Accessibility cannot be guaranteed by good design alone. Community buildings are an asset to the whole community and more than just a physical feature. They are important to the health and well-being of those who live in the area providing an excellent opportunity to build social networks thereby engendering and maintaining a real sense of belonging. Providing an inclusive and accessible environment will result in a more cohesive and caring community.
From a physical perspective, the way a building is managed on a day-to-day basis has an impact on how easy it is to use by disabled people. For example, a lift lobby (which allows a wheelchair user to reverse into the lift) is useless if it is used for storage. It is important for all those responsible for the building – bookings, cleaning, maintenance etc. to understand the issues and regularly check for compliance. This form can be used as a guide.
When considering improvements, both new builds, extensions and refurbishment, it is important to consider all the DDA aspects. For example, there is no point in having a wheelchair accessible toilet if the door/s leading into or around the hall are not wide enough for the wheelchair. Another common problem is that ramps are placed at entry doors but not at emergency fire exits – sort of saying ‘welcome, come in’ but ‘we don’t know how you are going to get out if there is a fire’!
Planning and building control departments do not always pick up the DDA issues, because they only work on the area that is being changed, not on the areas that might have an impact on the change. For example, there was a hall which was spending £100,000 on a new extension with a range of new facilities for disabled people but the front door was stepped and it was impossible to get through the gate in a wheelchair to the side entrance. When the chair of the village halls asked why it was not highlighted at the planning stage, the planning department said that they were only considering the extension drawings.
Another difficulty is that attention is not paid to the detail – for example, the toilet flush is fitted on the wrong side of the toilet, the colour contrasts are not co-ordinated when it comes to decorating. Even the smallest lip to a door means that some wheelchairs cannot get through; this is a particularly problem when you buy a door unit which comes with a ‘bar’ along the floor.
It is really important to contract and work with a professional organization (builder, architect, designer, structural engineer, quantity surveyor etc.) who has kept themselves up to date with the legislation (e.g. Part M Building Regulations). We have worked closely with a company called Bailey Partnership (see their listing under ‘Friends’), who provide a day free consultation and we would like to recommend that you contact them in the first instance.
Briefing your professional is also very important; they must understand the essential requirements of 21st century halls. Environmental specifications should be of the highest possible standard (due to the expensive nature of heating very large rooms and halls) and rural communities need to see their hall as a ‘hub’ – i.e. with possibilities for a small meeting room, consultation room (e.g. health), office facilities (for home workers, parish council clerk etc.) along with kitchens (which can be hired out for commercial catering, meals on wheels etc.) and domestic facilities (e.g. to support bathing of the frail and disabled). Outside space can be utilized too – think about community composting, community growing, affordable housing and start up business units.
To help you to overcome some of these issues we have included the following documents on this website:
a) Sample access audit, which highlights all the DDA criteria in a range of sections – e.g. from car parking through to emergency evacuation.
b) A series of information sheets to go with the access audit criteria (above). For example, within ‘Car Parking and Setting Down’ there are statements and drawings that you need to incorporate when developing or improving a car parking area.
c) One of the information sheets (25) covers accessibility and inclusion: policy, procedure and practice.
d) A clause in the access audit saying that any professional undertaking work on your behalf complies with the current legislation – therefore if they make a mistake it is their responsibility to put it right at their own cost.