INTERIORS 71


Is it time to push for built-in accessibility? D


make


o you advocate accessibility? Are you driving inclusivity through your design practice? Current statistics disappointing


reading; just nine


percent of English housing stock offers basic access, and considering one in five residents now live with disability, and over 11 million people are aged over 65, that is anything but inclusive. Consequently, the architect’s role in championing change has become more vital than ever. Yola Mealing, Head of Brand & Communications at Stiltz Homelifts, looks behind the statistic and highlights how the homelift could be the pivotal product which accelerates domestic accessibility.


The need for change It’s thought in around 20 years time over a third of households will include a resident over 65 years of age. As the UK demographic ages, the need for accessibility at home will grow. Ill-health and reduced mobility could potentially be further exacerbated by social and economic factors outside the control of the individual. And these could ultimately affect independence at home for those in younger age brackets too. Importantly, when movement around the home is curtailed, people tend to be restricted to using only a handful of rooms, especially when stairs – the first indicator of poor accessibility – become unmanageable. This in turn leads to a lack of self-worth, isolation, and depression.


Disability is also on the rise. Today, there are 16 million adults and children with a registered disability. This is an increase of 5% in the last decade alone, including 1.2 million wheelchair users. These figures make concerning reading when we consider the current limited accessible-housing stock. Is it therefore time for architects to help raise the profile of campaigns which push change in accessible living?


Shifting policy and practice The recent launch of RIBA’s Inclusive Design Overlay for Plan of Works is a starting point in advocating for suitable housing for all. It is only one piece of the puzzle though. Amy Francis-Smith,


the accessible


Development of accessible homes remains frustratingly slow and when faced with the stark statistics regarding ageing and disability, I feel action needs to be taken by fellow architects right now.” “And it’s not just specialist ‘disability’ properties which needs to improve, we need to prioritise making mainstream housing more accessible,” continues Amy. “By planning in advance, we can build in futureproofed and accessible features for the inevitability of ageing, and with wheelchair users in mind. This will reduce the need for specifying


retrofitted equipment and the


associated delays the process brings, and make providing homes fit for purpose quicker, more straightforward and cost-effective, and importantly for the end-user, far less stressful.


Architect and Accessibility


Expert, fully supports this new RIBA overlay however she recognises there are many more challenges to overcome: “The profession welcomes


and adaptable


updates to the Building Regulations M4(2), but when will progress be made on the wheelchair accessible M4(3) classification?


ADF10_Stiltz_FP ADV.indd 2 ADF OCTOBER 2023


Seeing the bigger picture Until a holistic, country-wide solution is developed, current options remain limited. It’s possible to create a bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor using existing rooms, removing the need to use stairs. But at what emotional cost? Living space is compromised and the proud resident will struggle with a loss of self-esteem and privacy. The alternative involves building a single storey extension but with current costs, estimated at between £30,000 and £140,000, it is an investment out of the reach of many.


Homelits to the fore


Internal stairs remain the number one access difficulty for multi-level houses owned or rented by older and disabled people.


In most applications,


a homelift will


solves the issue of stairs, period. Previously served by a category known as through- floor lifts, it took UK-based company Stiltz to bring the term homelift to a wider audience. They created a product range designed specifically for the home sweeping aside the failings of commercial through-floor lifts which had to previously be shoehorned into domestic settings. Amy agrees “Using key access products like an in-home lift, means families don’t experience the costly and often heart- breaking process of moving away from their much-loved home and neighbourhood. I do get asked ‘why a homelift and not a stairlift?’ I’m always a bit cautious about stairlifts; they are often an emergency purchase rather than a considered decision based on genuine user need. They can sometimes have a negative impact on the rest of the household as well.” As the lead player in the homelift category and a voice calling for early adoption of future-proofing by introducing pre-cut aperture spaces into all new build ceilings, Stiltz remains ahead of the curve with BIM-ready files in production and a proven commitment to architectural best practice. Amy concludes:


key, especially for ageing in place which I feel


is so important


“Future-proofing is for our


Architects, designers and specifiers … and their clients … will really benefit from more thorough investigations into the innovative options available.”


info@stiltz.co.uk www.stiltz.co.uk 03/10/2023 13:40 WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK society.


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