In message <001e01c3ed5c$2bd10a80$d879fea9@janet>, Janet Davis
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>Is there a legal need to use accessibility standards for recording buildings
>as a record of different phases of building for archaeologists,
>architectural historians, architects ie for the professionals involved with
>analysing and conserving buildings/standing remains?
It depends on what grounds (professional) person is getting the plan.
If it is as a service (free, or paid for), then under the Disability
Discrimination Act, the service provider must (if it is reasonable)
supply the information in an accessible format. For example, a church
publishing a guide to its building, a local authority website about a
historic structure in its care, or an architectural historian employed
by a house owner, could all be asked to supply an accessible plan, and
must bear the additional costs.
If the person needs it in order to do their job (as a planning officer,
for example, or a conservation architect) it is the responsibility of
the employer to obtain plans, etc., in appropriate formats, and must
bear the additional cost, if any. Again, the reasonability test will
come into play if there is a huge cost involved.
Education (and transport) is slightly out of step with other services
and employers, so I'm not sure what the situation is with, for example,
a student in a WEA class, or at a university, who needs accessible
plans.
In many areas, I think, good design is accessible design (although I
must admit there are stairs which I really like!) This is expressed in
the concept of 'universal design' - http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/univ_
design/ud.htm.
With best wishes to all,
Pat
--
Pat Reynolds
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"It might look a bit messy now,
but just you come back in 500 years time"
(T. Pratchett)
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