Have you got something you are secretly pleased about or perhaps have something that you’re proud of that you want to make known? Or maybe you just fancy going the extra mile to do something really a bit special? Then now could be the time for you to think about entering an Inclusion Award and get the recognition you deserve.
With the free PR and publicity surrounding an awards ceremony you can raise the profile of your business, enhance your reputation and in the long run attract new business. Now that sounds like a win-win situation I hear you say!
Of course winning an award is only possible when an organisation has actually done something extra that marks it out for merit. Let’s be honest from the start, to be recognised and rewarded as an Inclusion Leader won’t be easy and it won’t be cheap!
Firstly you’ve got to be working smarter and different to your peers. For you developers and architects, simply being adequate and meeting the building regulation Part M for wheelchair access width, won’t be enough. It’s unlikely for you to win an award for simply staying on the right side of the statutory regulations.
Part M (even in the new standards) only tell us how we need to configure a space with appropriate height facilities such as toilets, basins and handrails. However, these reflect only one adult size of wheelchair and does not reflect the wide variety of wheelchair widths.
Secondly, to be in with a really good chance of winning you will need to show that you have consulted and involved a wide variety of disabled people in the project. Can you show how disabled people have been genuine partners and have helped improve the quality of your designs? Inclusion issues are not simply about wheelchair access and wheelchair widths.
Thirdly, hire a qualified and experienced inclusive design and access consultant who can share with the design team best practice knowledge and examples from elsewhere; a consultant with a specialist Universal Design or Part M remit can enhance your teams’ chances of winning over and over again.
If you’re not quite ready to compete and win an award, then Proudlock Associates can help you start off along the journey towards success, please contact us today and one of our friendly, expert team will be happy to help and answer any questions. We’re on 0845 130 1669.
In the meantime, here are some inclusive design awards that you might want to think about entering:
Civic Trust Awards (Selwyn Goldsmith Award for Universal Design)
Visit England, Access for All Tourism Award
