| Access all areas - DDA compliance issues and beyond |
|
|
|
| Written by John Stewart, Trellicor Ltd, 2008 | |
|
John Stewart of Trellicor Ltd looks at why it's imperative that facilities managers are not just conversant with accessibility legislation, but that they see it as the starting point for making premises fully accessible to all members of the public.
Genuine access to sites for people regardless of disability or age should be as important to facilities managers as the safety and security of facilities, and nowhere more so than in the social housing arena. The legislation: a starting point onlyPremises across sectors need to be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) as well as passing health and safety inspections and checks, and having preventative measures taken to avoid crime, but these become especially important in social housing. It is now the responsibility of all building owners and providers of services, under the DDA, to make sure that any sites they are responsible for are fully accessible to everyone, regardless of disability, gender or age. In the UK, over eight million people have a disability, but access isn't only about people with disabilities; we could equally be talking about not-so-fit people who don't have a disability as such, older people or parents with pushchairs. DDA compliance is further widened into a statutory duty to make sure that all buildings are accessible and usable under Part M of the Building Regulations (1999). Everyone - whether residents, workers and visitors - needs to be able to gain access to buildings and to gain access to all relevant areas within buildings to use the available facilities. It's important that facilities managers understand that DDA and Part M compliance should only be seen as a starting point, and that 'full access' means a lot more than people being able to get through the main entrance doors and to the toilets. It means everyone, regardless of physical ability, being able to use the premises fully - in the case of a residential centre, as a resident or worker; in the case of a rugby stadium, as a spectator or employee; or in the case of a hospital, as a visitor, patient or member of staff. Full access requirements need to be considered and incorporated into design-and-build budgets for new sites, and reviewed regularly on existing sites. Any organisations failing to comply with this statutory duty lays themselves open to be legally challenged on these points. The government's Equality and Human Rights Commission, established in October 2007, is the main policing organisation tasked with ensuring that the requirements of the DDA and Part M are fully met. Disability access as an integral part of the planning processThe planning system in England needs to successfully and consistently deliver inclusive environments as an integral part of development processes. An 'inclusive' environment is one that can be properly accessed and used by everyone, regardless of age, gender or disability. Inclusive environments need to be an integral part of processes for developers, builders and owners. Problems for wheelchair users include level changes (kerbs, ramps and stairs); narrow doorways and corridors; and controls, handles or switches that are too high to reach from a seated position as well as access to washing and toilet facilities. People with ambulant impairments but who don't use a wheelchair may have trouble negotiating level changes, gradients or insufficient clearance for walking aids. Meanwhile, people with visual impairments may have problems with insufficient lighting or steps that jut out into high-circulation areas; people with hearing impairments may find it difficult to negotiate areas with lots of hard walls and floors and resulting poor acoustics; and there is an array of additional considerations for people with other disabilities. All of these need to be taken into account when planning social housing and other spaces. Best practice around access solutions means a greater use of facilities by everyone - in short, a better facility all-round that fulfils its potential and physically welcomes the entire public rather than just the able-bodied section of that public. In keeping with this, providers working on making premises accessible to people with disabilities can come from the starting point of making sure all the right boxes are ticked in terms of customer brief but also legislation and best practice. It makes sense for customers to be a step ahead of current legislation if at all possible, and it's practical to explain that the statutory requirements currently existing in the UK should be seen as a starter for 10 rather than the be-all and end-all of disability access. Maintenance: all in the planningProper maintenance, in the context of comprehensive Planned Safety Inspections (PSIs), helps ensure that sites comply with all current legislation, including health and safety regulations and DDA issues as well as helping avoid many costly and time-consuming problems on site. In social housing, it's imperative that preventative measures be taken at the right time to avoid mishaps, and that repairs be carried out quickly and with minimum disruption in the event of break-in. That's where a 24/7 repairs services comes into its own. If an organisation's security is compromised, or if the damage their facilities have sustained means they're temporarily not complying with health and safety regulations, they simply can't afford to wait, and especially so in social housing. Security coming firstLoss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) testing against LPS 1175 is the acceptable standard to qualify for the Association of Chief Police Officers' (ACPO) Secured by Design accreditation, which allows providers to use 'Police Preferred Specification'. The LPCB audit these providers' manufacturing facilities regularly to ensure full conformity to standards throughout the manufacturing process. Some product installations can come about after recommendations from the police, such as security grilles on safe houses. For sensitive premises such as social housing sites, residential care centres or domestic violence shelters, it's absolutely vital that products have been subjected to the most stringent security testing available. Looking to the futureDuring the past 25 years there's been a dramatic growth in the size of the UK market for disability access solutions, and a corresponding growth in the range of products and services that facilities managers procure. The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act has obviously been key, but there's so much opportunity for facilities procurement officers to keep ahead of the current legislation rather than just keep abreast of it. Safer, user-friendly doors: sheltered housing complexes, Scotland
The Department for Communities and Local Government's Good Access Guide is free to download from www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding |
| Next > |
|---|
