Associate Consultant Kat Aedy is no stranger to the Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE). She worked with them previously as an Access and Sustainability Advisor, and on publications, for about two years before becoming Interim CAE Manager in 2018, and an associate in 2024. In this perceptive blog for CAE, Kat discusses why people’s attitudes are the biggest barrier for disabled people, why signage, pre-arrival information, and different communication formats are necessary for charities and voluntary groups, and why it’s never too early to bring in an access consultant.
What areas do you consult on at CAE?
I have a background in delivering training and facilitating lived experience consultations, and currently advise on the inclusive design of historical, listed, and new buildings. This includes workspaces, teaching and study spaces, and labs, to museums, libraries, cafes, accommodation/housing, and the public realm.
I also conduct access and inclusive design audits of buildings, reviews of layouts and elevations, finishes and furnishings, and recommend inclusive management considerations.
How do you define inclusive design and accessibility?
For me it’s the creation and management of environments that make as many people as possible feel welcomed, safe, and independent, and that their relevant needs have been met. This accounts for physical and sensory access as well as intersecting experiences of faith, gender diversity, neurodivergence, ethnicity, and hormonal changes.
What inspired you to specialise in inclusive design and accessibility?
Over a decade ago in my role as Centre Director at an advocacy organisation at University of Toronto, I learned about the British Standards. Canada is working towards a national standard, but still has fragmented building codes for each province, whereas the UK has national building regulations and best practice guidance on physical and sensory access to the built environment.
At the university, I coordinated and worked alongside disabled and neurodivergent students to provide an access audit of campus buildings, followed by a forum event to communicate findings and potential improvements to estates staff. This resulted in improvements such as the installation of a pool hoist and the levelling out of historical paving.
My experience was formalised at CAE when I led the Access and Sustainability Advisory Service, helping charity organisations on site, providing access audits and helping people to interpret the audit report’s recommendations. The most satisfying part of my work is getting to witness people who previously knew little about inclusive design suddenly telling others about the importance of considerations such as contrast between finishes, door weights, reach heights and sensory overwhelm.
What still surprises you about working in this sector?
I’m surprised that many people still refer to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). In England, Scotland, and Wales, the DDA was replaced by the Equality Act 2010. The Act consolidated and strengthened the protections against discrimination that were previously found in the DDA. While the DDA is still in effect in Northern Ireland, the Equality Act provides the relevant legal framework for the rest of the UK.
Also, even with very clear Approved Document M accessible toilet design guidance, I’m surprised that it’s rare to see an accessible toilet laid out or managed appropriately!
Tell us about a CAE project you’ve worked on that has had a significant impact on inclusion and access, and how it achieved that.
Many years ago, I developed guidance and training for Greater London charities through the Access and Sustainability Advice Service (ASAS) service at CAE. It focused on ‘quick wins’ such as signage, pre-arrival information, and communication formats, that service providers could action in their day-to-day operations to create a better experience for community members, even with the limitations of their buildings.
This has since evolved into fantastic practical training for charity and voluntary organisations in London.
What are some of the biggest challenges in inclusive design and accessibility within the built environment today?
Access consultancy is often brought into the process when it’s deemed too late to make changes to earlier decisions on structure and layout, and even on details in later stages such as finishes and furnishing.
Fortunately, the RIBA Inclusive Design overlay provides a means of embedding inclusive design into the entire project timeline, which I’ve recently had the opportunity to experience on a range of small to large capital projects.
What do you see as the biggest barrier preventing disabled and older people from fully participating in society?
Attitudes. I believe people want to be inclusive, but many people don’t understand, empathise, or feel comfortable talking about disability, ageing, or other protected characteristics until they experience it themselves. A strong presence of intersectional disability advocates/influencers online, in mainstream media, in education and workplaces is hopefully helping to shift these attitudes increasingly.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing disabled people in the built environment over the next 5–10 years?
Housing accessibility and availability, due to environmental and economic factors, but I’m hopeful that increased demand from the large ageing population and evidence-based advocacy of organisations like Habinteg Housing Association will continue to address this challenge.