality of opportunity for all students. The six principles, which underpin their commitment, are:

There is insufficient space in one article, because of the size and complexity of the campus, to do justice to the access issues throughout the University. There follows several short ‘snapshots’ of access issues in some of the buildings.

The Lanyon Building The main entrance to the Grade I listed Lanyon Building, was originally designed with four steps. Access for wheelchair users has been contrived by infilling a large area to raise the approach paving to the entrance by the height of two steps. This is complimented by the introduction of two matching quarter circle ramps, one to each side of the entrance, with a gradient of less than 1:20, to circumvent the remaining two steps. As the ramps did not require handrails and were constructed in stone paving with low, curved walls to match the original hard surfaces, they were acceptable to the Environment & Heritage Service.

• Equality to physical access, to information

and to safety, as far is practically possible.

• The responsibility to promote informed and

constructive attitudes to disability.

• The responsibility to adjust customs and

practices if they create inequality of

opportunity for people with disabilities.

• The recognition that fewer students with

disabilities apply for academic courses at

Queen’s than it would wish. Queen’s

therefore recognises its responsibility to

encourage an increase in the proportion of

students with disabilities who apply and are

admitted to the University to a level, which

is more reflective of the proportion of people

with disabilities in the community at large.

• The responsibility to accommodate, insofar

as is practicable, all qualified applicants

irrespective of disability.

• That adequate provision for disability

depends on cooperation among local

educational institutions, and between them

and groups which represent people with

disabilities. Queen’s actively commits itself

to such cooperation.

To ensure delivery on their commitment to disabled students Queen’s has also set up a Disability Forum, in addition to Disability Services, that meets quarterly to coordinate and monitor the University’s policy. A short browse through the University’s website, and one cannot help but be encouraged by the ethos of holistic care of all students, espoused by the University. The website is well laid out and accessible. A review in line with PAS 78:2006 Guide to good practice in commissioning accessible websites would ensure that the site is accessible to all users.

East and West elevation of The Sir William Whitla Hall

Front (North) elevation of The Sir William Whitla Hall Access by Design Issue 110

Building study

The Elmwood Hall Unfortunately the provision of tactile paving to define the steps for users who are blind or have impaired vision is less successful. An 800mm deep band of corduroy tactile paving set 400mm back off the top and bottom of a flight of steps is the recommended standard.

The Whitla Hall The Grade II* listed Whitla Hall, on the main University site seats 1,250 people and is the principal venue for orchestral concerts, conferences and exhibitions. It also hosts the graduation ceremonies each June and December. To facilitate students climbing and descending the eight steps to the stage to receive their 18

Toughened glass protects the inscribed dedication at The Elmwood Hall Access by Design Issue 110

Building study

Signage at Queen’s University Belfast

Good contrast remains despite reflections

degree, temporary steel handrails have been installed. Arrangements are in hand to replace these with brass handrails in keeping with the style of the building. Alternatively, a foldable, wheelchair stairlift grants access down a straight flight of stairs to a semibasement corridor. From this corridor, a second stairlift provides access to the stage.

The Elmwood Hall The Elmwood Hall is a Grade I listed building. The Hall, which seats 550 people, is located across University Road opposite the Lanyon Building. The building was originally a church Access by Design Issue 110

but is now used as a rehearsal venue for the Ulster Orchestra. The Hall is also used for a wide variety of musical events throughout the year including those during the Belfast Festival in November. As with Whitla Hall, the original steps to the Hall have been reconfigured to accommodate a ramp. However, there remained a 150mm step at the threshold to the main entrance and a stone with an inscribed dedication built into the tiled floor of the loggia, directly in front of the main entrance. These two issues were imaginatively resolved by: • carefully uplifting and relaying the original floor of the loggia to form a shallow ramp, without the need for handrails 19

Building study • installing toughened glass over the inscription, inclined to form part of the ramp and with an etched grid to match the joints in the adjoining small tiles and to reduce the risk of foot slip The inscription can still be read, it is protected from abrasion of footfall and weathering and access to the building has greatly improved. A credit to the ingenuity and compatibility of all concerned.

Student accommodation Queen’s provides around 2,000 places in accommodation varying from traditional halls of residence with meals provided to selfcatering halls and houses. Work is progressing on one of the most exciting capital projects currently taking place at Queen’s – the development of Queen’s Elms student village – a new vision for student accommodation, which will be completed by

2010. Lowrise blocks of ensuite accommodation and a new reception building have already replaced tower blocks and a student services centre have been created. The Elms Village is within easy walking distance of the main site and there are also a number of conveniently located Queen’s houses in the area. It consists of purposebuilt accommodation to suit students’ needs, and all bedrooms are fully furnished and centrally heated. Accommodation for disabled students is available and inclusive in location and internal layout. Accessible accommodation is tailored to individual needs of students. In one case, steel beams were built into a ceiling to carry overhead track to carry a quadriplegic student, on another occasion carpets were removed and vinyl floor finish was laid to accommodate a student with psoriasis.

Signage and egress There are some aspects of the existing signage that are commendable, most noticeably the particular indications of accessible routes to navigate the campus. Signage throughout the campus is under review, and will feature in the University’s Disability Action Plans to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. The Fire Officers, Estates Services and Disability Serves work together on the details of Personal Emergency Egress Plans (PEEPS) for each student or member of staff. Buddy schemes are established and managed where appropriate.

In conclusion To date, the University has made positive and energetic responses to improve access to the services they offer. For the future, Queen’s University has ‘builtin’ access into their design briefs for the large refurbishment and new build programme currently in progress. Their approach to access is inclusive and exemplary. Large organisations that have not addressed their duties under current legislation could learn much from the Queen’s University experience.

Elegant landscaping offers access to the buildings on University Road 20

For further information visit the Queen’s University Belfast website www.qub.ac.uk/home/TheUniversity/ Access by Design Issue 110

Accessible housing

New website delivers property choice The Accessible Property Register has announced the launch of an upgraded website. Conrad Hodgkinson describes the changes and the Register’s latest developments.

public remains unchanged. However, most property will now be sourced from partner estate agents, developers, local authorities, and housing associations. The new website supports automated data feeds from partner websites and this should ensure that property adverts are always accurate and uptodate.

Approved Partners

Two of the three Accessible Property Register (APR) directors are wheelchair users and the website specialises exclusively in promoting accessible and adapted property. Launched at the end of February 2007 with around 200 properties available in both private residential and social housing sectors, the directors are confident that a new focus on partnering with estate agents and social housing providers will mean that numbers of advertised properties will build rapidly into the thousands. Many of the properties advertised include significant and sophisticated adaptations (see photographs on page 22). The APR aims to be a major resource for people looking for accessible or adapted property. We advertise property for sale and rent and promote private residential and social housing on an equal basis. APR offers a onestop shop where anyone in any part of the UK can logon, find accessible or adapted property advertised in their area and contact the advertiser. Originally, the site was aimed at private advertisers and the concept of an accessible property website with all services (including property advertising) totally free of charge to the Access by Design Issue 110

APR Approved Partner businesses and organisations make a commitment to identify properties meeting agreed access criteria and to promote access positively. Identified properties are advertised on the APR website, and Partners are encouraged to identify accessible and adapted property in their own advertising and promotional material. One Sheffield estate agent, Eadon Lockwood and Riddle (www.elr.co.uk), has already created a search facility for accessible property on their own website. As part of the service to businesses and organisations, APR is developing a comprehensive training package covering disability equality, access, and legislative issues. When complete, the package will be available online and in other

Accessible Property Register access criteria • offstreet or unrestricted onstreet parking • no steps between the point where a car could be parked and the entrance to the property • level or ramped access to at least one entrance to the property • level access to all main living floor rooms • a WC on the same level as the entrance to the property Flats in multistorey blocks qualify providing there is suitable lift access. 21

Accessible housing

Solution through adaptation Gerry Kent and Mary Dalgleish have adapted their Sheffield property. The ground floor is wheelchair accessible with level access through the garage.

Gerry Kent in his adapted groundfloor bedroom with level access ensuite shower room

A spacious rear extension gives access and additional living space

Level access shower room

Access to the garden from the new extension

Access by Design Issue 110

Accessible housing

formats. The modules are assessed and, once a satisfactory level has been achieved by an individual, it will be possible to print off a certificate of successful completion.

Access criteria All property adverts on the APR website start by listing access features. Properties meeting five basic criteria are advertised as Accessible Property. However, the new website encourages the provision of much more detailed information. A second checklist allows advertisers to identify a range of additional features and adaptations, for example level access shower, widened doorways, adapted kitchen and so on. Properties including any of these additional features are advertised as Accessible Property Plus. An innovative feature of the new website is an Access Calculator, a free interactive tool that will allow anyone to conduct an access survey for any residential property – or ask their estate agent or housing association to do it on their behalf! The results, which can be saved, printed, or added to a property advert provide a full list of all access features and adaptations and relate the property to current building and access standards.

Estate agents APR now has partner estate agencies in Sheffield, Milton Keynes, and East Anglia. The aim is to expand the network so that the Approved Partner network covers all areas of the country. Currently, other areas are covered through an agreement with estate agent professional association, National Homes Network. The motivation for estate agents to sign up as APR approved partners is largely commercial. We are able to show that older and disabled people form a large and largely underdeveloped market. Estate agents increasingly appreciate this fact and use APR services to support them in increasing provision in this area. A more immediate motivation, is the capacity of APR to generate additional business for Partners. Through the website, we offer a Find an Approved Estate Agent service. Vendors appreciate our ability to recommend reliable estate agents with some understanding of access issues, and estate agents appreciate the additional business generated. APR has already Access by Design Issue 110

Accessible housing

referred property sales valued at around £10,000,000 to Approved Partner agencies.

Social housing providers In many ways, the incentive for social housing providers to partner with APR is even stronger. The same issues of an undeveloped and unaddressed market and of efficient management of stock apply, but there are now legislative imperatives that make the issue of access hard to ignore. Both estate agents and social housing providers are affected by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (now including a section relating to landlords). Social housing providers are also required to have introduced Choice Based Letting (CBL) by 2010, a much more open and transparent system of housing management and intended to increase choice and independence for all.

Disability Equality Duty However, it is the introduction of Disability Equality Duty in October 2006 and its application to all public sector organisations that makes action imperative. Public sector organisations include the Housing Corporation and their statement to the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) makes it clear that this duty will be exercised through a requirement for all Registered Social Landlords to produce a disability equality action plan by December 2007. ‘The Corporation will expect associations to develop appropriate Disability Equality Schemes and Action Plans of their own during 2007, for publication from December 2007.’ (Housing Corporation, 2006)

Partnership working In Sheffield, APR works with Sheffield Homes (an ALMO responsible for managing 50,000 ex Sheffield City Council properties). Void inspection procedures now include APR access criteria, allowing housing officers to identify accessible and adapted property as part of standard inspection procedures. Between 20 and 30 accessible and adapted properties are identified and advertised each week. 24

Accessible and adapted property is advertised in the weekly Sheffield property Admag. Each property is identified with an APR logo and information about specific access features and adaptations is included. The same properties are advertised on the APR website, allowing comparison with what is available in the private sector. For Sheffield Homes, promoting accessible and adapted property on the same basis and through the same systems as other property has resulted in a drop of 40 per cent in the number of tenants requiring individual support to make bids. Sharron Dyett, Assistant Director from Sheffield Homes said, ‘Partnering with APR has helped us improve our service for customers. Looking for a new home can be stressful for anyone and this website certainly helps ease the process for those needing to find an adapted property.’ Development in Sheffield illustrates the model that APR works to promote – a choice of accessible and adapted property in both private residential and social housing sectors on the same website and in all parts of the UK. This is a market that has been poorly served for far too long. According to the DRC, more than 10 million people in the UK are disabled and by 2020, it is estimated that around 60 per cent of the population will be aged 50 or over. We hope that many more estate agents and social housing providers will now opt for inclusion.

Conrad Hodgkinson can be contacted at conradh@accessibleproperty.org.uk To access the Accessible Property website visit www.accessibleproperty.org.uk

Access by Design Issue 110

Accessible WCs

Changing Places

On behalf of the Changing Places Consortium, Rachel Hughes, Campaigns Officer at Mencap, introduces the Changing Places campaign. A national campaign, Changing Places, has been launched to tackle the problem faced by many thousands of disabled people in the UK caused by the lack of fully accessible public toilets. The Changing Places consortium including Mencap and PAMIS is calling for Nottingham City Changing Places Council’s public toilets to be installed Changing Places toilet in all large public places, including city centres, shopping malls and leisure venues.

meaning many more people are likely to need access to a Changing Places toilet in the future.

Who currently provides Changing Places toilets? There are approximately 30 public Changing Places toilets available across the whole of the United Kingdom. Eight of these venues were recently presented with a special Changing Places Award at the Annual Loo of the Year Awards. The Awards are run by the British Toilet Association, whose aim is to encourage the highest possible standards in all types of ‘away from home’ or public toilets. A new category,

Without these facilities, carers are often forced to change family members on a dirty toilet floor with little or no privacy. This is unhygienic and is also extremely dangerous, as carers must physically lift the person they care for on and off the floor. However, the alternative is to limit outings to a couple of hours or to not go out at all. A new symbol for Changing Places toilets has been designed to highlight the differences between a standard disabled toilet and a Changing Places toilet.

Who needs Changing Places toilets? The UK is home to approximately 40,000 people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, the majority of whom need Changing Places toilets. And many other people have similar needs, for example approximately 24,000 people with a spinal injury, 20,000 people with muscular dystrophy and 8,500 people with multiple sclerosis. The number of people with complex disabilities is growing – we are all living longer, Access by Design Issue 110

Detail of the bench and hoist at a PAMIS Changing Places toilet 25

Accessible WCs

What are Changing Places toilets? Changing Places toilets are different to standard accessible toilets. They are designed to meet the needs of people who need support from one or two carers to use the toilet or have their continence pad changed. They include the following facilities: 4 A peninsular toilet The toilet should be placed away from the walls, towards the centre of the room. This means there is space either side of the toilet, which makes it suitable for users who need the assistance of carers. Drop down wall fixed grab rails may be required to provide support for other users, or to provide support while someone is seated on the toilet.

The design and layout of a Changing Places toilet 1 A height adjustable changing bench A changing bench provides a stable platform where a carer can safely change a disabled person’s continence pad. The bench should be adultsized, and height adjustable so it can be adjusted to a safe working height for carers. This will mean that carers can work at an appropriate height and should reduce the strain on their backs – it also means that carers will not have to use the toilet floor for changing. 2 A tracking hoist system, or mobile hoist A hoisting system allows disabled people to be helped to transfer safely from their wheelchair to the toilet or changing bench. This eliminates the need to lift a person manually, which will reduce the strain on carers’ backs and reduce the risk of injury to carers and to the person being transferred. 3 There should be adequate space for the disabled person, their wheelchair when they are not in it, and two carers to manoeuvre comfortably and safely. A minimum size of 3.5m by 2m or the equivalent floor space 7 sq m is recommended. Layout and design will vary according to requirements and space available.

5 A screen or curtain to allow the disabled person and carer some privacy Some disabled people need support to transfer from their wheelchair to the toilet, but would then like privacy while they are using the toilet. Similarly, carers do not want to leave the person they care for outside while they use the toilet. A screen or curtain should be available to provide privacy for both the disabled person and their carer. 6 Wide tear off paper roll to cover the bench Good hygiene is very important in a Changing Places toilet. Providing a wide tear off paper roll so people can cover the bench when they use it will help to keep the changing bench clean and hygienic for all. 7 A large waste bin for disposable pads A large sanitary/disposable pad bin should be provided in addition to bins for paper towels and general rubbish. 8 A nonslip floor A nonslip floor is particularly important for people who require support to transfer between their wheelchair and the toilet and may be unsteady on their feet. It will also help to ensure the safety of carers when they carry out transfers and are changing.

Access by Design Issue 110

Accessible WCs

which recognises the needs of people with severe disabilities, was introduced this year. The Changing Places Award was presented to organisations which have installed fully accessible Changing Places toilets. The winning venues were: • PAMIS, at the University of Dundee • Lifestyle, a large leisure centre in Glasgow • Murray Owen Community Centre in East Kilbride • Fisherrow Harbour, Musselburgh • Greyhound Street, a public toilet in Nottingham City Centre • The Sage arts centre in Gateshead • thecentre:mk shopping centre in Milton Keynes • Andy Loos, a mobile facility Andy Loos, the first organisation to provide a mobile Changing Places toilet, were further honoured by being named as the major trophy winner in the accessible toilets category, while Nottingham City Council also triumphed again at the 2006 Community Care Awards for being one of the first local authorities to install a Changing Places toilet in a public place. Andy Loos’ toilet is a luxury unit designed to be both luxurious and easy to use for both carers and the disabled person, and includes a fully automatic tracking hoist, height adjustable changing bench, peninsular toilet and plenty of space. The unit is available for hire at large and small events. Nottingham’s facility includes a heightadjustable, freestanding, adult sized changing bench, a ceiling track hoist and a peninsular toilet. It is open seven days a week from 07:0020:00, and is available to anyone who needs to use it. The Nottingham Changing Places toilet is already making a huge difference to the lives of many profoundly disabled people and their families. Bethan, mum to Lowri aged eight who has profound and multiple learning disabilities, explains: ‘Previously we wouldn’t have had the confidence to spend a whole day out. Now that we know the Changing Places toilet is in Nottingham and are so confident of what’s on offer I know we’ll be back regularly’.

For further information on the Changing Places campaign visit www.changingplaces.org

Access by Design Issue 110

Review

The Access Manual: auditing and managing inclusive built environments (second edition) by Ann Sawyer and Keith Bright, published by Blackwell Publishing ISBN 1405146265 The Access Manual was first published in 2003, and was aimed at providing comprehensive information on standards, legislation and good practice for designers, facilities managers, and other building occupiers. The second edition updates the book in the light of changing legislation, in particular the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), the Approved Document M (2004 edition) and the amended BS 8300:2001. The book is not aimed primarily at access specialists, although it provides a very useful guide for anyone involved in access to the built environment. Its main purpose is to help building owners and tenants ensure that their buildings are accessible, by providing them with the information they need to commission and understand access audits and appraisals, and to understand the legislation and their own duties to disabled people. The Access Manual is also aimed at architects and designers – providing design criteria to help them understand and overcome some of the problems experienced by disabled people when using the built environment. The needs of this target audience vary widely and the book manages to steer a difficult course between providing too much information for some, while covering all the main areas needed for a thorough overview of the issues. The book is divided into four main areas. The first looks at access audits, and considers why they are needed, how to commission and prepare for an audit, and the sort of areas that should be covered in the report. It also explains briefly about access appraisals, and the need for planning and building regulations access statements. Of particular interest in this section is the explanation of the concept of ‘use classifications’ to explore how different areas within a building are accessed, rather than simply relying on a generic title to describe the function of the building as a whole. The next chapter examines the ongoing management of buildings, based around an 28

access plan developed from the audit. It stresses the importance of ongoing maintenance programmes and good housekeeping, as well as the need to ensure that staff are properly trained to be aware of the needs of disabled people. There is a reasonably comprehensive overview of the 1995 and 2005 DDA legislation, as well as a review of Part M of the Building Regulations. The book also looks briefly at BS 5588, BS 8300:2001, and BS 7000 before reviewing planning legislation and guidance and the Occupier Liability Acts. The final section of the book looks in some detail at design criteria, and is aimed at helping architects and designers avoid some of the more common pitfalls in their design of accessible buildings. More importantly, it seeks to provide an insight into why certain features of buildings can prove to be major barriers to disabled people. Lastly, there are a couple of appendices, which provide an audit template or checklist, a brief bibliography and a list of sources for further information. The book is clearly set out, and will provide a useful ongoing reference guide for its target audience. It manages to combine a sufficient level of detailed information covering the main areas of interest to building managers and designers, combined with useful examples and explanations to provide a deeper understanding of the reasoning behind the information being put forward. Reviewer: Kevin Britchfield RIBA Dip ProgMan NRAC Consultant Access by Design Issue 110

A favourite building

The Sir Alexander Fleming Building at Imperial College London

WaiMei Chan, CAE’s Access and Sustainability Adviser, continues our favourite building series.

This 40m tall research facility provides a bright and active atmosphere for developing advances in medical and biological research. Named after the famous Nobel Prize winner who successfully isolated penicillin, jointly with Flory and Chain, the building itself won a RIBA award for Architecture, which was presented to the architects Foster and Partners in 1999. Complete glazing on the north side allows for a full view of the Queen’s Tower and the Queen’s Lawn, the last remnants of the original 1880s college campus, which suffered heavy damage during World War II. The Sir Alexander Fleming building has a smaller tower of its own, with three accessible panoramic glass elevators travelling parallel to that of the Queen’s. Portland stone was used to construct the building, to match the Queen’s Tower. The most distinctive feature, which makes it my favourite building, is the art installation on the inner south wall by the Danish artist Per Arnoldi. The gradation in colour, from tangerine orange in one corner on the ground floor to lemon yellow in the uppermost floor, creates a striking sunrise or sunset effect. The forum space expands towards the top of the building, providing flexible, openplan work areas for research students. Running along the perimeter are study carrels on the second and fourth floors. The modular microbiology laboratories were purpose built and designed to be easily modified for the changing needs of the scientists.

The top floor also accommodates an indoor green house, which absorbs a combination of controlled natural and artificial light from the sculpted roof lights. This also creates the optimum working environment for the researchers within the atrium. I spent the majority of my time as a student in the less glamorous undergraduate part of the building. The main lecture hall, like many others, is accessible from both the ground and first floor. The inbuilt café area is readily available for inter lecture procrastination, where there are easily movable small tables and chairs to cluster for study and more likely, lunch. There is a range of seating around the corner, from wrangled metal backless benches to upholstered high backed booths. The entrance is easily accessible at ground level with two sets of automated doors in quick succession. There are also built in induction loops available for the hearing impaired. The accessible toilets are available in the same place on every floor to the rear and near the elevators at the front. One laboratory is equipped with an island bench, which is adjustable to different heights. Disabled students are assigned a Disability Officer so individual needs are addressed and supported. Inside the building, the atmosphere always struck me as an honest reflection of the weather and the time of day, the front being essentially an enormous glass window to the outside, and an impossible distraction.