Centre for Ageing Better, University of the West of England, Bristol and Building Research Establishment Publication date: November 2017 Ranking: useful The role of home adaptations in improving later life In their words: “The review aims to provide evidence to make…
Blog Archives
Housing our ageing population
Local Government Association (LGA) Housing our ageing population – learning from councils meeting the housing need of our aging population Publication date: 2017 Ranking: useful The report contains a number of case studies which highlight four key themes: Having a…
Posted in Uncategorized
Healthy placemaking
Design Council and Social Change UK Publication date: 2018 Ranking: useful Healthy Placemaking In their words: “(The) Healthy Placemaking report explores the attitudes and behaviours of built environment practitioners towards healthy placemaking. The report makes a valuable contribution to the evidence base,…
Planning and healthy developments
Michael Chang, Town and Country Planning Association Securing constructive collaboration and consensus for planning healthy developments Publication date: 2018 Ranking: useful The report describes ten workshops comprising local authority planning and public health teams, housing developers and stakeholders. The built environment…
Are we nearly there yet?
Sustrans Are we nearly there yet? Exploring gender and active travel Publication date: February, 2018 Ranking: useful The paper’s authors highlight how in their words “designing our cities to be more inclusive has stalled”. The paper describes how despite some progress, women continue…
Posted in Gender
Quick links – alternative formats
North Somerset Council Publication date: 2012 – 2017 Ranking: useful A useful summary of guidance on a variety of format and language issues to make information accessible for everyone. To obtain a copy in an alternative language or format please…
Posted in Uncategorized
NHS Estates design guidance
NHS NHS Estates design guidance Publication date: 2016 Ranking: essential Health building notes give best practice guidance on the design and planning of new healthcare buildings and on the adaptation or extension of existing facilities. They provide information to support…
Building better care homes
Care Inspectorate Building better care homes for adults – Design, planning and construction considerations for new or converted care homes for adults Publication date: 2018 Ranking: essential – Scotland In their words: “This guidance has been completely revised in light…
Tagged with: care homes, older people
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Health, Service Provision
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Health, Service Provision
Making cities better for women?
Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Making cities better for women Publication date: 8th March 2018 Ranking: useful Originally produced for International Women’s Day, this blog highlights work by a number of organisations and in particular: the work in Vienna…
Creating better streets
Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) Creating better streets: Inclusive and accessible places Reviewing shared space Publication date: 2018 Ranking: useful A review of the concept of shared space. It addresses the statutory requirements on local authorities, Reviews existing schemes…
Government response: report of House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. HMSO. Government Response to the Report of the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment Publication date: March 2018 Ranking: useful This is the Government’s response to the inquiry by the Committee.…
Intergenerational guide and toolkit
Belfast Strategic Partnership Intergenerational guide and toolkit – old and young getting along together Publication date: 2014 Ranking: useful Provides guidance on intergenerational good practice and project templates to promote age cohesive communities. Download a copy of the toolkit or…
Housing for older people
House of Commons, Communities and Local Government Committee Housing for older people Second Report of session 2017-19 Publication date: February 2018 Ranking: essential The report highlights the complexity in dealing with housing for a diverse group who are often described as…
Designing healthcare facilities?
Department of Health Health Building Note 00-01 General design guidance for healthcare buildings Publication date: 2014 Ranking: essential In their words: “This Health Building Note (HBN) gives general design guidance for healthcare buildings. It provides an overall picture of the design issues…
Tagged with: healthcare
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Health
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Health
A Guide Dog’s LIfe
BBC Scotland Publication date: February 2018 Ranking: essential Crossing the road: a Guide Dog’s life Video highlights the lack of understanding by many drivers of the needs of visually impaired people. This video has a spoken commentary and English subtitles. To…
Cities Aren’t Designed For Women
Kate Abbey-Lambertz, Huffington Post. Cities Aren’t Designed For Women. Here’s Why They Should Be. Publication date: April 2016 Ranking: useful The article highlights the grassroots networking that is going on to improve the collective experience of women in cities. The…
How adaptations can improve later life
Centre for Aging Better, University of the West of England and Building Research Establishment. The role of adaptations in improving later life. Publication date: 2017 Ranking: useful In their words: “Very little attractive, affordable housing has been built in the right…
Accessibility and adaptability of housing
Housing LIN Accessibility and adaptability Publication date: 2017 Ranking: useful Here are resources on housing accessibility and adaptability of housing which are available from the Housing Learning Improvement Network (Housing LIN). Information is available on accessible and adaptable, new and…
Tagged with: design, disability, housing, inclusive access, Independent living, planning
Posted in Housing, Planning, Service Provision
Posted in Housing, Planning, Service Provision
Standards make the world accessible for all
British Standards Institute BSi documentary – Building accessibility Publication date: 2017 Ranking: essential Why are accessibility standards important? How do standards help designers? How can we make the World Wide Web wider? With a new documentary on accessibility, BSI Group…
Tagged with: design, disability, inclusive access
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability
Case study 7: Deaf Cafe
North Somerset Council Choosing a place to meet Publication date: December 2017 Ranking: useful Conversations about “work” happen everywhere all day, all the time which makes this case study about meeting up relevant to us all. Every month a group…
Tagged with: Case Study, Co-design, consultation, disability, meetings and venues, North Somerset Council
Posted in Accessible Information, Events & Meetings
Posted in Accessible Information, Events & Meetings
More designing cities for women 3
Lucy Turnbull, TEDx MacQuarrie University Designing cities for women Publication date: 2014 Ranking: useful The video describes how women use cities differently and that designing for their needs is actually in everyone’s interests. A live English transcript is available alongside…
HAPPI in practice: designing for independent living
Tim Bell, Bell Phillips Architects, for the Housing Learning and Improvement Network (HLIN) Designing for an Autonomous Community – Bruyn’s Court, Publication: 2018 Ranking: useful Using the HAPPI design principles this case study in South Ockendon, Essex describes an inclusive design that…
Tagged with: age, housing, inclusive access, Independent living, self-management, visual impairment
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Uncategorized
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Uncategorized
Review of accessible hotel stock in London
Grant Thorton, Colin Buchanan, David Bonnett Associates and Inclusion London for Design for London (DfL)/London Development Agency (LDA) and Greater London Authority (GLA). Accessible Hotels in London Publication date: March 2010 Ranking: useful This report was commissioned to provide evidence to inform a new London…
Tagged with: accommodation, disability, hotels, inclusive access
Posted in Accommodation, Disability, Planning
Posted in Accommodation, Disability, Planning
Mobility. Mood. Place.
Mobility, Mood and Place (MMP) is a multidisciplinary collaboration between: The University of Edinburgh Heriot-Watt University King’s College London Stockholm Environment Institute at the University of York Publication date: June 2017 Ranking: useful Mobility.Mood.Place. The Mobility, Mood and Place research project has been…
Tagged with: age, Co-design, Dementia, Independent living
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Urban Design
Working for age friendly communities
Centre for Aging Publication date: various Ranking: useful Age friendly community In their own words: “In age-friendly communities, people of all ages actively participate, it is easy for people to stay connected, active and healthy in later life, and appropriate…
Tagged with: age, Dementia, health, Independent living, planning
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Service Provision, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Service Provision, Urban Design
A-Z of Co-design
Mobility, Mood Place Mobility, Mood and Place (MMP) is a multidisciplinary collaboration between: The University of Edinburgh Heriot-Watt University King’s College London Stockholm Environment Institute at the University of York A-Z of Co-design Publication date: 2016 Ranking: useful The short document…
Tagged with: age, Co-design, design, inclusive access, Independent living, planning, public realm
Posted in Consultation
Posted in Consultation
Designing with people
Helen Hamlyn Trust Designing with people Publication date: Ranking: essential In their words: “This web-based resource has been created by the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art to share ways to design with people. Get…
Tagged with: Co-design, consultation, inclusive access
Posted in Auditing, Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Project Management
Posted in Auditing, Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Project Management
Design for dementia
Bill Halsall, Halsall Lloyd Partnership and Dr. Rob MacDonald, Liverpool Moores University. Design for Dementia, Volume 1 – A Guide Design for Dementia, Volume 2 – Research Projects Publication date: 2015 Ranking: useful In their words: ‘Design for Dementia’ is a…
Tagged with: Dementia, design, housing, Independent living
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Urban Design
Who do we design for?
Microsoft Design The case for inclusive design Publication date: 2016 Ranking: useful In their words: “If we use our own abilities and biases as a starting point, we end up with products designed for people of a specific gender, age,…
Tagged with: Co-design, design, inclusive access, Independent living
Posted in Consultation, Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Private Sector
Posted in Consultation, Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Private Sector
Office life for Deaf people
Charlie Swinbourne, The Guardian What’s it like to work in an office when you are Deaf? Publication date: 31 May 2012 Ranking: useful Explains many of the barriers faced by Deaf people when working in a variety of types of…
Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment
House of Commons Select Committee: Women and Equalities Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment Publication date: 2017 Ranking: essential Download a copy here from the Parliament website The report sets out the Select Committee’s findings and recommendations on…
Tagged with: access, disability, inclusive access, Independent living, legislation
Posted in Building Regulations, Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Highways, Paving, Urban Design
Posted in Building Regulations, Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Highways, Paving, Urban Design
Retirement in the city or the sun?
Mimi Kirk, CityLab Ageing in place Publication date: 2017 Ranking: useful Download a copy here from the CityLab website This report looks at a US survey of older people, younger Millennials and Boomers to find out where they would want…
Connecting parks and people
Mimi Kirk, CityLab The city’s parks welcoming immigrants Publication date: 2017 Ranking: useful This article describes how local communities were encouraged to become involved in helping to regenerate a run down park in Brooklyn. In addition to traditional methods such…
8 minutes, 34 seconds of your time
Design Council Inclusive Environments Publication date: 2016 Ranking: Essential This short film sets out the principles and methods to design and implement an inclusive environment for everyone. It has been commissioned as part of the Design Council’s work on their Inclusive…
Tagged with: design, inclusive access
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Project Management
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Project Management
Why don’t women cycle
Various sources Publication dates: various, 2017 Ranking: useful There is a gender gap in cycling which various across different countries. These articles show what some of the issues may be and what physical design barriers need to be addressed. As…
Posted in Uncategorized
Accessible Street Charter
Equality and Diversity Team, North Somerset Council Publication date: 2017 Ranking: essential The charter is based on work undertaken by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), to promote the concept of charters which set out the key principles…
Tagged with: Dementia, disability, inclusive access, public realm, visual impairment, women
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Design toolkit
MediaLAB Amsterdam Publication date: 2016 Ranking: useful This toolkit sets out in detail all the various stages to design from initial ideas to implementation looking at what needs to be considered and how it should be carried out. Stages include,…
Tagged with: Co-design, design, design methods
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Project Management, Service Provision
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Project Management, Service Provision
Code of practice for wheelchair passport schemes
British Standards Institute (BSi) Code of practice (CoP) for wheelchair passport schemes Publication date: 2013 Ranking: essential This CoP promotes the use of a passport scheme which would include basic details required by wheelchair users to enable their safe travel…
Tagged with: disability, inclusive access, public transport, Transport
Posted in Accessible Information, Disability
Posted in Accessible Information, Disability
Great public spaces need more than good design
Linda Poon, The Atlantic CityLab. To Build a Great Public Space, You Need More Than Good Design Publication date: 2017 Ranking: useful The article highlights the work of the Kounkuey Design Initiative who work with grassroots organisation to create public spaces…
Why the UK voting system must change
Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) Turned out 2017 Published: 2017 Ranking: essential Whilst all voters have the right to vote independently and in secret the RNIB’s research into the last UK General Election has shown “…breakdowns in the current voting…
Tagged with: elections, polling stations, visual impairment, voting
Posted in Accessible Information, Disability, Service Provision
Posted in Accessible Information, Disability, Service Provision
Life and times of a BSL interpreter at Glastonbury Festival
Here’s an edited account of one of Deafinite’s interpreters working with DeafZone at the 2017 festival. Download the Glastonbury BSL story For a copy in an alternative format or language please write to: Deafinite Interpreters 50 Topsham Road…
Tagged with: Deaf, festivals, inclusive access, leisure
Posted in Accessible Information, Service Provision
Posted in Accessible Information, Service Provision
Active ageing
Written by Liz Cairncross, Head of Research at the Institute of Public Care, Oxford Brookes University, Housing LIN Active Ageing and the Built Environment Publication date: 2016 Ranking: useful The Briefing it looks at active ageing and the different aspects of the built…
Tagged with: age, housing, inclusive access, Independent living, learning disability
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Housing
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Housing
Inclusive service provision
British Standards Institute (BSi) Inclusive service provision BS 18477:2010 Requirements for identifying and responding to consumer vulnerability In their words: “All consumers are different, with a wide range of needs, abilities and personal circumstances. These differences can place some in a…
Tagged with: accessible services, inclusive services
Posted in Events & Meetings, Private Sector, Service Provision
Posted in Events & Meetings, Private Sector, Service Provision
Web accessibility
British Standards Institute (BSi) Web accessibility Publication date: November 2010 Ranked: essential Guidance setting out the technical requirements for all organisations to ensure their websites are fully accessible to disabled people with a range of impairments. To obtain a…
A place for everyone?
Oxfam and Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) A place for everyone? Publication date: 2007 Ranking: useful This note relates to meeting the needs of women in Planning. It was produced at the time of the introduction of the Gender Equality…
Managing Accessible Toilets
Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE) Managing Accessible Toilets Publication date: 2017 Ranking: essential This guidance sets out the need for accessible toilets, the legislative background and the standards for the various different types. Importantly, it highlights 10 key good practice…
Tagged with: management practice, toilets
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Disability, Service Provision
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Disability, Service Provision
Dementia-friendly housing charter
Alzheimers Society Dementia-friendly housing charter Publication date: March 2017 Ranking: useful In their words: “This.. charter seeks to make the housing sector including housing organisations, corporate bodies and sector professionals aware of the challenges of living with dementia so that…
Inclusive communication
Office for Disability Issues Inclusive communication Publication date: August 2014 Ranking: essential In their words: “This guidance aims to help you to: communicate using inclusive language and know which words to use and avoid when writing about disability include disabled…
Tagged with: alternative formats, channel shift, inclusive access, language
Posted in Accessible Information
Posted in Accessible Information
How to write an Access Statement
VisitEngland VisitBritain Accessibility Guides Publication date: 2017 Ranking: essential In their words: “An Accessibility Guide is produced by tourism operators to provide potential visitors with important accessibility information about a venue, property or service. The guide enables individuals with accessibility…
