Inclusive Design
Inclusive Design Advisory Panel
1. What is Inclusive Design?
Inclusive Design (in summary) involves:
- Making places (and products) that everyone can use safely, easily and with dignity;
- Removing barriers that create undue effort or separation;
- Enabling everyone to participate equally, confidently and independently in everyday activities
It is about designing to meet the needs of people who are often disadvantaged by their environment.
2. What is IDAP?
- A small Advisory Panel, commissioned by Leicester City Council to provide it with expert advice on Inclusive Design matters.
- Co-ordinated by Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living.
- Made up of professional specialist officers from 4-5 key disability organisations.
- It complements (but is separate from) the Leicester Disabled People’s Access Group, which is an independent campaigning organisation.
The Panel’s Purpose is to help the City Council to:
- use its influence on Leicester’s physical environment to achieve inclusive access to buildings, streets and spaces;
- fulfil its duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (particularly the Disability Equality Duty), and other equality legislation.
The Panel’s Aim is to give clear, consistent and timely advice to City Council officers, Members, and (where appropriate) partners/ stakeholders (e.g. developers/ applicants, LRC,) on:
- access and inclusive design matters,
- wider involvement of disabled people and organisations, including appropriate methods/ formats,
- further sources of advice/ best practice.
To achieve this aim the Panel also:
- Supports the Council’s Disabled Persons’ Access Officer in carrying out his duties;
- Ensures that members of the panel are suitably trained and have appropriate expertise to achieve its purpose.
3. Whose on the panel?
The core Panel of four is made up of one professional expert from each of the following organisations:
- Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living: Eric Day (Chair and point of contact)
- VISTA, (Society for the Blind): Terry Brown
- Action Deafness: Karl Whatsize
- Age Concern: John Boyce
In addition there is a fifth place available for other organisations to be represented as appropriate for specific issues.
4. Scope of work
The Panel considers a wide range of projects/ issues in response to requests from the City Council. These include:
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Specific design issues/ queries
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Key projects/ schemes
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Key policy and procedural issues/ initiatives
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Legislative and best practice advice.
Projects which the Panel has advised on include:
- City Centre and Cultural Quarter public realm schemes
- Highcross and Curve
- Parks/ rights of way issues
- School development proposals
- Highway management issues (e.g. dropped kerbs, crossing design)
- Various detailed planning applications schemes.
The panel has also supported access awareness training for City Council officers.
