What is an Access Audit?
An Access Audit is a review and assessment of a building or facility and the services within a building or public space, to evaluate its accessibility and compliance with relevant standards and codes of practice, such as Approved Document Part M and British Standards BS8300 to offer an inclusive built environment.
Why do you need an Access Audit?
All buildings in the UK must be accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities, and all facilities within these buildings must accommodate individuals with diverse characteristics. The Equality Act 2010 outlines nine protected characteristics that must be considered when offering services, constructing, or refurbishing new structures. Everyone should be able to independently access and move around buildings and external spaces without difficulty or obstruction.
Access Audits provide clients with guidance on improving the spaces they manage to ensure inclusivity for all. By creating accessible environments, clients enhance opportunities for people with disabilities, fostering greater independence and better access to services. Improved accessibility allows service providers to reach a broader audience, benefiting both users and providers.
Accessible and Inclusive Spaces
Our Access Audit Services involve a visit to our client’s premises to take photographs, measure widths and heights and assess the existing accessibility provision and compliance. After the site visit, our team will prepare thorough reports with photographic evidence and information on the compliance with the current standards, such as Approved Document Part M and K, British Standards BS8300, and where applicable the Department of Transport (DfTs) Approved Code of Practices for Accessible Railway Stations. In the reports, the team inform and advise on the improvements that are required to offer accessible and inclusive spaces.