ACCESS STRATEGY FOR DISABLED PEOPLE 2005 Policy and Technical Guidance on Providing Physical Access for Disabled People 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This document sets out North Somerset Council’s policy for achieving access for disabled people to the physical environment and information. It provides a framework for the Council’s decision-making and a basis for the: ? Setting of targets in every Council Service or Team Plan ? Advice that is given to private businesses and developers ? Approach that should be taken in working with partners of the Council. 1.2 The policy will be delivered by way of: ? The Council’s performance management framework ? National legislation and government guidance relating to the physical environment (see appendix one) ? Council policies, environmental regulatory guidance, eg Planning Guidance, and good practice guidance and advice 1.3 The Policy is composed of ? Terms and definitions ? Aims ? The Policy ? Technical Guidance, describing Council’s physical access guidance. Appendix One: Disability Design Standards Appendix Two: Inclusive Building Project Management Guide Appendix Three: Full description of Social Model of Disability Appendix Four: Disability Consultative Groups. ___________________________________________________________________- 2 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS 2.1 There are number of terms which occur throughout this policy and its appendices that are defined below for the purposes of clarity. 2.1.1 Environment Any building or open space in an urban or rural setting. It does not have to be man- made. It includes: * the internal and external areas of buildings; * equipment that may be installed to enable access to be provided to an activity or a facility, wherever it may be; * transportation, encompassing both vehicles and infrastructure; e.g. bus stations or lay-bys. 2.1.2 Information This includes information traditionally relayed by way of written text but now in a variety of formats from audio tapes to e-mail or alternative languages. It also includes signs and wayfinding (the way a building is designed that helps someone literally find their way around). 2.1.3 Disability The Council uses the social definition of disability for the development and implementation of any Council policy, or any policy, procedure or practice related to the Disability Discrimination Act. The crucial message of this definition is that people are disabled by society and not by their impairments. A full description is given in appendix three. 2.1.4 Accessible This refers to buildings etc being accessible or that access should be provided. It is taken to mean the physical provision that is made for disabled people to use a building, facility or service. 3 OVERALL POLICY AIMS 3.1 The following aims seek to provide a framework in which the policy and the guidance it offers can be implemented by the Council. They represent the targets that should be included in any work relating to the environment and disabled people. 3.2 Aim One: To make provision for disabled people within the mainstream environment. First and foremost the Council considers the aim should be to ensure that the needs of anyone with an impairment are not met by way of separate, unnecessary specialist provision. (A simple example of this is having to use a different door to enter a restaurant, or the Portishead library, soon to be replaced). The Council seeks to ensure that all disabled people should have the right to use all the facilities in a building and to participate in all the activities being undertaken, if they choose to. Building designs may need to be specific to the particular person in the same way other building users needs will have to be met, e.g., parents with children, the different sexes. 3.3 Aim Two: The design philosophy should take an inclusive approach to the provision of access to the environment or to an activity. 3.3.1 People should not have to divide themselves up, to label themselves and then find out where to go and what then they must do to enter any building. Buildings may need a ramp for a wheelchair user, or a parent with a pram. But equally, others may prefer steps. The Council considers the design of the entrance to a building should always seek to enable everyone to use a common route which might include steps and a ramp. It should not have the ramp placed off the desire line, necessitating, as is so often the case, the disabled person having to travel around the steps to find the beginning of the ramp, somewhere off to the side. 3.3.2 As a further example, theatres or cinemas should provide spaces for wheelchair users within the body of the auditorium. There should be seating alongside the space so that other people can sit with them as part of a group. Specialist should not equate to separate, or different, but be more a question of a specific service provision. 3.4 Aim Three: The Council will ensure it delivers accessible buildings for the delivery of its services for disabled people by: 1. Ensuring continuous and suitably ambitious performance improvement on key measures assessing physical access, e.g. 90% of all public Council buildings accessible to disabled people by end of 2007/8 (BV156) 2. Seeking the views of disabled service users by way of the North Somerset Access Group and wider consultation with disabled service users. 3.4.1 The Council recognises the need to make the places and means by which it delivers it’s services fully accessible to disabled people in accordance with national legislation. A part of this is consulting with local service users but also comparing performance to technical standards which are available through nationally set local government targets e.g. BV156 and more indirectly, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and Amendment Act 2005. Clearly set local objectives e.g. through Local Strategic Partnerships may also be considered. This assessment work will be used to determine programmes of work by the Property and Asset Management Section in consultation with individual Directorate services. These will be monitored and reviewed in accordance with the individual target and overall programme of work. The programmes of work will take account of the service users’ needs and the objectives of the particular service. They will also address the practicality and reasonableness of providing an accessible building in the context of the resources that are available, both financially and by way of Council staff or external consultants. 3.5. Aim Four: In bidding for funds from external sources, or the structuring of its own projects, the Council will seek to maximise the use of funds to improve and make provision for access for disabled people. 3.5.1 To meet the needs of disabled people in a planned and budgeted way requires the delivery of services and individual building projects to be considered at a strategic level and not always left to the detailed design stages when there may not be sufficient funding available to meet those needs. This can then result in accessible buildings and discrimination taking place. To overcome this problem the Council’s services are currently undertaking DDA Service Assessments1 with the aim of ensuring the needs of disabled people are identified. These needs can be then considered as a part of the service planning and budget process and managed properly. 3.5.2 In a survey of disabled people the Disability Rights Commission2 found that it was access to the environment which was of most concern. The Council wishes to take every opportunity to use the resources at its disposal to improve the accessibility of the physical environment and of services. Many sources of funding are very specific and appear to be intended for particular types of work. The imaginative use of the funds can result in the works being of wider benefit, in particular, to disabled people. A recent “Pathways to Work” scheme under one of the Council’s Local Public Service Agreement3 sought to encourage employers to provide advice and support to employ disabled people. Alternatively, current “Civic Pride” environmental improvement schemes can also seek to consider raising footway levels to remove the steps to shop entrances. ____________________________________ 1 Contact the Access Officer for Disabled People for further details 2 Disability Rights Commission 2003 3 The LPSA allows the Council to focus resources and effort on issues that matter to the community. The agreement provides an opportunity for partners to work together to achieve better local services. The targets areas reflect the wide range of services that the Council and its partners provide. 4 THE POLICY 4.1 Use of buildings by the Council The Council will always look at every opportunity available to it within its resources and powers to improve access for disabled people. It recognises that with many existing buildings sometimes there may be very limited choices available to it and that it may not be physically possible. However the Council will seek to ensure that in the choice of buildings and land it occupies, it will promote the needs of disabled people at all times, and at the point where its services are delivered, that everyone has an equal standard of access. 4.2 Provision of Buildings by Others The Council has legal duties under a variety of legislation to consider access to the environment for disabled people; e.g. the Planning, Building Regulations or Highway Acts and more recently the Disability Discrimination Amendment Act 2005. The Council will use its regulatory powers and other means of influence, e.g. land ownership, partnerships or contractual arrangements, to seek to ensure that provision is made for access by disabled people whether they are visitors, customers or members of staff. 4.3 How The Needs of Disabled People Will Be Met Under the DDA there is a requirement to seek to identify and be responsive to the needs of all disabled people as they arise. This may require specific provision to be put in place to meet any identified need. It is therefore important that where conflicts occur between the needs of different user groups or competing design requirements, the provision for the needs of disabled people should be met in full wherever it is reasonable and practicable. They must not be marginalised, or reduced, as a means of resolving such conflicts. 4.4 Design Guidance Many technical standards do not reflect the usability of buildings and services which such legislation as the DDA focus on. Using Council-wide guidance ensures a common approach to interpretation, the sharing of good practice and the maintenance of service standards across the North Somerset area. All design guidance whether for the Council’s own projects or where advice is provided to external partner organisations, private developers and businesses, must use the design advice described in the Council's approved "Disability Design Advice", (as described in Appendix Three). 4.5 Consultation There is a need to seek the views of users to ensure policies and the guidance used by the Council and being given to developers in Planning applications etc accurately reflects users’ requirements. The opportunity to be consulted on access issues must be available to representatives of the disability community at least where they entail: ? Any issues of principle in the design of an accessible environment e.g. interpretation of legislation or the detailed use of tactile paving. ? Any significant or major development proposals, e.g. a retail superstore ? Matters of policy affecting access, e.g. Planning policies or the introduction of car parking standards, Full details of the consultative bodies to use are given in appendix four. 4.6 Role of Council Staff The Council's staff has a unique role in delivery of this policy. They must seek to promote the needs of disabled people in the environment by following, in particular, points 4.1 and 4.4 of the policy and working with groups of disabled people to facilitate their ideas. In addition, the Council's Access Officer will: ? Co-ordinate provision ? Provide advice ? Facilitate consultation with disabled people within the Council and with other public bodies, private companies or individuals. All other Officers shall liaise with the Access Officer on any access issues concerning this Policy and the interpretation of design guidance. 4.7 Access to Information This is a fundamental issue. It reflects the key role of the Access Strategy which is to provide guidance and information as well as to ensure information about the environment is accurately communicated. The Council will seek to ensure that it will always provide information to disabled people in formats and in ways that ensures it is fully accessible on request: ? To its own service users ? In the design advice it provides on the environment. Key examples of this work would include: 1. Following the Council “Information and Communication Guide” for the production of documents in accessible styles and formats. 2. Providing signs in accessible formats eg Braille and with suitable fonts. 4.8 Monitoring and policy review process There is a need to ensure the Strategy remains up to date and accurate so that it fulfils its role effectively. The whole Strategy including Technical Appendices will be reviewed annually and the Technical Guidance (Appendices 1 and 2) will be updated bi–annually. The reviews will take account of changes to 1. Legislation 2. National access guidance and good practice 3. Council policy and performance management 4. Good practice and advice arising from the North Somerset Access Group. 5 DISABILITY DESIGN STANDARDS 5.1 The Council will use as the basis for its advice the information on the following pages. Where this advice is not found to be sufficiently comprehensive it will make use of the British Standard BS8300 “Access for disabled people etc” except where superceded by Approved Document Part M of the Building Regulations 2004. 5.2 The management and operation of projects will be undertaken in accordance with the principles set out in Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment/Disabled Persons Transport Committee’s document entitled “Inclusive Project Management” 5.3 Further more detailed advice and guidance will be added as a part of any future review of the policy and the interpretation of this guidance is developed. APPENDIX ONE: DISABILITY DESIGN STANDARDS APPENDIX TWO: INCLUSIVE BUILDING PROJECT MANAGEMENT GUIDE This Guide focuses on physical access to building and similar projects. There is a separate corporate project management guide which provides more generalised project management information. APPENDIX THREE; SOCIAL MODEL OF DISABILITY 1 Impairment and Disabling Barriers. Concept of impairment The word 'impairment' is used to describe a characteristic or feature of someone’s body that makes it different from other people's bodies. However, the effects of impairments on people have been misunderstood. For a very long time it has been said that people with visual impairments, or, hearing impairments, or, physical impairments or, mental impairments cannot take part in things because of their impairments. In fact, most people still have a habit of thinking in this way even today. However, during the last few years disabled people have begun to explain their exclusion from society in a different way. There are a number reasons why people with impairments are left out. Here are some examples of different impairments to illustrate the point. Example One It is often said that blind people cannot do many of the things that sighted people can do because they cannot see. But it can also be said that blind people are prevented from joining in because information is not given to them in a way that they can use, for example, in Braille, or on tape or in large print. Example Two It can be said that deaf people cannot take part in meetings because they cannot hear. But deaf people say that they are stopped from taking part in meetings because there are no sign language interpreters. Example Three Some people will say that a person with a spinal injury cannot get into a building because she cannot walk, whereas she may say that she cannot get into the building because there is no ramp or lift for people who use wheelchairs. Example Four It is said of people with learning difficulties that they cannot live in an ordinary house because there is something wrong with their brains which means they cannot look after themselves. But people with learning difficulties can say that they cannot live in an ordinary house because people will not help them to. or, because some people do not want to have people with learning difficulties as neighbours. The first way of describing disability in each example is known as the Medical Model of Disability because it blames any difficulties disabled people have solely on their impairments or medical conditions. The second way of describing disability in each example is known as the Social Model of Disability because it shows the social barriers that stop people with impairments from joining in. The Social Model is a different way of thinking; it says that it is the way in which society is organised that deprives people with impairments of their abilities to participate: it is society which disables someone and not their impairments. * ' *, « - What are Social Barriers? Barriers are everywhere, they include: * Prejudice and stereotypes; * Inflexible organisational procedures and practices; * Inaccessible information; * Inaccessible buildings; and, * Inaccessible transport Some of these barriers are easy to see or touch, for example steps into a building, whilst others, such as, prejudice and stereotypes, are ideas in someone's head and therefore they are not so easy to get hold of. Often people will have to deal with many barriers all at once. For example, a blind person going to a meeting may be faced with an inaccessible building; given no information on tape, and be patronised by the others attending the meeting. Barriers from the Past. Disabled people not only have to deal with barriers which exist now, but they also have to deal with barriers that have stopped them doing things in the past. For example, barriers that prevented them from going to mainstream school or college can result in them not having the same opportunities as non-disabled people to get qualifications and learn social skills. This may mean that they do not have an equal chance to get the sort of jobs that non-disabled people can get. 2 What happens if you don't use the Social Model? When it is said that 'disability' is caused by impairments, it encourages everyone to think that people with impairments are by nature incapable of doing many things. It encourages the view that nothing can be changed so nothing needs to be changed. Whereas, if you use the Social Model of Disability it becomes obvious that people with impairments are disabled because society has been organised in a way which prevents them from taking part in everyday life. It becomes obvious that the barriers which prevent people who have impairments from joining in society are 'man-made', so they can be removed. It might be easier and quicker to say that you cannot do something 'because of your impairment', rather than trying to describe all the social barriers which prevent you from doing that something. But if disabled people don't begin to identify social barriers no one else will take the trouble to think about them - let alone remove them. Difference. The Social Model does not say that if all barriers are removed everyone will all be the same. Rather, it shows that different people can do things in different ways. It enables both disabled and non-disabled people to understand these differences; it describes people as being different but not inferior, and it helps everyone to work out how to take part in society on their own terms. APPENDIX FOUR: DISABILITY CONSULTATIVE GROUPS Disability Access Group. Contact point: Anthony Rylands (Access Officer for Disabled People), Equality and Diversity Team Corporate Services Unit. Town Hall Telephone: 01934 634989 The aims of the Group are to: 1. To promote socially inclusive standards of physical access for all disabled people who live or work in, or who visit the North Somerset area. 2. To provide advice on physical access for disabled people in relation to all proposals and policies on transport and the environment to: a. North Somerset Council b. Private developers businesses and local organisations The role of the Group will not have an independent roe promoting the needs of disabled people outside of the Council. It is an independent advice group. 3. To provide all advice in accordance with the principles of the Social Model of Disability. Others groups and mechanisms for consultation will be considered and added as appropriate during the periodic review of the policy. _____________________________________________________-