Accessibility, What is it all about?
For many years people have been designing buildings and environments with the accessible ‘toilet’ and ‘ramp’ approach in mind and catering for people with mobility impairments. But this is changing.
It is now recognised that accessibility affects all members of society regardless of their age, size or ability. Designers, architects, planners, engineers and all those involved with making the buildings and environments accessible are beginning to understand that they need to understand the journey sequence taken by end users in order to make the services and the specific activities people are engaging with in buildings and environments accessible.
It is also now recognised that another key element of accessibility that is far too often ignored is making services or the user experience accessible for all and that accessibility goes beyond the built environment. There are a number of key elements that must link to ensure a high level of accessibility is provided. These elements include accessible public transport, information and communication (i.e. pre-visit information), customer services, buildings/environments and use of public spaces. If any link of the accessibility chain does not function properly, accessibility will not work. Therefore it is critical that everyone takes responsibility for implementing accessibility to provide accessible services for all.
If you would like further information on accessibility, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01-4151285 or [email protected].
