Video: Designing for disability

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) introduced new measures aimed at ending the discrimination that many disabled people face. In addition to granting new rights to disabled people, the Act also places duties on, among others, employers, providers of goods, facilities and services and education providers.

The main thrust of the legislation is to improve access for disabled people to employment, education and services. While the DDA does not directly require accessible environments to be provided for disabled people, duties under the Act include the requirement to consider barriers created by physical features of buildings and to make adjustments in certain circumstances.

The design professional should be able to advise the client that while something isn't necessarily required, missing it out or addressing it in a particular way, may have an impact on the way the building is used.

There is still a way to go before the built environment is designed, built and managed in a way that gives everyone the same opportunities. As for regulation, it's certain that there will be more, rather than less of it in the future. The Disability Equality Duty, for example, offers a glimpse into the future. This new legal duty, which came into force in December 2006, mandates all public authorities to actively promote disability equality right across the public sector.

In this programme, we look at some of the implications of accessible design.

This programme

• To see the full version of this programme, go to NBS TV

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