You may be interested to note the following media release:

Media Release

Immediate release: 3 December 2009

HEIs must ensure campuses are accessible to all, says Equality Challenge Unit 

Some higher education institutions (HEIs) are letting inclusive and accessible 
building design slip down the agenda despite increased legislation, Equality 
Challenge Unit said today. The higher education equality body was speaking 
on the publication of new guidance to support the sector to develop buildings 
and outdoor spaces that are genuinely accessible and inclusive.

Managing inclusive building design for higher education, launched today (3 
December 2009), stresses that it is vital that accessibility is considered at 
every stage of the building process and that there needs to be user 
involvement throughout for campuses to meet the needs of staff, students 
and visitors. 

Sue Cavanagh, ECU Deputy Chief Executive, said:

‘Institutions need to maintain their commitment to accessibility and inclusive 
building design, whether they are starting a new-build or looking at ways to 
adapt existing buildings. This is especially important when the economic 
climate makes capital building projects less frequent, and institutions are 
relying more on using, or renovating, old and inaccessible buildings. The 
campus environment has a major influence on the student experience, on the 
experience of staff members, and on the attraction of an institution. 

With new-builds, HEIs need to ensure that physical and cultural accessibility is 
prioritised from the very beginning. It can be dangerous to assume that 
architects or planners have taken these issues into account, or that they 
have an in-depth understanding of the needs of staff and students and how 
the building will be used. By considering and addressing equality issues from 
the outset, institutions reduce the need for costly alterations or adaptations 
later on to comply with their legal duties.

When it comes to refurbishing existing buildings, institutions need to be more 
prepared to argue the case for adjustments with planning departments – 
especially when dealing with listed buildings. If a local authority planning 
department rejects an initial design on aesthetic or sustainability grounds, a 
university or college will often see this as the start of a negotiation process. 
However, if the planning department objects to the installation of a lift or 
external ramp within a listed building, the response, too often, is to accept 
the decision.’

Managing inclusive building design for higher education makes the case for 
reinvigorating inclusive design issues within institutions. Developed in 
partnership with the Association of College & Business Officers (CUBO), it 
provides practical advice on how to ensure that, for any major building or 
refurbishment project, inclusive design issues are prominent. The publication 
will be launched today (3 December 2009) at the CUBO national conference at 
Southampton Solent University. 

Ends

Contact Details:

Anna Roberts

Communications Manager 

T: +44 (0)20 7438 1018

M: +44 (0)7810 556 724

E: [log in to unmask] 

Notes to editors:

Managing inclusive building design for higher education is available to download 
from the ECU website: http://www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/managing-inclusive-
building-design-for-higher-education 

ECU has created an Estates Toolkit – guidance and information specifically 
focused on embedding equality into the work of HEI Estates departments: 
http://www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/?browse=hei-function 

ECU supports the higher education sector to realise the potential of all staff 
and students whatever their race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, 
religion and belief, or age, to the benefit of those individuals, higher education 
institutions and society. ECU is funded by Universities UK, GuildHE and the UK 
higher education funding bodies (HEFCE, HEFCW, DEL-NI) and by SFC to work 
in collaboration with the higher education sector in Scotland.  

For further information on the work of ECU, guidance and publications, and 
advice on equality and diversity in higher education. T: +44 (0) 20 7438 1010, 
E: [log in to unmask], W: www.ecu.ac.uk

----------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.surface.salford.ac.uk
Archives for the Accessibuilt discussion list are located at http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/accessibuilt.html