Inclusive Environments

Question 1

How does Approved Document M interlink with the Equality Act 2010?

Answer 1

The equality act concerns itself with people and ensuring that disabled people are not at a substantial disadvantage . The act doesn’t provide design guidance.

A building that is Approved Document M compliant does not mean compliance with the Equality Act 2010, as the Equality Act moves past the design of the building.

Question 2

What other inclusive guidance or standards are you are of?

Answer 2

Bs8300 for the Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people.

Question 3

What do you need to put in place and agree if it is not possible to comply with Approved Document M?

Answer 3

You need to agree an Access Strategy which will need to be signed off by the Buildng Control body, the more complex the building the more detailed the access strategy will need to be.

Question 4

What are some example requirements within part M?

Answer 4

• Min entrance width of doors
  New buildings - 800mm
  Existing Buildings - 750mm
  External Doors
  New Buildnigs - 1000mm
  Existing - 775mm

Level entrance
- 15mm max upstand
- anything over 5mm needs a chamfered edge