Designing for Disability: Open Doors

27 Jan 2025

Urban Realm examines what provisions can be made to enable disabled people to thrive in their daily lives beyond the basic provision of access. Leslie Howson looks at the progress being made in integrating accessibility at the heart of design as opposed to a bolt-on extra.

Britain`s Paralympians once again excelled in 2024, demonstrating their superhuman skills as did the many Armed Forces veterans who took part in the Invictus games. All these elite athletes trained and competed in a state-of-the-art environment, enjoying the best levels of access and support possible to enable them to win on the world stage. A special situation perhaps, but how can architectural design enable disabled people at whatever level, to excel in their daily lives, whether at home, work or at leisure? Disability and impairment or incapacity whether temporary or permanent, visible or not, is something many people will have to contend with in their lives. 

It is estimated that in the UK, there are over 11 million people with disabilities, a figure likely to increase as the population ages. Disability is more likely to affect adults over the State Pension age who account for 45% of the disabled in the UK. Over 80% of disabled people acquired their disability later in life. It is also the case that disability and care in the community are now more closely linked than ever before. At the other end of the demographic scale are the young, with around 1 in 20 children in the UK being disabled with mental conditions rather than physical impairments. Under the Disability Discrimination Act, it is the responsibility of all building owners and providers of services to ensure the buildings they are responsible for are accessible to everyone. Reviewing accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland’s homes, a 2023 consultation, aimed to improve housing accessibility through the review of Part 1 of the Housing for Varying Needs design guide and by introducing a Scottish Accessible Homes Standard through updates to building standards and guidance.

However, whilst current legislation and building regulations go some way to ensuring better provision for disabled people, perhaps they do not go far enough, for many public buildings especially, in Scotland, still do not fully cater for the disabled.  Buildings remain inaccessible possibly due to the lack of basic information on what constitutes an accessible design. Yet there is plenty of advice available for architects and other designers, especially from Scotland`s Access Panels, voluntary organisations who with the help of Disability Equality Scotland work to improve access and inclusion for disabled people in their communities. An important aspect of their work is considering current planning applications for public buildings, and making comments in relation to any accessibility issues as well as acting as consul-tees in relation to large development projects helping developers improve access arrangements. It is estimated that 400,000 wheelchair users in England alone are living in unsuitable accommodation, according to accessible housing experts Habinteg. Wales and Northern Ireland follow accessibility regulations, but like England, in many cases, these are optional or not applicable to all housing stock.

There is as yet no mandatory wheelchair access required in Scotland although there are plans to introduce targets for wheelchair-accessible homes from 2025. Accessibility, inclusive design, barrier-free and other terms are part of everyday language but despite this, basic features such as access ramps are almost an add-on, rather than a starting point. S.E. Smith in his book `The Future of Design Is Designing for Disability` says that; `Accessibility should not be a grudging afterthought; with planning, it can lead to elegant, beautiful, and engaging art.’ There are many categories of disability physical, behavioural, developmental, and sensory with individual challenges unique to each person. The line between impairment and disability is becoming increasingly blurred. Disabled people don’t want to feel beholden but simply to be catered for. Successful architecture means disabled user groups feel they have full independence when using public buildings, and homes.

Disability design should embrace architecture and navigation should serve the impaired and non-impaired alike. Whilst disability critiques of architecture usually emphasise the issue of access, some architects and writers like David Gissen in his book The Architecture of Disability, himself a disabled architect, have called for a complete rethink of the architecture of disability looking beyond traditional notions of accessibility to unlock new ways of conceiving architecture. Gissen calls for a radical rethink by situating impairment in general as a new foundation for the built environment and expresses the view that there are numerous ways that buildings, landscapes and cities can be reimagined to maximise the independence of disabled people. Ensuring independence has to be at the top of a designer`s brief. In practice that means eliminating obstacles, allowing freedom of movement within buildings and the wider environment, making maximum use of technology and being innovative at every level.

Technically, there is no reason why any building should not be accessible and there should be no barriers to the provision of access even in most older buildings. Surely the aim should be for full accessibility, a seamless transition from outside to inside and barrier-free movement throughout the interior space. Provision for the disabled should surely be more than just about front door access anyway. Architects and designers need to think beyond getting everyone into a building to how they can all move about freely while accessing all areas and all levels.  Inclusivity is vital in buildings. Creating truly inclusive design outcomes goes beyond the consideration of disabilities and physical or cognitive challenges; it requires true collaboration with those who are often overlooked. Embracing inclusive design requires a shift in design approach and language from designing ‘for’ people to designing ‘with’ them. This ensures that architectural solutions are not created from assumptions based on what the designer thinks will work, but rather that they genuinely meet the needs of the people you’re designing for.

It’s important to point out that inclusive design isn’t a path to perfection. Collaboration with disabled people, and organizations during the early stages of the design process can be revelatory and can lead to better and more sustainable outcomes. It is also worth noting that people with disabilities can bring valuable ideas to the discussion. Interestingly those with neurodiversity disability tend to think outside the box and often have an increased aptitude for innovation. According to the Glasgow Access Panel, being able to overcome barriers is a fundamental issue of concern for people with disabilities. A barrier-free environment that allows for free and safe movement, function and access for all, regardless of age, sex, mental or physical condition, should be a social obligation as well as a commitment of design professionals. Of course, barrier-free goes far beyond just a ramp and other aspects include door and passage widths, flooring surfaces, counter heights, door handles and railings, signage, auditory signals and tactile surfaces. Scotland’s homes serve a diverse range of user needs, which often change throughout the various stages of people’s lives. Over a home’s lifespan, there may be times, whether momentarily or permanently, when adaptations will be required to accommodate these changing needs and, in some circumstances, it may even be necessary to find more suitable/ specialist housing to meet the needs of a particular user.

It is therefore crucial that the new homes offer a high level of accessibility and adaptability to fulfil the diverse and lifelong needs of Scotland’s people and adhere to the best principles of barrier-free living. True disability design rejects the traditional process of designing for the average user and reframes the creative process by designing for disabilities to create innovative solutions for all. Disabled people should be able to achieve independence and freedom of movement and navigation like everyone else. Perhaps disability design should be re-positioned as designing for variable ability, not disability. Understanding the distinction between inclusive and accessible design is crucial for creating meaningful and impactful user experiences. Inclusive design and accessible design have in some circles become interchangeable terms, but they are different. The process of accessible design involves adherence to a set of standards and ensures that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can access and use the same resources without facing any barriers or restrictions. Inclusive design goes beyond this by actively seeking to represent diverse user characteristics and backgrounds, fostering a deeper connection and understanding.

Embracing inclusive design, means moving from designing for people to designing with people, ensuring that your solutions genuinely meet their varying needs and abilities. Thus, inclusive design goes a step further than accessible design by giving designers the power to remove barriers and open our minds and hearts to a more representative experience rather than following a set of standards and regulations. Inclusive design is complex and truly inclusive designs must ensure robust and accurate representation, and it’s essential to consider user characteristics like cultural and environmental backgrounds. Ensuring independence has to be at the top of a designer’s brief. In practice that means eliminating obstacles, allowing freedom of movement within buildings and the wider environment, making maximum use of technology and being innovative at every level. There has to be a mindset change amongst designers especially architects towards the realisation that all buildings should be designed with impairment in mind, not least when we have an ageing population with all the disabilities that can bring, Design has to be thoroughly inclusive to maximise the independence of disabled people. In the future, it may not be sufficient for buildings to be designed for one particular disability, but to be flexible for all disabilities.  Whilst most disability organizations exist to advise architects primarily on access, others are looking beyond conventional notions of access. One such organization is The Disordinary Architecture Project set up by Jos Boys and Zoe Partington in 2007.

One development which is almost certainly going to impact the lives of disabled people is artificial intelligence and assistive technology. Various studies have revealed that over 70% of people with disabilities believe AI has the potential to significantly enhance their quality of life by advancing innovative solutions that will empower such individuals, fostering greater independence and inclusion. AI is already impacting the building construction industry to build better, more efficiently and more sustainably but it should also enhance the design process itself and impact the quality of buildings we inhabit to the benefit of all user occupants not least those with disabilities. One of the most groundbreaking applications of AI in architecture is the development of space design tools to analyse design parameters, user requirements, and environmental constraints to generate innovative and optimized architectural solutions. By inputting parameters such as site conditions, building requirements, and design preferences, architects can use AI-powered tools to rapidly explore countless design possibilities.

This enables architects to push the boundaries of creativity generating designs that meet the functional and aesthetic needs of building users especially those with disabilities. Homes of tomorrow are likely to include assistive technology such as automotive response systems to improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities. Despite criticism as to the lack of accessibility in many of Scotland`s buildings and with the call for greater inclusiveness and understanding of the wide range of disabilities to be catered for, several Scottish architects have in recent years excelled in disability designs.

The Craighalbert Centre in Cumbernauld by Fraser/Livingstone Architects, for instance, is a preschool nursery for children with severe and complex needs and promotes inclusiveness by ensuring that these children mix with mainstream children. Bertha Park, Perth by Anderson Bell + Christie Architects is an inclusive community project providing care and 3000 new homes for people with complex needs as well as a new high school. One particular landmark project is Hazelwood School, Glasgow by architect Alan Dunlop, a school for pupils with varying levels of visual impairment.

The plan shape and form of the building were dictated by function and the need for ease of navigation and orientation through the building which the architect addressed with an ingenious design for a cork-clad trail wall. This weaves through the school, providing tactile signs or cues to guide students around the building. The key design criteria to help architects and designers of the built environment improve design for the disabled are thinking beyond access, having a better understanding of the range of disabilities, designing for all forms of impairment, making room for more disabled people as co-designers of the built environment, seeking new ways of conceiving architecture for disability including exploiting the potential of Artificial Intelligence. Perhaps it is time to stop using the term disability and to openly recognize that we are all at various levels and stages of ability. We might then have a chance to create new kinds of architecture and spatial environments.