Summary
CAE Access Advisor and NRAC member, Judi Watkinson, says architects and designers should consider having a Part M design review undertaken during the early RIBA design stages.
Judi Watkinson, is a CAE Access Advisor, a member of the Chartered Society of Designers, and a consultant member of the National Register of Access Consultants. In 2024, she celebrated her 20th anniversary, specialising in accessibility in the built environment after originally training in access consultancy with CAE in 2004. Combined with inclusive design and access consultancy, Judi has over 30 years’ experience in commercial interior design and strategic space planning. Her expertise includes supporting architects and designers through the RIBA design stages to help with planning permission and Building Regulations approval.
Read about why Judi believes architects and designers should consider having a Part M design review undertaken during the early RIBA design stages, and why social care must be ring-fenced for those people who need society’s support.
What areas do you consult on at CAE?
I’ve been working with CAE since 2019, and I mainly support design teams on cross sector projects during the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) design stages carrying out design reviews against national and international standards, as well as preparing access statements. I also carry out access audits on existing buildings and environments.
What inspired you to specialise in inclusive design and accessibility?
For me, inclusive design and accessibility is about good design practice that provides a barrier free environment and a positive experience for everyone to enjoy. Back in the early 2000’s, a family member was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and I witnessed firsthand all the barriers they faced just getting around in a wheelchair, even with assistance.
I felt really frustrated by the challenges they faced by a lack of dropped kerbs and cars parked across pavements, and these issues only added to the unfairness of their terminal condition.
At the time, I was working as a commercial interior designer and strategic space planner for an architectural practice in London. This first-hand experience of disability was a turning point in my career. I decided that I wanted to make a difference for society through my work as a designer and do what I could to improve the built environment. The timing coincided with a new Approved Document M being published in 2004 which removed the reference to ‘disabled people’, cultivating a new, inclusive approach to design and the amended Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) coming into effect in 2005.
What still surprises you about working in this sector?
People are still using the term DDA. I think this acronym has stuck because it was a big thing when it became enforced and most people in construction and design know what it means, even though it was absorbed into the Equality Act 2010 some 15 years ago.
What are some of the biggest challenges in inclusive design and accessibility within the built environment today?
It’s often the case that access consultants are brought in too late in the design process and then an amount of back tracking sometimes must occur. Fortunately, the new Building Safety Act has sharpened the industry’s focus on the importance of Building Regulations compliance and the importance for accessibility in relation to the Building Regulations Part M as a minimum level of compliance. This is especially the case in London where the London Plan influences a high level of inclusive design and accessibility which can only be a good thing.
Prior to the Building Safety Act, accessibility was often viewed as an underdog and often value engineered out of projects, if even considered. Fortunately, that situation can no longer be acceptable.
Do you believe the Covid-19 pandemic has increased awareness and understanding of the everyday inclusive design and accessibility challenges faced by disabled and older people?
Yes, I think so, especially from a mental health perspective. In my experience, many younger people have a positive understanding of inclusivity and accessibility, especially as many were impacted in their formative years during school, college and university.
First-hand experience of health issues gives people far greater empathy for others, which was the case for me. As we travel through life, all of us will likely be impacted in some way by disability and long-term health issues, if not in ourselves, in our family and friends. It’s only then that we’ll truly begin to fully understand the benefits of good inclusive design.
Are there any key insights or reflections on inclusive design and accessibility that you’d like to share?
Of course, if you’re an architect or designer working on a project, please consider having a Part M design review undertaken during RIBA Stage 2 at the very least to help catch any issues early on. I say this as I’ve never worked on a project in over 20 years which didn’t have recommendations for improvements to accessibility, some of them fundamental, which could have been costly to remedy post completion!
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing disabled people in the built environment over the next 5–10 years?
The UK is entering a worrying phase with international tensions and I’m concerned that with the level of debt and the necessary spending on bolstering our military capabilities , deeper cuts will be made to social care. Social care must be ring-fenced for those people who need the support of our society.
The UK has a huge debt problem and one way to overcome this challenge and support an inclusive society is to recalibrate wealth redistribution, which is a political will.