John,
I'm an NRAC consultant, and have worked with JHAI before. They are by far
the best Approved Inspectors in Access terms as they have a dedicated access
person. As we all know, access is a full time job, and BCO's and AI's
really benefit from full-time access support.
JHAI are acutely aware of potential conflicts, and will advise clients to
commission an independent Access Statement if the need arises, such as
differing local design guidance.
Helen Kane
Access Included
From: John Rainey <[log in to unmask]><br>>Reply-To:
Accessibuilt list <[log in to unmask]><br>>To:
[log in to unmask]<br>>Subject: Re: Questions for Canvassing
BCOs<br>>Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 11:20:24 +0000<br>><br>>Thank you
Terry for explaining your role. It is good to know that <br>>many
Approved Inspectors do encourage designers to take access <br>>seriously
and at an early stage.<br>><br>>The poser is this, if a local design
guidance goes beyond part M who <br>>will pick this up? If as Terry says,
it would be "inappropriate, <br>>unprofessional and unlawful"
then Approved Inspectors will not. <br>>Planners usually don't look
beyond a buildings exterior and the <br>>designers are usually unaware
that a local guidance exists? Unless <br>>the local authority has a good
Access Officer or Access Champion the <br>>building design will not have
gained the full approval of local <br>>disabled
people.<br>><br>>John<br>><br>><br>>>From: Terry Warren
<[log in to unmask]><br>>>Reply-To: Accessibuilt
list <[log in to unmask]><br>>>To: John Rainey
<[log in to unmask]><br>>>Subject: Re: Questions
for Canvassing BCOs<br>>>Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 12:55:54
+0100<br>>><br>>>Hi John and all,<br>>><br>>>I'm
Inclusive Design Manager for jhai - a leading national
Approved<br>>>Inspector. Regarding good practice guidance such as
Manchester's <br>>>Design<br>>>for Access 2, these are for
architects, designers and developers <br>>>who need<br>>>or
choose to go beyond Part M standards. It would be
inappropriate,<br>>>unprofessional and unlawful for us to attempt to
enforce such <br>>>guidance<br>>>where it goes beyond Building
Regs.( Unlike Local Authority <br>>>Building<br>>>Control,
Approved Inspectors are highly accountable to an
<br>>>independent<br>>>government agency, the Construction
Industry Council.)<br>>><br>>>What we can do, however, is to
encourage designers to take Access<br>>>seriously at an early stage
and we advise and educate clients on <br>>>DDA<br>>>obligations
and Inclusive Design. Access has been a cornerstone of
<br>>>jhai<br>>>since its inception several years ago and we are
probably unique <br>>>amongst<br>>>AIs in having a full-time
manager (i.e. me,)to deal with complex <br>>>Part M/<br>>>DDA
problems throughout the country.<br>>><br>>>In response to
Flick's query, re-building should not be necessary <br>>>if
Part<br>>>M plan checking has been properly carried out, although I
should <br>>>add that<br>>>contractors on site do occasionally
screw up and yes, they are told <br>>>to put<br>>>it right if
they want the building signed
off!<br>>><br>>>Cheers,<br>>>Terry<br>>><br>>>----------End
of Message----------<br>>><br>>>Run by SURFACE for more
information on research, consultancy and <br>>>the distance taught
MSc. in Accessibility and Inclusive Design <br>>>programme
visit:<br>>><br>>>http://www.inclusive-design.it<br>>><br>>>Archives
for the Accessibuilt discussion list are located at
<br>>>http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/accessibuilt.html<br>><br>>----------End
of Message----------<br>><br>>Run by SURFACE for more information on
research, consultancy and the <br>>distance taught MSc. in Accessibility
and Inclusive Design programme
<br>>visit:<br>><br>>http://www.inclusive-design.it<br>><br>>Archives
for the Accessibuilt discussion list are located at
<br>>http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/accessibuilt.html<br>
----------End of Message----------
Run by SURFACE for more information on research, consultancy and the distance taught MSc. in Accessibility and Inclusive Design programme visit:
http://www.inclusive-design.it
Archives for the Accessibuilt discussion list are located at http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/accessibuilt.html
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