Presented at Homes for Living Forum by Brenda Puech, Director of Consultancy at Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE).
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Housing standards and accessible communities.
1. Centre for Accessible Environments
A leading UK authority and resource on inclusive design and access to the
built environment providing a number of services including:
– publications
– training
– access consultancy
– information services and projects
4. Accessible housing needs
The results of recent FOI request to all London
Boroughs revealed that there were 2,246 live social
housing applications in London for wheelchair
accessible accommodation
Many of those waiting for accessible permanent
accommodation could be living in inaccessible
accommodation, temporary accommodation, a
nursing home or even waiting to be discharged
from hospital
5. Case study
• Wheelchair user living in area for 12 years and
does not want to move out of the area
• Applies for planning permission to build new
home as existing home is not suitable for
degenerative condition of owner
• Permission refused as the borough needs to
protect its distinctive suburban character from
‘inappropriate’ development
6. Housing standards: a poor
relation of inclusive design
standards?
Do we have to have two standards?
between dwellings vs buildings
• between housing levels 1, 2 and 3
7. Comparison of requirements for
dwellings and other buildings
Buildings
• people should be able to
reach the principal and
other entrances
• access to all storeys
• elements should not
constitute a hazard for
visually impaired people
• aids to communication
• access to sanitary
accommodation
Dwellings
• people should be able
to reach the main or
alternative entrance
• people should be able
to get into and around
the principal storey
• WC provision should
be at principal level
8. Comparison of requirements for
dwellings and other buildings
Buildings
• have to provide step-free
approach
• handrails on both sides of
external steps
• entrance threshold has to
be level
• Internal door widths
minimum 800mm
Dwellings
• stepped approach
reasonable on some sites
• handrail to one side of
external steps
• can have a step at the
threshold
• Internal door widths
minimum 750mm