David Bonnett is a prominent access consultant who has been involved in advocating and implementing inclusive design in many major building projects. Amongst other high profile projects, David was a key consultant in the refurbishment of the Camden Roundhouse and he works with Richard Roger’s practice on most of their projects. Here he explains the importance of inclusive design and how much it has progressed in the UK over the last twenty years:
Visitors to some of our most celebrated buildings and public spaces may not realise that the ease with which they enter, make enquiries, enjoy an exhibition, catch a train or relax in the bar or café, is due largely to the fact that that the place they are visiting has been designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities.
In 1995 the Disability Discrimination Act was introduced, to an unprepared and sceptical public. 16 years on it is recognised as one of the UK’s significant achievements, enjoyed by thousands every day and celebrated by visitors from across the globe when we host special events, most notably London 2012, but significantly by visitors to every international conference, music festival, theatre performance and football match.
Twenty years ago we may have accepted that access to our historically significant building was out of the question. Today, with the support of English Heritage, many of these, from the Queen’s House in Greenwich to the De la Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, from Windsor Park to Trafalgar Square provide a largely barrier free welcome to all visitors
People with disabilities, parents with buggies and all of us carrying luggage or shopping all probably agree that there is still a long way to go but the reality is that progress made since 1995 has gone a long way in dispensing with the physical barriers that we had hitherto thought to be inevitable.
David Bonnett
July 26 2013
Access is generally good in historical buildings but why after 16 years is it so bad in old buildings housing hospitality venues!