FAQ
Below you’ll find answers to the most common questions we get asked about accessibility and the services we offer. These tend to fall into one of four areas:
General
An access consultant works within a project team to develop buildings and external spaces to ensure they are accessible and inclusive for disabled people. Their work includes identifying and removing barriers, advising on compliance with accessibility standards, and suggesting practical design or procedural improvements.
An access consultant works within a project team to develop buildings and external spaces to ensure they are accessible and inclusive for disabled people. Their work includes identifying and removing barriers, advising on compliance with accessibility standards, and suggesting practical design or procedural improvements.
An access audit is a comprehensive assessment of a building and its environment to identify any physical, sensory or intellectual barriers that may pose an access problem for disabled people or mean it’s not as inclusive as it could be.
Access audits look at all external and internal areas of a building including:
- Transport access
- Car parking and set-down / pick-up points
- Cycle parking, storage
- External approaches
- General circulation
- Entrances and doors
- Lifts
- Ramps
- Handrails
- Steps and stairs
- Toilets and bathrooms
- Visual contrast
- Lighting
- Signage
- Communication systems
- The acoustic environment
- Maintenance
- Signage and wayfinding
An access audit also looks at management practices to ensure they are aligned with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.
Access audits generally aren’t a legal requirement (unless they are conditioned at planning or an order of court), but they are a good way of ensuring you meet your legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 and comply with building regulations. They will also help to improve access for your disabled customers and staff.
While you can carry out your own access audit, we would always recommend hiring an NRAC qualified expert. Not only will they potentially spot barriers you may miss, but they will also provide you with recommendations which are both cost-effective and easy to deliver.
Expect to need an access statement if your application requires planning or building control / building regulation approval.
Development / construction work needing an access statement can be for any type of building / environment:
- External spaces
- Residential buildings
- Commercial premises
- Public or private venues
- Educational establishment
Remember that planning can be required for a change of use, class use or where a Heritage Statement is needed.
Yes. Simple changes, such as including grab bars in WCs / bathrooms, having a temporary ramp available or installing high-visibility signage don’t have to cost the earth, but can make all the difference to disabled people as well as others.
When we carry out access audits, we will always provide a list of easy and cost-effective recommendations.
Standards and Guidance
Approved Document M is part of the Building Regulations Part M in England and Wales that gives guidance on meeting requirements and on how to develop buildings that are user-friendly and accessible. It includes advice on how to create accessible toilets, how to use colour and contrast to make spaces easier to navigate and emphasises the importance of clear signage.
Volume 1 covers dwellings while Volume 2 covers all other types of buildings. It is used as the minimum benchmark when carrying out an access audit.
Approved Document M is part of the Building Regulations Part M in England and Wales that gives guidance on meeting requirements and on how to develop buildings that are user-friendly and accessible. It includes advice on how to create accessible toilets, how to use colour and contrast to make spaces easier to navigate and emphasises the importance of clear signage.
Volume 1 covers dwellings while Volume 2 covers all other types of buildings. It is used as the minimum benchmark when carrying out an access audit.
The BS 8300 is the British Standard that sets out how to design an accessible and inclusive environment to meet the needs of disabled people. It has two parts:
BS 8300-1: for external environments such as car parks and access routes
BS 8300-2: for buildings and includes internal layouts and facilities
The standards promote accessibility and inclusivity for a wide range of users by ensuring the access requirements of everyone are incorporated into all areas of the building’s design. They can be applied to a range of private and other buildings used by the public, such as restaurants, train stations, offices and shopping centres.
While BS 8300 is not legally binding, it does provide a set of best practice guidelines.
Design for the mind – Neurodiversity and the built environment is the first ever BSI advisory publication on neurodiversity and broadens the concept of inclusive design to reflect the needs of people who experience sensory and neurological processing difficulties and/or differences.
The guide provides advice around areas such as:
- Lighting
- Acoustics
- Flooring
- Décor
- Wayfinding
- Surface finishes
- Temperature
- Access to green spaces
Produced by Historic England, these guidelines provide practical advice on how to make historic buildings and landscapes as accessible as possible, and how to successfully balance reasonable adjustment with the sensitivities of historic places.
The Equality Act legally protects people against discrimination and unfair treatment in the workplace and when accessing services. It protects individuals from discrimination based on:
- Disability
- Race
- Gender
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Religion
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
About Proudlock Associates
As a leading disability and inclusive design consultancy, we offer a range of services including:
- Access audits and inclusive design consultancy
- Access statements
- Plan Appraisals
- Access strategies, including compliance with Part M building regulations
- Disability Equality Training.
As a leading disability and inclusive design consultancy, we offer a range of services including:
- Access audits and inclusive design consultancy
- Access statements
- Plan Appraisals
- Access strategies, including compliance with Part M building regulations
- Disability Equality Training.
We work with a diverse client base including:
- Public sector and local authorities
- Commercial and private sector organisations
- Charities and community organisations
- Heritage community facilities.
Yes, we can help provide access statements and reports for planning applications to ensure your proposals meet current regulations and inclusive design goals.
The TV Access Project (TAP) is an initiative which aims to make the UK television and film industry fully accessible and inclusive for Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodivergent workers by 2030.
Launched in 2022, TAP is an alliance of the UK’s biggest broadcasters and streamers who have pledged to remove barriers and create equity. Proudlock Associates are delighted to be involved with this project. As well as helping create the TAP Audit Checklist, we also provide training on how to use it.
The NRAC is an independent UK wide accreditation service for individuals who provide access consultancy and access auditor services. It was set up with government backing to provide a single source for organisations seeking competent advice in relation to inclusive environments and accessibility.
Proudlock Associates’ staff always have current auditor or consultant member status on NRAC.
Common terminology you might come across
Refers to how usable a product, a service or a policy is for people in general, with a focus on disabled people.
Refers to how usable a product, a service or a policy is for people in general, with a focus on disabled people.
Assistance dogs are highly trained dogs that support disabled people and people with medical conditions.
Examples include:
- Guide dogs – help people with visual impairments navigate safely and independently.
- Medical alert dogs – detect and respond to specific medical conditions, such as diabetes, epilepsy and severe allergies.
- Hearing dogs – recognise and alert their owner to specific sounds such as smoke alarms, burglar alarms, doorbells, phones and babies crying.
- Autism assistance dogs – trained to respond to anxiety, meltdowns and harmful physical behaviour
Assistive technology is any device or piece of equipment which helps disabled people or those with restricted mobility or other impairments to perform tasks they would otherwise find difficult or impossible. For example, dictation software is useful for people who have challenges writing.
Refers to all constructed environments in which people live and work. It includes buildings, parks, green spaces and infrastructure.
Covers a range of conditions which affect a person’s ability to think, learn, remember and solve problems.
Recognising and accepting that everyone is different, and respecting and valuing these differences.
Equity refers to the principle of fairness, justice and impartiality and recognises that people have different needs and challenges.
Equality means treating people fairly, ensuring everyone has equal rights and equal opportunities and protecting people from being discriminated against because of their personal characteristics.
Is characterised by a partial or total inability to hear sounds.
Inclusion is about including and accommodating people who often face barriers, discrimination or exclusion.
Sometimes referred to as Universal Design or Design for all, Inclusive Design creates an environment which provides for the needs and desires of everyone and treats only the smallest number of people differently.
A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities. It affects the way a person learns new things and lasts a person’s whole life.
Neurodiversity refers to all human beings and recognises that everyone’s brain is different and works in its own unique way.
Describes people who have experiences and reactions that differ from what is generally considered typical. There is no official list of what is considered a neurodivergence, but the ones most frequently cited are:
- Autism
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- Dyscalculia
- Sensory processing disorders
- Tourette syndrome
Also known as hidden or invisible disabilities, these are disabilities not immediately apparent to other people. They can be temporary, situational or permanent and include:
- Sensory and processing disabilities
- Neurodivergences
- Mental health challenges
- Cognitive impairments
- Chronic pain or fatigue
The Equality Act 2010 sets out nine protected characteristics. They are:
- Disability
- Race
- Gender
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Religion
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
- Age
A reasonable adjustment are changes an employer or service provider may make to remove or reduce a disadvantage faced by disabled people. The changes ensure the person is not substantially disadvantaged. For example, someone with social anxiety disorder would have their own desk instead of hot-desking, or a ramp would be installed for a wheelchair user.
Developed by disabled people, the Social Model of Disability asserts that people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or condition. For example, if a wheelchair user is unable to access a building because it has steps, it’s not their impairment that’s stopping them, it’s because the building has a barrier and needs changing.
Also known as the ‘barriers-approach’, as well as identifying society as the cause of disability it provides insight into how society does this and how it can be addressed.
Describes a loss of sight that cannot be corrected using lenses. It covers any kind of vision loss whether someone cannot see at all to someone who has partial vision loss.
Are a designated place where people can go who are experiencing sensory overload. It’s a quiet, controlled area with minimal sensory input which helps people regulate their sensory experiences and reduce stress and anxiety.