Inclusive Environments

Question 1

What is an inclusive environment?

Answer 1

An inclusive environment is one which is designed and managed to allow people with a diverse range of needs and abilities to access and use it.

Question 2

Why is it important to create inclusive environments?

Answer 2

Inclusive environments are important so they are accessible to all individuals as it is important to take everyone’s requirements into account as best as we can.

Question 3

What are considerations that those with responsibility to ensure inclusive environments must have a good awareness of the following issues which are relevant to their work?

Answer 3

• Physical and mental health issues which may lead to varying accessibility requirements
• Factors which can lead to social isolation
• Policy and legal requirement such as local plans etc and building regs (part M)
• Best practices relating to inclusivity in the design and management of spaces.
• The value that inclusive environments can bring to building owners and occupiers

Question 4

Ensuring environments are inclusive applies throughout the property lifecycle;

Answer 4

• During design and refurb consider rother users requirements
• During building occupancy, occupiers and managers must ensure that space can be used without interfering with disabilities
• Create an environment that it accessible to all users

Question 5

The Equality Act 2010

Answer 5

The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.
It sets out the different ways in which its unlawful to treat someone.

Question 6

What are nine protected characteristics?

Answer 6

• It extends the obligations to all ‘controllers of let premises’
• People managing buildings cannot discriminate against or victimise an occupier
• Lettings and sales cannot discriminate or harass someone
• Helps disabled people if they are at a disadvantage if the work was not carried out
• Landlords need to ensure that al dealings with a T could have a protected characteristic and are dealt with in accordance with the Act’s supervisions
• Service providers have a duty to make alterations to a building so to avoid disability discrimination or make an alternative provson of the service
• Need for an access statement/ audit for all properties
• Most requirements in part M of the building regs.

Question 7

What are the four types of illegal discrimination?

Answer 7

• Direct discrimination
• Indirect discrimination
• Harassment
• Victimisation

Question 8

When faced with an obstacle to access for disabled person:

Answer 8

• Remove or alter the feature
• Provide reasonable means of avoiding the obstacle or reasonable alternative access to the service

Question 9

What are the tests of reasonableness?

Answer 9

• Effectiveness of the adjustment for the disabled person
• The practicality of the adjustment for the disabled person
• The practicality of the adjustment
• Its financial cost and likely disruption
• Financial and other resourceds