Do you need help ensuring your premises are inclusive to all and accessible to disabled staff, visitors and the public?

An Access Audit or DDA Audit, will provide you with practical recommendations for any reasonable adjustments your organisation needs to take to remove barriers which prevent a disabled person from being able to access your premises and services. A ‘reasonable adjustment’ can be something as simple as changing a policy and does not necessarily require you to make expensive physical changes. Importantly, emergency means of escape for disabled people will also be considered. This will help your organisation comply with its legal duties in relation to the Equality Act 2010. All Access Audit reports are clearly written in plain English and any technical terms are clearly explained.

I carry out Access Audits across the built environment which includes historic listed buildings, offices, museums, libraries, hotels, churches, leisure centres, event spaces, theatres, colleges and schools. An Access Audit report can also be used to support a grant funding bid application.

I provide two levels of Access Audit depending on your budget and requirements.

A Level 1 ‘Tour and Talk’ Access Audit is a cost-effective service which will provide an overview of the current accessibility status of your premises and the way services are provided. We will tour around your premises together and I will provide recommendations for improvements to accessibility as we go. You are very welcome to take your own notes during the tour and ask as many questions as you like. Following the tour, I will prepare a bullet point summary of the recommendations discussed. The Level 1 Access Audit summary report will also provide you with a basic overview of your organisations legal duties in relation to the Equality Act 2010.

A Level 2 Access Audit is a detailed level of report which will provide a comprehensive assessment of the current physical accessibility status of the environment and will provide recommendations for improvements.

All recommendations for improvements to accessibility will be based on the current Approved Document M of the Building Regulations 2010 as the minimum benchmark. Where relevant, additional best practice design guidance will also be referenced, including the British Standards BS 8300: 2018 Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment and PAS 6463:2022 Design for the mind.

The Level 2 Access Audit report will include priority bandings and basic cost bandings for any recommended work.

A basic overview of your organisations legal duties in relation to the Equality Act 2010 will also be provided.

Once you receive your report, you will then need to incorporate any recommendations you would like to implement into an Access Plan or Access Strategy for implementation.

I’d be delighted to help answer any questions you may have, please get in touch.