Future Inclusive, Access Consultants, contact details, access audits, DDA, Disabled access, disabled egress, Nottinghamshire / Derbyshire/ Leicestershire.

Creating Inclusive Environments

The Planning Advisory Service has published a case study considering how local planning authorities can achieve inclusive & accessible develoments, and make the consultation process widely accessible.

Download a copy from

www.pas.gov.uk

Means of Escape for disabled people

March 2007

New guidance from Communities and Local Government to help building managers evacuaute all users safely from a building in an emergency.

Supplements the 'Fire Safety Guides' and is downloadable free at;

www.communities.gov.uk

Provide more accessible information !

The Government's Office for Disability Issues has published guidance for public bodies on providing more accessible information

The guide introduces Five principles to improve the design of information and communication with disabled people;

1. Ensure that disabled people are involved from the start
2. Provide information through a range of channels and formats
3. Ensure your information meets user needs
4. Clearly signpost other services
5. Always define responsibility for information provision

The guidance can be downloaded from:

http://www.officefordisability.gov.uk/docs/ODI_FivePrinciples_2007.pdf

Building Regulations - New fire safety requirements

Building Regulations Approved Document B [Fire Saftey] was published on 18th December 2006, and comes into force on 6th April 2007.

Approved Document B is split into two. B1 - Dwelling houses, and B2 - Buildings other than dwelling houses, including the common parts of blocks of flats.

B1 reduces the requirements for door-closing devices in dwellings.

B2 requires that inclusive egress for disabled people be incorporated into the means of escape, and gives guidance on the provision of refuges, installing fire alarms to alert Deaf users of an emergency alarm, and level thresholds to final exits on fire escape routes.

For buildings covered by the RRO* - a new regulation, B16, requires the provision of fire safety information at handover to the 'responsible person'. This is to assist in the production of management procedures for the safe evacuation of all users of the building.

A copy of Part B can be downloaded free of charge from

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/professionals/en/4000000000084.html

[* Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, operational since 1st October 2006]

Inclusive Design - it's on our agenda !

Lead Consultant at Future Inclusive, Hilary Tansley, has qualified for membership of the RICS Inclusive Environment Scheme, one of only 15 country-wide to achieve membership to date.

The scheme was started last year by the RICS, to promote excellence in the field of inclusive environments, and to offer quality assurance to clients seeking advice on inclusive design and the implications of the DDA.

Hilary is a Chartered Building Surveyor and is also registered as a Consultant member on the National Register of Access Consultants.

Future Inclusive work nationally from a base in the East Midlands, providing access audits, access statements, design appraisals and training.

DDA 2005 now fully in force

DDA 2005 has been fully in force since 4th December 2006.
Most importantly - public bodies, such as local councils, are required to produce a 'Disability Equality Scheme' to show how they will ensure that disabled people will get equal outcomes from the services provided.
Duties to disabled people are extended to bus and train services, public authorities and private clubs. People diagnosed with some illnesses, such as cancer and MS, are protected from discrimination from the date of diagnosis.

Future Inclusive @ East Midlands Property Show

Come and see us at the East Midlands Property Show
and we'll advise on any aspect of inclusive design or DDA duties

Where: East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham University
When: November 7th 2006, 9.30am - 4.30pm

Fire reform order operational

The new fire legislation came into effect on the 1st of October 2006.

Free guidance for building managers is available from the Department for Communities and Local Government at www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1162101

Design and Access Statements

Design and Access Statements will be required for most planning applications from 10th August 2006, as section 42 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 comes into force.

The requirement will provide an opportunity for access requirements to the building to be considered along with the design at the earliest stages in the development.

The access statement can be further developed for building control, construction and occupation phases of the building to meet the requirements of Approved Document part M, and subsequent duties of the occupant under DDA 1995 and 2005

Applications from householders, changes of use and for engineering and mining operations are exempt.

PAS 78 Accessible Website design

The long awaited guidance from the British Standards Institution on accessible website design,

PAS 78 was published on March 8th 2006.

The guidance was produced following a survey by the Disability Rights Commission found that 81% of websites from a survey of 1000 did not meet even basic accessibility guidelines.

Fire Reform Order Date announced

6th March 2006

The ODPM has announced that the Fire reform Order will come into force from 1st October 2006.

A 'responsible person' will be required to carry out a risk assessment for all non- domestic premises, and put in place any measures necessary to ensure the safety of all users of the building.

The risk assessment should, of course, include any person with a disability working in or visiting the premises.

The emergency egress procedure for a building may need updating to show how all users will be evacuated.

The ODPM has issued guidance documents, available from www.odpm.gov.uk

News

Friday, June 15, 2007

Creating Inclusive Environments

Means of Escape for disabled people

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Provide more accessible information !

Monday, January 15, 2007

Building Regulations - New fire safety requirements

Inclusive Design - it's on our agenda !

DDA 2005 now fully in force

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Future Inclusive @ East Midlands Property Show

Fire reform order operational

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Design and Access Statements

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

PAS 78 Accessible Website design

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Fire Reform Order Date announced

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