This month marks 25 years of access auditing training from the Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE). The training scheme has helped to change the face of inclusive design from major capital projects to national and international accessibility improvements.
‘Completing the CAE’s Access Auditing Course has completely changed the way I look at buildings. Now whenever I approach and enter a space I am mentally assessing the access arrangements and planning improvements in my head. It has profoundly influenced my work as a designer and will continue to do so on all future projects.’ Susie Rumbold, Creative Director, Tessuto Interiors Ltd
“… the training really helped us learn the finer nuances of auditing and helped us align our methods to those used by CAE… Currently, v-shesh is widely involved in access audits and short trainings for people across the country and we are participating in the Government of India’s endeavour to make India accessible for all.” Radhika Agarwal, founding member, v-shesh
Find out more about access auditing training
A history of delivering results
In its quarter century of operation, over 2,000 people have taken the course, using their knowledge to support their workplaces or in their career as an access professional.
“…the CAE Access Auditing course is one of the best bits of vocational training I’ve ever done. It’s given me huge confidence in handling the access and inclusion parts of my role which includes contributing to policy and best practice guidance, assessing funding applications and the applicants’ approach to access on capital projects… I left feeling very motivated to do everything in my power to influence inclusion needs for the building projects we fund. So much from a few short hours of training!”
Julia Voss, Senior Officer Capital, Arts Council England
“I did my first 2 days course with CAE many many years ago and I fell in love! Years later, I became an Access Advisor – CAE played a big part.”
Maria Grazia Zedda, Equality Diversity and Inclusion Senior Manager, HS2
Rooted in equality legislation
CAE’s history is inescapably intertwined with the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act, 1995 (DDA). This landmark act made it unlawful to discriminate against disabled people in relation to employment, the provision of goods and services, education, and transport.
The DDA resulted in an influx of queries from businesses seeking advice on how to assess their building accessibility. There was clearly an enormous interest in accessibility and companies meeting their duties under DDA, but a shortage of trained auditors.
In 1996, CAE ran the first access auditing training course with trainers John Miller and Ann Sawyer. The course covered the role of the DDA, how to audit a design from drawings, and how to carry out an audit.
What started out as a one-day event, quickly grew by demand into a more in depth three-day residential course. By 1999 the access auditing course was still in high demand with a waiting list and the training program was expanded. CAE also started an informal register of people that had completed the course, this later became independently funded as the ‘National Register of Access Consultants’ (NRAC) and it remains the only national register for the profession in the UK.
25 years after its launch, access auditing training remains one of CAE’s most popular courses, now incorporating the Equality Act, 2010 and principles of inclusive design alongside access auditing methodologies. CAE Associate Ann Sawyer is still involved with the course today, as is trainer, Vin Goodwin who joined the team in 1998. Between them, they are celebrating 47 years of teaching auditing skills. In 2020 the training was embedded into CAE’s Pathways Academy supporting young disabled people into long term sustainable careers in inclusive design.
“Although I’ve been involved in inclusion for a considerable time, I have only become an independent consultant in the last two years. Attending the CAE Access Audit course has been fundamental to this change and has supported me in delivering two complex and unique audits that directly benefit members of the public as well as employees. Attending this course has helped me to make a positive difference to the lives of others.” Martin York.
By Fara Muneer, Head of Centre for Accessible Environments.