BSI revised BS 8300:2018 standard for the design of an accessible and inclusive built environment.
The British Standards Institute, or BSI, is the national standards body of the United Kingdom. BSI produce technical standards on a wide range of products and services and have recently revised their standard for designing accessible building and facilities. In January of 2018 BSI launched the revised standard titled BS 8300:2018 Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment. This revised standard supersedes the previous BS 8300:2009 Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people – Code of practice; which has been withdrawn.
The revised standard aims to give the design information needed to create an inclusive built environment that works for as wide a range of people as possible – including older people, disabled people, and children, from the outset of a project.
The revised BS 8300 now comes in two parts: Part 1: External environment – code of practice and Part 2: Buildings – code of practice.
Part 1 primarily covers access in and around the external environment and approach to buildings such as parking spaces, access routes, and the entrances to buildings. Part 2 provides guidance on access within a building, including facilities provided inside the building such as entrances to buildings, including outward opening doors and windows, and interiors of buildings such as entrances and reception facilities.
BS 8300 is regularly referenced in Technical Guidance Document M 2010 – Access and Use, as a source of further information in relation to numerous matters relating to Part M of the Building Regulations including;
-
Building management
-
Slip resistance
-
Designated car parking
-
Sanitary Facilities
-
Audience and spectator facilities
-
Signage
-
Visual contrast
As such it is considered prudent to reference the latest updated version of BS 8300 when further information is required in addition to the guidance given in Technical Guidance Document M 2010.
If you need further information on designing for an accessible and inclusive environment, please do not hesitate to contact one of our team on (01) 415 12 85 or e-mail [email protected]